Increased Soil Quality & Environmental Quality through No-till Planting

Here is a short video I found that does a good job of briefly demonstrating and explaining the benefits of no-till planting.  In Indiana, just over 60% of our Soybeans are planted by means of no-till and just over 20% of our Corn.  The Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Division of Soil Conservation and our conservation partners have some excellent resources available to help farmers who are interested in making the transition to no-till.  One great resource is our Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative.....check it out!

Images of Thankfulness

A picture is worth a thousand words! Today I have asked ISDA staff to submit images which showcase various things for which they are thankful. You could see their eyes light up in excitement and instant deep thought. By the time I returned to my desk the images started rolling in my Inbox. As I opened the pictures I began to laugh and get all of those warm fuzzy feelings, I hope you will too. I'm proud to present to you from the hearts of a few of our ISDA staff to you, Our ISDA Images of Thankfulness.

Making the World a Better Place

George Reger, ISDA Resource Specialist... Happy Surveying!

I feel compelled to write a brief snippet about the dedication and passion that our conservation staff and board members carry with them for our natural resources.  Day in and day out our ISDA, Soil Conservation/Environmental Stewardship staff pour their energy into to making this world a better place.  I know people always chuckle when I say we are working to make the world a better place, but that is the way I see it.  Of course this can be said about most any profession in one way or another, but literally we're about making our waters cleaner, soils healthier, and our farms efficient and productive.  We help people be great stewards of the precious land and resources of which we are blessed.  I admittedly get sappy about our conservation profession, but it is important work and we love it.

Sarah Lake, ISDA Resource Specialist.....
discussing conservation options with a farmer

In a recent report from our 23 Resource Specialists, they are currently working on the survey, planning, and completion of over 130 miles of Grassed Waterways!!! Wow!  If calculated, this would equate to thousands of tons of soil saved as well as thousands of pounds of phosphorus and nitrogen reduced from runoff as well(these are three components that can create significant water quality degradation).  Not to mention the farmer who installs this practice is thrilled because he no longer has that uncrossable gully in his field.

Recently constructed Grassed Waterway, new grass coming up
through erosion control blanket

Grassed waterways solve gully erosion problems.  Essentially you take that area in the field where water runs and it is starting make a channel from erosion(this is the gully) and you reshape that area to a designed width and depth, grow a dense vegetative cover(grass), and the erosion problem is gone.  Along with washing priceless topsoil away, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus can quickly be washed away in these areas as well.  The Grassed Waterway eliminates the erosion and the grass acts as a filter for the nutrients.

Functioning Grassed Waterway 

Many thanks to our staff and State Soil Conservation Board who work out in the field, in the board rooms, and in the offices to bring conservation solutions to our lands.


Thank You!

Indiana State Soil Conservation Board

It's CREPtastic! Guest Post

Sara Christensen serves ISDA as the State Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Coordinator, and works on watershed/water quality issues. Although she currently resides in downtown Indy, she uses her free time to escape to the natural places of Indiana. Originally from small town Ohio, Sara has embraced the Hoosier State and cares deeply for Indiana’s people and places. She is proud IUPUI alum, with a background in geology.

It's CREPtastic!

That’s the word on the street at the State Department of Ag lately. Well, okay, at least in my world. I’ve been working on CREP for the better part of the last two years. After many months of hard work in ISDA as well as FSA, the CREP amendment was finally signed and official on August 27th of this year. ISDA and FSA hosted a signing event at Mr. Mike Starkey’s farm in the Brownsburg area. Many of our conservation partner leaders were in attendance, including our own Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, ISDA‘s Director Joe Kelsay, USDA-FSA State Executive Director Julia Wickard, and many others. It was a fun day! Whew!

