Originally published in 2003, Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture illustrates sustainable agriculture by providing snapshots of producers who use profitable, ecologically sound practices on their farms and ranches. Download a review copy at www.sare.org/publications/explore/explore.pdf.
Exploring is now available in bulk quantities at no cost for educational purposes, but only 2,500 copies remain. Place orders in... Read More
Women farmland owners in eastern Iowa have made significant improvements in soil and water conservation on their land over the past year, as a result of participating in a pilot program offered by Women, Food and Agriculture Network in early 2009.
About 45 women farmland owners in Linn, Johnson and Jones counties took part in a series of meetings and a field tour with WFAN's Women Caring for the Land program, which brings women together in informal, peer-to-peer meetings facilitated by a female conservation professional to discuss the conservation goals they have for their... Read More
Go to http://sare.org/ncrsare and scroll down to find links to lists of the projects recently recommended for funding.
NCR-SARE administers these grant programs, each with specific priorities, audiences, and timelines. The focus for each of the NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education.... Read More
About the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) Fellow Award
The designation of Fellow is conferred on society members who have performed exceptional service in advocating the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources. This award is given first and foremost for professional excellence. Professional achievement may be in practicing, investigating, administering, or teaching soil and water conservation or closely related fields. Only society members with at least 10 years of membership are... Read More
These two-day intensive North Central Region Professional Development training session sessions are entitled, “Soil Health/Soil Biology Training for the Northern Plains.” They are two day intensive training sessions which will provide advanced training in soil biology, focusing especially on microbiology. This training is a response to the tremendous explosion of cover crops being planted by producers to enhance... Read More
URBANA, IL(ACES release) – Farmers who don't rely on or want to minimize the use of chemical herbicides need creative solutions to win the battle against aggressive perennial weeds. In ongoing research at the University of Illinois on Canada thistle, Sudangrass is proving to be a worthy contender as a summer smother crop.
"Sudangrass get very tall. It outcompetes the thistle for light. The Sudangrass creates shade so photosynthesis cannot occur in the thistle," said U of I weed scientist John Masiunas. "In our test plots, primarily in the northern part of Illinois, we've... Read More
AMES, Iowa -- Swine producers concerned about continuing high grain prices might want to consider using field peas as a partial substitute for soybean meal or corn in swine diets. Research coordinated by an Iowa State University (ISU) Extension swine program specialist showed this substitution is well tolerated by pigs and can be a more economical choice.
Tom Miller said the research started in 2005 after an inquiry from a southeast Iowa producer. The initial study, funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at ISU and through the USDA’s Sustainable... Read More
Students at Southern Illinois University (SIU) are eating ultra-fresh produce due to a relationship between SIU housing and two local farms, which are the destination of the next sustainable agriculture tour sponsored by University of Illinois Extension.
The tour will take place on Friday, June 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., beginning at Mulberry Hill Farm in Carbondale. Later, the tour will caravan to Farmer Brown's Production Company in Pomona.
Tom Grant has owned Mulberry Hill Farm since 2000 when he began converting the conventional corn and... Read More
During the past 50 years, America has witnessed an almost 50 percent decline in the number of managed honey bee colonies. With two-thirds of the world’s crops requiring pollination—beekeepers and growers are seeking pollination alternatives and ways to bring honey bees back from the brink.
Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers and Conservationists is a first of-its-kind, step-by-step, full-color guide for rearing and managing bumble bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees and other bee species that provide pollination alternatives to the rapidly declining... Read More
