Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the award of $15.7 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) to 47 organizations, including NACD, that will help develop and demonstrate cutting-edge ideas to accelerate innovation in private lands conservation. The Secretary made the announcement while visiting a farm in Illinois.
NACD, in partnership with Datu Research, LCC (Datu), was awarded $750,000 for a three-year project to promote soil health. Through the project, NACD seeks to significantly scale up the number of farmed acres nationwide that are managed for soil health.
"This is an exciting opportunity for NACD to play a leading role in elevating the national dialogue on soil health," said NACD President Earl Garber.
The project will include the following two main components:
- The formation of a national "farmer advocate" network—organized by NACD and facilitated by its local districts, state, and territory associations—to raise awareness of and increase the adoption by farmers and landowners of best-management practices for soil health. The network will include 150 progressive farmers—in every region of the country—who are willing to use, demonstrate, and advocate for soil health practices.
- A series of case studies, developed by Datu, to serve as the basis for an expert-reviewed economic analysis on soil-health practice implementation.
For the full announcement from USDA, click here.
Pictured above from left to right: Tim Palmer, NACD North Central Executive Board Member
Jerry Snodgrass, AISWCD Board Member (Association of Illinois SWCD), former NACD North Central Executive Board Member
Lonnie Wilson, NACD North Central Region Chair, AISWCD Board Member
Tom Vilsack, United States Agriculture Secretary
Jane Weber, NACD Board Member, CDI President (Conservation Districts of Iowa)
Jay Mar, Iowa NRCS State Conservationist