Let me start from the beginning, my beginning anyway. When I joined the staff at ISDA, CREP was available in three of Indiana’s HUC 8s and only in parts of 29 counties (What’s a HUC 8? Here’s a link!). By the way, Indiana contains or touches parts of 38 HUC 8s. The CREP amendment allows this program to increase its availability to 11 total watersheds touching 65 counties. Ok, great, so CREP is available in 11 watersheds? What is it? CREP – the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – is a program that provides financial incentives to landowners who voluntarily set aside some of their marginally productive or sensitive farm ground into certain natural resource conservation practices for 14-15 year periods. CREP funds come from the State of Indiana, as well as USDA Farm Service Agency. Additional technical and financial assistance comes from Natural Resource Conservation Services, The Nature Conservancy, and the White River Restoration Fund. Members of the Indiana Conservation Partnership, as well as other conservation groups, serve on the CREP coordinating and technical committees. So, CREP is most definitely a group effort!
Native grasses (above) are one example of a CREP practice

CREP is designed to alleviate some of the nonpoint source sediments and nutrients leaving agricultural lands; improved water quality is a large constituent of this program. What are nonpoint source sediments and nutrients? Well, point source discharges are those that leave from a single source, such as a pipe. Nonpoint source discharges are basically everything else that leaves the landscape through overland flow. CREP also enhances wildlife habitat. So, let’s talk specifically about practices and what they do. Most of the practices available in CREP focus on “buffer-type” practices: native grasses, riparian buffers, filter strips, wildlife habitat, and hardwood trees. These types of practices do several things to enhance water quality. Grasses and other plants act as a filter; sediments and nutrients are filtered out of the water before they can enter a waterway, the water entering a buffer decreases velocity and drops particles, and plants uptake excess nutrients. The decreased velocity also allows more of the water to percolate through the subsurface, further filtering the water and allowing for groundwater recharge. Riparian buffers that include tree planting shade waterways, allowing for more species diversity due to the cooler water temperatures and additional places for species to thrive. These areas also allow for connected corridors, which many species need to be successful.

There are a few whole field practices available as well, including wetlands and bottomland tree plantings. These practices again slow down water flow, allowing sediments to drop, filtering to occur, and groundwater recharge. Wetlands in particular, allow for denitrification to occur (wetlands could be a whole other guest blog!), reducing the nitrates that enter our waterways (reducing Gulf Hypoxia – guess I’ll be writing a few more guest blogs!). Another benefit of these practices is the potential to mitigate water quantity issues (as opposed to quality). Wetlands hold large amounts of water, allowing water to slowly enter our waterways, helping to alleviate flooding and droughts. Mature trees uptake vast amounts of water, again, using water that would have directly entered an adjacent waterway. Just one more benefit - the majority of our State and Federally listed threatened and endangered species use these areas at at least some stage in the life cycle.



Financial benefits vary depending on practice and soil type, but include up to 90% cost share for certain practices and annual rental payments from FSA, and payments from $100-$950 per acre from the state. For more information, go to ISDA's website or visit your local Soil and Water Conservation District, and remember, it’s CREPTASTIC!

It’s CREPTASTIC!

Conservation Loans

Here is a recent release from USDA regarding low interest loans available for implementing conservation practices on the farm. This is just one of the many, many Farm Bill programs available to landowners for this type of work. In addition to this loan announcement, others offer incentives and cost-share opportunities to control erosion, minimize nutrient and sediment runoff, and generally give the farmers tools to enhance environmental stewardship and sustain productivity.

Indianapolis, September 13, 2010 - Julia A. Wickard, Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Indiana announced the launch of a Conservation Loan (CL) program that will provide farm owners and farm-related business operators access to credit to implement conservation techniques that will conserve natural resources.

“This will provide farmers, who want to implement conservation measures on their lands, a chance to do so by providing assistance with up-front costs,” said Wickard. “In return, these producers will help reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and promote sustainable agricultural practices.”

Direct CLs can be obtained through local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices with loan limits up to $300,000. Guaranteed CLs up to $1,112,000 are available from lenders working with FSA.

CL funds can be used to implement conservation practices approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), such as the installation of conservation structures; establishment of forest cover; installation of water conservation measures; establishment or improvement of permanent pastures; implementation of manure management; and the adaptation of other emerging or existing conservation practices, techniques or technologies.

For more information on the Conservation Loan program, contact a local FSA office or visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov.

Conservation on the Farm through Innovation

I love the TV show "How It's Made". For those who haven't seen it....you watch and learn super cool details about the processes involved in making all kinds of crazy things we use everyday - padlocks, ballpoint pens, and the baking/packaging of mass amounts of blueberry muffins in the same 1/2 hour show!

