News release from USDA NRCS Applications for Conservation Stewardship Program due Jan. 17 Popular Farm Bill conservation program seeks producer participation WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2013 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is opening the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for new enrollments for federal fiscal year 2014. Starting today through Jan. […]
We all live in a “watershed”. No matter where you are, the land under your feet drains to a ditch, stream, river or pond whenever there is a rain storm or snow melt. A watershed is all of the land that drains into a common body of water. Picture a funnel—anything that you put into […]
MSU EXTENSION FORESTRY ARTICLE From: Bill Cook, MSU Extension Forester/Biologist Date: September, 2013 It’s important, for many reasons, to maintain the health of forests and other plant communities. Part of the definition of health is species composition. Alien species displace native species and disrupt ecological processes. Alien species are also called non-native or exotic species. […]
In high summer, fields of wildflowers bloom at Tony Thompson’s Minnesota farm: gray-headed coneflowers, phlox and white prairie clover. Those plants are designed to do more than just beautify. They prevent water runoff and block nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from spilling into and polluting the Mississippi River. It’s just the kind of farming […]
The 2013 cover crop demonstration plot got some rain last night, looking forward to seeing the plant jump out of the ground. Join the whole ACD crew and special guests for our September 12 open house. Koops Family Farm, Holland, MI 3677 60th St. Holland, MI (AKA Graafschap Rd, South of Blue Star Highway) […]
Written by Mark Ludwig Of the many topics in agriculture today, tillage of the soil is both a source of controversy and confusion for farmers and other citizens. Tillage is the disturbance of the soil in an effort to achieve certain goals. These include burying crop residues like corn stalks, smoothing soil to make planting […]
Ben Franklin once applied a fertilizer to a clover field to spell out, “Land Plaster Used Here”. He was promoting the use of gypsum, or calcium sulfate (CaSO4+2H2O). It is a soft mineral salt which dissolves slowly in water. It is found in large natural deposits around the world, one of which was mined in […]
