Soil Conservation History
Posted by Sam Riffell on July 8, 2009
Posted in Policy Matters, history, soil | Tagged: conservation practices, Farm Policy, history, soil | Leave a Comment »
Farmer as Conservationist
Posted by Sam Riffell on July 3, 2009
Premonition of the Farm Bill’s conservation programs ?
“Most of what needs doing must be done by the farmer himself. There is no conceivable way by which the general public can legislate crabapples, or grape tangles, or plum thickets to grow up on these barren fencerows, roadsides, and slopes, nor will the resolutions or prayers of a city change the depth of next winter’s snow nor cause cornshocks to be left in the fields to feed the birds. All the non-farming public can do is to provide information and build incentives on which farmers may act. “
- Aldo Leopold, 1993 as cited by C. Meine in The Farmer as Conservationist: Leopold on Agriculture.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: conservation practices, Conservation Reserve Program, Leopold | Leave a Comment »
National Pollinator Week
Posted by Sam Riffell on June 23, 2009
June 22-27, 2009 is National Pollinator Week to recognize the importance of pollinators to our food system. The Pollinator Partnership and US Fish & Wildlife Service both have lots of resources about pollinators in recognition of this week.
Here are two videos for this week.
One about the problems pollinators face:
And one about what NRCS is doing and can do to help:
Posted in Butterflies, Pollinators, Uncategorized | Tagged: agriculture, bees, NRCS, Pollinators | Leave a Comment »
Establishing Native Grasses and Forbs
Posted by Sam Riffell on June 5, 2009
A new research advance entitled “Evaluating Pre-emergence Herbicides for Establishing Native Grasses and Forbs” from Mississippi State’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center. And yes, it’s a shameless plug for my own research.
Posted in NWSG's, Pollinators | Tagged: forbs, native grasses | Leave a Comment »
Online Plant Identification Guide
Posted by Sam Riffell on June 4, 2009
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has an online plant identification key (use MS Explorer). It has state specific keys for grasses and legumes, plus keys for gymnosperms and wetland monocots in the US.
Posted in Plant Identification, Tools, Wetlands | Tagged: NRCS, Plant Identification, Tools | Leave a Comment »
Managing Invasive Species
Posted by Sam Riffell on May 31, 2009
Southern Forests Network has compiled some great resources about identifying and managing invasive species HERE. The resources include:
Appalachian Region Invasive Weed Guide from the University of Tennessee provides photos, descriptions,and control methods for a wide array of invasive plants.
Invasive Plants of the United States: Identification, Biology and Control provides identification, ecology, and control information for invasive plants in the United States occurring in aquatic, wetland, forest, rangeland, desert, or prairie habitats.
Invasive Plants of the United States: Identification, Biology and Control provides identification, ecology, and control information for invasive plants in the United States occurring in aquatic, wetland, forest, rangeland, desert, or prairie habitats.
Nonnative invasive plants of southern forests: a field guide for identification and control provides information on accurate identification and effective control of the 33 plants or groups that are invading the forests of the 13 Southern States, explains control recommendations and selective application procedures.
Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States is a reference guide for field workers and land managers concerning the historical and current status of the biological control of invasive plant species in the eastern United States .
Invasive Plants Field and Reference Guide: An Ecological Perspective of Plant Invaders of Forests and Woodlands gives a scientific synthesis of what is known about the behavior of such species in managed, disturbed, and pristine forested systems in addition to key information for accurate identification.
Posted in Habitat Management, Websites | Tagged: Agroforestry, Habitat Management, invasives | Leave a Comment »
Soil and Pasture Rental Rates from UDSA
Posted by Sam Riffell on May 13, 2009
USDA has a new tool that lets you download soil and pasture rental rates (for CRP and other uses) in a variety of ways. Also has an EI caclulator.
Posted in Buffers & Corridors, Data Sources, Economics, Farm Bill Programs | Tagged: agriculture, conservation practices, Conservation Programs, Conservation Reserve Program, CRP, Farm Bill, soil rental rates, USDA | Leave a Comment »
Field Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill for Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Posted by Sam Riffell on April 30, 2009
The U.S. NABCI Committee and the Intermountain West Joint Venture have produced a Field Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill for Fish and Wildlife Conservation.
Posted in Conservation Manuals, Farm Bill Programs, Policy Matters | Tagged: conservation practices, Conservation Programs, Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, CRP, Farm Bill, USDA, WHIP, WRP | Leave a Comment »
Native Pollinators in Agriculture Video
Posted by Sam Riffell on March 5, 2009
Posted in Butterflies, Pollinators, Videos | Tagged: bees, Butterflies, conservation practices, Habitat Management, Pollinators, xerces society | Leave a Comment »