So, I got to thinking (yes, scary!), what does the everyday John Q. Public know and understand about the science and technology that is involved with farming today? That's a huge subject because agriculture is extremely advanced in many ways. Just think about a combine, this is a piece of machinery that has revolutionized our ability to feed the world. Without it we're manually chopping corn stalks and removing kernels from cobs or beans from pods. A combine can process 150 bushels of corn(roughly 1 acre of corn on average) as fast as the farmer drives across it. Impressive and it's been around for awhile.

So let's drill down into one small, but critically component of agriculture, Agronomy.

Here's the wiki on agronomy.....Agronomy is the science and technology of using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science.

Agronomists are the folks that understand the growing preferences and details about a great number plants utilized in farming operations. They also understand the associated soil science and many can give recommendations for the best way to prepare the soil for maximum yield of planted crops.

Here's a hypothetical scenario for a very basic ag operation.......So the farmer gets his seeds, corn or beans, doesn't matter. Throws them in the planter and puts the seed in the ground. Maybe puts out some fertilizer to help it grow. Plant matures and when it turns brown you jump in the combine and harvest. Easy breezy, right.

NOT QUITE.......

Let's try this again......

-- Calculated decisions must be made as to what crop to grow based on soil conditions, pest concerns, market outlook, and possibly weather. Corn requires more nitrogen in the soil to grow properly and soybeans happen to be a nitrogen producing crop. So, many times you'll see corn following soybeans the next year. This saves the farmer money by reducing some of the nitrogen costs and maximizes the nutrients in the soil.

-- Soil samples are pulled and tested regularly to determine whether the amount of nutrients and pH in the soil are sufficient for the crops to yield to their maximum potential. Certain soils are more productive than others. Since fertilizer application is costly and is an overhead cost that reduces profits, farmers utilize the soil tests to only put on the needed amounts of fertilizer. This minimizes costs, but also helps to ensure the runoff of excess fertilizer into surrounding waters is minimized. With GPS points and aerial digital photos of fields agronomists prescribe variable rates of fertilizer based on soils and past data from harvests(yes, combines today can give real-time yield data as the crop is being harvested).

--Now planting, many farmers have adapted their operations to minimize the amounts of "trips" they travel across the fields. This is to minimize fuel costs and help prevent soil compaction(crushed soil from heavy equipment is less productive) among many other reasons. Specialized planting equipment has been developed which can plant the seed at the exact depth, deliver all of the fertilizer it needs to get started right there, prepare ideal seed-soil contact, and leave the perfect spacing for maximum yield from it's neighboring seeds. This is all in one pass across the field. Did I mention that soil conditions such as moisture and temperature must be carefully considered along with the hybrid of seed that has been selected for planting(this is where the science and art of farming come together). It doesn't hurt to be able to predict the weather either!?

-- Corn, in many cases, will need an extra boost of nitrogen and the farmer monitors the growth stage of the plants and tries to apply nitrogen right when the plant needs it so that the plant utilizes all of this valuable nutrient and leaching is reduced. There are fertilizer application tools that can evaluate the color of the corn leaves while moving through the field and applying nitrogen at variable rates as needed, further improving efficiency! Agronomists also utilize plant tissue testing from various portions of the field to prescribe the correct rates of nutrients.

-- Harvesting. Farmers monitor the maturity of the crop, field wetness(avoiding driving a large combine over wet soil is a good idea for many reasons, including compaction), and kernel moisture. There is a premium for corn or beans delivered in an ideal moisture range(too dry and it can crack or be easily damaged, too wet and it could get moldy or rot easily). Timing is quite crucial for a good harvest.

-- Science tells us that our soil ecosystem is more diverse and potentially more productive when they are biologically active throughout the year. In other words, it's good to keep something growing in the soil to encourage good populations of worms and all of the critters in the soil that actually aid in ag production and conservation. So, we see many farmers turning to the utilization of cover crops. Simple grasses and legumes that control erosion, scavenge left over nutrients and keep them from leaving the field, help break-up compaction, provide better water infiltration....there's a multitude of benefits.

