It was an extraordinary time to be a new employee of the Soil Conservation Service in 1982. The field offices were staffed and trained with a new crop of conservationists. It is this generation who I consider to be the greatest generation of soil and water conservationists. The individuals hired by the agency in the years 1970–1980 were special. They were people like my supervisor, Warren Johnson; a farm kid with a deep respect for agriculture and a passion for conservation. Warren knew how to listen to farmers and how to talk … [Read more...]
A Proud Moment of History…
For a long time, Agren’s goal has been to partner with a major ag retailer. For us, we were looking for a partnership that shared our values of soil health and water quality; someone who was committed to delivering added value to farmers. We found the perfect match. Recently Agren partnered with Land O’Lakes, Inc. one of America’s premier agribusiness and food companies, to use emerging precision conservation technology to help farmers improve soil and water quality. The Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN business unit will use Agren's technology … [Read more...]
Conversation Starter
“Hey, what are you going to do differently to help improve water quality?”Some discussions about conservation are naturally hard to start. Educated as an agronomist, I did not have formal training in conservation. I remember, as a young NRCS employee, being fearful that I would start out on the wrong foot or offend a farmer - long before I could get to the main point of my visit. On the other hand, sometimes the situation lent itself to an easy conversation. And those times were golden - when the problem was obvious and the approach was … [Read more...]
Land O’Lakes, Minnesota partner on water quality initiative
This morning I was invited to Arden Hills, Minnesota to be a part of what I know is a historic event and will have long lasting impacts. Governor Mark Dayton and Land O’Lakes, Inc. President and CEO, Chris Policinski, today announced a new public-private partnership to protect and improve water quality across Minnesota. This new partnership is the first of its kind in the nation, partnering the State of Minnesota with Land O’Lakes and local farmers.It was exciting to hear the CEO of Land O’Lakes speak out loud about “precision conservation” … [Read more...]
Voluntary Conservation Solutions
On May 17, I had the privilege of testifying, in Washington D.C., to the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry. Members heard from two panels of witnesses. The first panel examined the impact and cost of regulations on producers. The second panel focused on voluntary conservation solutions to natural resource concerns.As a member of the solutions panel, I was invited to talk about our innovative approach to increase technical assistance accessibility through the private sector (see video below). I was also … [Read more...]
Top 5 Reasons Why Ag Retailers Need to Lead the Way…
Smack dab in the middle of Iowa, you will find Casey’s General Store headquarters. For those of you who have stopped at a Casey’s General Store, you realize this is one of the great businesses in the Midwest. Whether you are looking for gas, a slice of pizza, clean restrooms, or just a great cup of coffee, Casey’s is your place. After starting with one location, Casey’s General Store now has over 1,900 stores across a 14 state area. So why is Casey’s so successful? It is because Casey’s has everything a traveler needs, whether it is for a … [Read more...]
Barriers to Private Sector Conservation Planning
Today’s blog is written by Joe Lally, Independent Ag Consultant from Denison, Iowa. Last year, Lally retired from working for more than 12 years at Iowa State University. Previously, he worked for nearly 30 years as an Environmental and Natural Resources Manager for Farmland Foods. In retirement, Lally continues to find ways to be involved with helping the field of agriculture.Yes, ag retailers must actively encourage and assist farmers with soil and water conservation issues. That is a must. And the conservation community must help ag … [Read more...]
It’s January…do you know where your nitrogen is?
It’s January 25th, do you know where your nitrogen is? What about your soil?Given the changes we have seen in our weather patterns, these are appropriate questions for farmers at any time of the year. Even though this is not the time of year when we typically think about losing nitrogen and soil, we saw a 5+ inch rainfall event in central Iowa in mid-December and an even larger rainfall event in Missouri two days after Christmas with historic flooding at the beginning of the new year! United Suppliers has partnered with Agren through the … [Read more...]
Food Companies Respond to Sustainability Demands
It is thrilling to have private companies, such as General Mills, Land O’Lakes, Kellogg's, and McDonald’s, craving more sustainable “food inputs”. For years, conservation circles have hoped the consumer would demand more sustainable grains and meats. This snowball has started to roll in the last couple of years.However, getting the message from a food company’s corporate headquarters to the farm gate is a challenge. Many food companies may seek more sustainable food inputs, but very few can directly influence how ag products are grown. They … [Read more...]
More Regulations
It’s about time! Everyone knows that increased regulation always solves the problem. ~ quote penned by Tim Eshleman, sarcastic brother-in-law.Recently I wrote a post that encouraged ag retailers to assist farmers with future regulations. Since then, I have been asked for my opinion several times on regulating agricultural pollution. As I ponder this question, I find the answer is complicated. First, let me go on record by saying that I absolutely believe farmers need to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality. The science is crystal … [Read more...]