The agronomists and Certified Crop Advisors are trained to understand the science and help farmers maximize efficiency. The tools and methods for honing in on what is coined "Precision Farming" continue to grow. This certainly is not an all-encompassing list of the science and technology associated with agriculture. In fact, it is just a scratch at the surface of just row crop ag, what about animal agriculture which has had incredible advancements. It's certainly easy to see that the environment not to mention the world's population have benefited tremendously from agriculture's science and technological advancements. We consistently have continued to increase the yields per acre as well as become more efficient at growing. Bob Nielson - Professor at Purdue - Agronomy, "State average corn grain yield in Indiana has increased at a fairly constant 1.6 bushels per acre per year since 1930 primarily due to improved genetics and production technology." from Corn Yield Trends article online

Did I mention that tractors can drive themselves now, cool real-life demo?!!! Watch this.

Through growing programs such as the On-Farm Network the Indiana State Department of Agriculture is encouraging the utilization of technology and science to improve farm efficiencies and environmental stewardship. Much more to come regarding this program in the future. See the excerpt below...

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s (ISDA) project will utilize the “On Farm Network” approach developed by the Iowa Soybean Association. This project focuses on the use of nitrogen on agricultural crops and keeping the nitrogen in crop fields and out of streams. The network approach will gather information about how nitrogen is used by farmers in the watershed, comparing all the variables in type, timing, placement, soils, and yield. Participants can then compare, evaluate, and modify their own system to optimize yields, while reducing overall use of nitrogen and minimizing losses to surface and subsurface waters.

Growing Corn and Soybeans in Indiana

I ran across this video about one of our grain farming familys in Indiana.
Get To Know A Grain Farmer
Farmers have always been and are increasingly aware of the environment. As agricultural technology improves and we learn more from science on how we can be better stewards of the land, many farmers have adapted their management. As you view this short (under 3 minutes) video; note that they are planting soybeans in a field with standing corn stalks, i.e. no-till planting. These corn stalks have remained in field, providing a cover (commonly called residue) to minimize soil erosion, over the late fall, winter, and early spring. He mentions the use of filter strips (grass strips between the farm field and a stream/creek) and grassed waterways (a grassy strip that moves water safely off of the field minimizing gully erosion). These grassy areas help trap soil and any pesticides/fertilizers that may be carried off of the field during a rain. So, grab Hoosier-grown popcorn...dim the lights...and enjoy getting to know a grain farmer!

The State Fair is Almost Here!

Stop by the "Pathway to Water Quality" for a cool, free drink!!!

Which Ditch is Which?

In my last blog entry (I know it’s been awhile) I threw out the water quality concerns associated with artificially drained land. I also mentioned that the face of Indiana today, the agricultural prosperity, and the landscape with which we are accustomed too is a direct result of the importance of artificial drainage. So, I offered up that we will introduce some solutions that help to minimize the water quality concerns with artificial drainage. In this entry we’re going to toss out a relatively new practice that is starting to get some interest around the state and it deals with the exciting topic of ditches! That’s right ditches, generally they are former creeks or streams that have been straightened and completed reshaped for rapid drainage of water. Try to get a hold of yourself, I know that you are probably jumping up and down and screaming with enthusiasm like the new Twilight film just came out! Okay maybe not, ditches are not really something you think about too often or ever, but we do here at ISDA and they are very important. Drainage ditches have had a great deal of impact on the Indiana we know today. For example, have you ever heard of the Grand Kankakee Marsh in Northwest Indiana? This used to be one of the most expansive wetland complexes in the US, over 500,000 acres. Imagine the mecca for hunting water fowl and fur-trading, truly a wilderness that was the Grand Kankakee.

Well, eventually agriculture was the name of the game for Indiana and much of the marsh was drained by ditches. This allowed for agricultural production and settlement into the area. So, my point is ditches play a critical role in our way of life and in many counties the drainage board is an absolutely critical group who makes important decisions and manages large amounts of public funds to maintain adequate drainage.

A typical ditch is simply a straight channel that is flat on the bottom and has very steeply sloping side slopes for carrying large volumes of water quickly off of the land and lower the water table. The problem is that ditches are rarely built in a way that the shape is sustainable. The velocity of the water along with many other factors cause these ditches to erode quickly and the side slopes fall in, they cost a great deal money to maintain and they really do very little to provide water quality/wildlife habitat. This is where the Two-Stage Ditch can serve as an alternative. The Two-Stage Ditch is built with a channel design with which the bottom section is designed to carry the typical/usual flow of water and then as you move up the side slope there is a grassy flat portion, a “bench”, that is intended to mimic nature’s floodplains, and finally the ditch is angled back up to normal ground elevation of the surrounding landscape.

The design, benefits, and more detailed information can better be found on this link to The Nature Conservancy's site. The Nature Conservancy in Indiana have been relentless advocates and supporters of this concept. Many thanks to them for the science and leg work to get this idea accepted as a viable option.
Without the nitty-gritty specifics the fact is that this simple design alteration to a traditional drainage ditch allows for more capture of sediment and nutrients that would typically shoot right through to the next tributary and on and on. In addition to that the side slopes are more stable providing minimal maintenance costs and because of the vegetated slopes the opportunity for more biological diversity is an improvement.

Here's a typical two stage, notice the grassy bench just above the water level.

Racing to Conserve on Artificially Drained Land

I love the Indy 500. I’m a born and bred Hoosier with a hankerin’ for racin’ and a need for speed, ! I probably haven’t missed the Greatest Spectacle in Racing for over 15 years and every year it still amazes how fast those cars make it around that 2.5 mile track. This need for speed is a common trait among many people and it seems to creep into almost all facets of life; sometimes that’s good and sometimes not so much!

For example, good - fast food, eating your lunch 30 seconds after you order it …….. not good - fast food can taste like it was prepared in under 30 seconds; good – roundabouts, help traffic move more efficiently and reduce 4 way stop delays…… not good…….have you seen the movie European Vacation?(“look kids, Big Ben… Parliament”).

For agricultural example, good – bigger/faster tractors can get across the fields quicker, pull larger equipment, and potentially spread out compaction with distributed weight over larger tires/tracks……not good – corn planted too fast can make the planter bounce and leave a very inconsistent stand which means a likely reduced yield.

As for this blog entry’s specific ag/conservation example, good – agricultural drainage, gets the excess wetness out of the farm fields quick and in Indiana, and much of the Midwest, this is absolutely critical to crop production on most of our farm ground and without it we would not enjoy the strong agricultural presence that we do today…. not so good, altering the natural drainage patterns, water tables, etc. can speed the transport of pollutants to surface waters as well as some other environmental concerns that this modified drainage can exacerbate.

Let’s trench in to this agricultural drainage topic some more, what’s the story??

Much of Indiana’s ag land is drained with ditches or an extensive subsurface drainage system, otherwise known as tile, and many times a combination of both. Without this drainage network, which quickly sends rainwater and excessive moisture from the soils downstream, many of our fields would be too wet to farm or would grow poor stands of crops. So, over the last century or so farmers have invested in these systems to improve their efficiency, boost yields and continue to feed the world’s growing population.

The unfortunate side of these improved drainage systems, as with most anything with nature, there are and have been lots of adverse effects to the aquatic ecosystem that come from moving the water away from the fields quickly. Here are just a few of the general effects associated with increased drainage:

1. Excess nitrogen being transported to surface waters. Nitrogen, which is applied to cropland and is essential for plants, is very water soluble and easily leaches down through the soil to the subsurface drains. Once in the subsurface drain, nitrogen is then quickly transported to the nearest surface water/stream/lake. Excess nitrogen in surface water can significantly boost algae growth or a bloom. Once the algae use up that nitrogen they begin to die off and decompose which uses up the dissolved oxygen in the water. The dissolved oxygen can drop to a point that the area is no longer viable for many aquatic organisms. This lack of oxygen is commonly referred to as Hypoxia. Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River is a well-documented concern.

2. Potential for increased flooding. The rainwater that once used to be soaked up by the land or temporarily pond on the surface for days before slowly moving towards the nearest stream, now it gets there much quicker through tile and ditches. The altered drainage of tiles and ditches send higher quantities of water in a shorter interval of time downstream directly following rain events versus the natural groundwater or landscape delivery which will bring water downstream in a more gradual manner comparatively. This can depend heavily on soil infiltration rates, water holding capacity, ground cover, and many other factors.

3. Erosion on ditchbanks. Ditches tend to be dug in a trapezoidal fashion in a profile view which is an extremely efficient design for moving water quickly. However this design historically requires a great deal of maintenance due to the undercutting of the banks from erosion and then sedimentation downstream. Water systems naturally develop stability through the development of floodplains which act as a relief valve if the waters get too high. In a ditched system, the water is meant to be contained within the ditch, and therefore in high volumes the water will tend to cut a deeper channel which brings instability to the whole setup.

Here’s where the agricultural conservation folks come in hopefully with some usable solutions that are currently being utilized and studied for their effectiveness: Two-Stage Ditch, Drainage Water Management, Constructed Wetlands, Denitrifying Bioreactors, and Blind Tile Inlets. Please check out the next Chew On Dirt to learn more about these practices which are aimed to minimize these environmental concerns associated with drainage.

"Farm the Best and BUFFER the Rest!"

“Farm the Best and Buffer the Rest”

This snazzy little catch phrase has been used for the last several years to describe a suggested mentality when considering profitability and environmental stewardship on the farm. So, what do we mean by the best and what in the world is a buffer?

Farming “the best” simply suggests that we look at the potential profits for farming a piece of ground after subtracting the cost for fertilizer, seed, time, pesticide/herbicide, sustainability to continue farming that piece, and risk. The fact is there are portions of fields that are planted regularly at a loss of profit and there are options that exist, such as buffers, to minimize the losses.

Think of it like this…. Let’s say you want to plant a garden and you love growing sweet corn. You just moved to a new place with lots of trees and shade. You plant the sweet corn, but only a portion of the garden grows decent because part of it is too shady (all of it was probably eaten by raccoons anyway!) You decide to try the same next year. Same result – a partial crop of raccoon ravaged sweet corn! Wouldn’t it be a better decision to plant the sweet corn in the sunny spot and either don’t plant in the shade, or put in a shade tolerant crop, personally I would go with spinach (obvious reason for spinach - because it makes you strong like Popeye the Sailorman, enough said). But the point is that not all of the garden spot was the best for growing sweet corn and essentially you are wasting your seed, planting time, fertilizer, sore back from weeding, ammunition from trying hit raccoons(oops, I mean you’re tired from chasing them!), and many of these things represent wasted cash money.

Since gardens are somewhat of a hobby to many folks and not nearly the size of most fields, the losses are not such a big deal, however for a farmer whose livelihood relies upon growing quality food in an environmentally and economically sustainable way, this can be a big problem. Ideally every acre on the farm would be making money from the crops grown and harvested each season, so this is where careful planning and management of the farm are critical. We should be figuring all the costs associated with getting the crops in the ground and sold, but the tricky part is trying to best guess what Mother Nature will do as well to determine “The Best” acres.

Three examples where we may not be farming “The Best” :
1. Those low-lying fields which flood and delay planting or prevent harvest 3 out of 5 years need to be really profitable on the 2 good years to justify continued planting.
2. The edge of the field by the woods traditionally has low yields because the trees use up the moisture and the deer/raccoons just reach out and grab an easy meal, but typically the same amount of fertilizer is spent on that acre.
3. That area of the field is always wet, no matter how much tile is installed. The equipment gets stuck and it’s yielding poorly

So, this is where the phrase “Buffer the Rest” comes in to play(for the chemistry nuts we’re not talking about raising the pH/reducing acidity levels). Fields prone to flooding, wildlife damage, excessive doughtiness, excessive wetness, etc are all great candidates for the solution of “Buffers”. A buffer can be described as a vegetated or wetland area placed in the landscape for the purpose of protecting soil resources, improving air and water quality, or enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. Many times buffers or buffer strips are referred to as filter strips or field borders. The great thing about buffers is that, once they are established, the costs associated with seed, fertilizer, and labor are gone for that area. In addition to reduced costs, there are opportunities through federal programs, like the Conservation Reserve Program, to receive an annual payment for the land enrolled as buffer. Current regulations require minimum setbacks from surface waters for spraying pesticides/herbicides and a buffer provides an automatic potentially paid-for setback. A properly planned buffer can straighten up the edges of fields and make fields easier farm all while providing all of the above mentioned benefits. Many farmers enjoy buffers/field borders simply because of the easier access that this lane provides around the field for crop scouting or for activities like hunting.

As farmers carefully calculate their profit vs cost margins, the “Farm the Best, Buffer the Rest” concept should be seriously considered along with the role that buffers can play in the overall operation.

Save Money, Save Soil

There is a tremedous amount of data and information out there for farmers to digest these days about how to improve farming. It seems like everybody has a tool, seed, herbicide, or method which will improve profitability and help the farmer be more efficient. One thing for sure that can help you make more money on your farm at the end of the day is to spend less on your inputs. By "inputs" I mean, the cost associated with getting the crops planted all the way through grain delivered.

One method that seems to pencil out time and time again is continuous no-till/strip-till. No-till is a tillage system in which the soil is not disturbed before planting, except for injecting fertilizer nutrients such as liquid manure or anhydrous ammonia and opening narrow strips with a coulter or disk seed-furrow during planting. This means that tillage is entirely eliminated. Furthermore, the entire residue from the previous crop remains on the soil’s surface to protect it from erosion. The economic benefits can really be seen when considering the costs of fuel, machinery, time for labor, and yield returns in dry years (generally more available moisture in no-till).

This is a conservation blog, so of course I have to mention that no-till/strip-till have many, many more advantages for the environment over conventional as well. Conservation tillage, particularly in the form of long-term or continuous no-till, minimizes the soil leaving the field by maintaining a cover on the soil's surface. Since nutrients that can pose some environmental concerns, such as phosphorus, are bound to soil particles the soil savings is doubly important.

There are many more benefits that I could go on about, but I'll stop by referencing one great resource to learn more about no-till/strip-till, cover crops, precision farming and nutrient management, the Conservation Cropping Systems Inititaive. This website has some excellent resources, including two good videos detailing no-till planter setup, and contact information for recieving specific technical help with these practices. Thanks to the Indiana State Soil Conservation Board, the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Service, and our other conservation partners for making this great initiative possible!

Resources:
http://www.conservationinformation.org/Publications/BetterSoilBetterYields.pdf

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1901D.pdf

Earth Day, Everyday!

Earth Day, April 22, 2010 was really great for me this year! I tend to get pretty excited about Earth Day, it’s true. My friends and family think I'm crazy and there is no doubt that they are right about that, however for professionals who work in the environmental/conservation world, it's our day! I look at April 22nd, each year, as a day for reflection on my personal actions on the environment and I take a moment to really appreciate the work that is done on behalf of conserving our natural resources.

- First, Earth Day serves to remind us all to reflect on our own actions and the impact we, as individuals, are making on the environment. With new technologies and greening efforts there are many ways to minimize our environmental footprint with our everyday behaviors such as recycling, over or improper fertilizer application, wildlife habitat establishment or enhancement, and water/energy conservation. Over the years there have been some really interesting campaigns regarding environmental stewardship for the everyday citizen, such as this

poster with a guy fertilizing improperly and check out this video from our Indiana Department of Environmental Management. After all, Earth Day really is Everyday! My fellow ISDA blogger The Ag Grant Guru has is right this week, check out her blog!

- Second, Earth Day provides an excellent opportunity to show our appreciation for the many Hoosier conservation professionals, advocates, and partners who have spent years dedicated to the common purpose of making this planet a more ecologically sound/sustainable civilization. I can think of no better group to honor for this dedication than our own ISDA, Conservation staff. Our staff of just over 30 individuals do everything from working with farmers/landowners to install conservation practices on the land, to helping each of the 92 Soil and Water Conservation Districts effectively provide conservation services, to developing the very programs that encourage more and more protection of our precious natural resources. I can't begin to explain how proud I am to be to the director of such an important area and such a quality class of people who share my passion for conservation.

Kenny preaching soil conservation!

I had the opportunity on Earth Day to spend some time out in the field with one of our Resource Specialists, George Reger. We were mostly working with earthwork contractors who were busy constructing Grassed Waterways (designed swales in the field which alleviate gully erosion and minimize sediment/nutrient runoff). One of the contractors hard at work was Kenny "Cornfield" Cain. Kenny has been a great friend and advocate for conservation efforts and is well-known as a conservation farmer. Kenny took a few moments to discuss the current soil conditions with George and I along with the progress of corn planting in the area. It was a great day watching our conservation efforts coming to fruition right in front of us!

My thanks to George and Kenny for the great Earth Day! Thanks again to our Conservation staff and our supporters at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture!
Next week is Soil and Water Stewardship Week!!!