Enrollment underway for 49th CRP period
USDA begins 49th enrollment period for the Conservation Reserve Program.
FAQ: USDA's Conservation Reserve Program got its start 30 years ago. Today's CRP isn't the same as the original. The 49th enrollment period began Dec. 1, 2015 and ends Feb. 26, 2016. What does this latest CRP version have to offer?
Answer: U.S. Ag Sec. Tom Vilsack is reminding farmers that the next general enrollment period for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) began Dec. 1, 2015, and ends on Feb. 26, 2016. December 2015 also marks the 30th anniversary of CRP, a federally funded program that assists producers with the cost of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.
THE CRP AT 30: December 2015 is the 30th anniversary of the nations most successful voluntary conservation program. First and foremost CRP is aimed at controlling erosion. It also provides wildlife habitat. And its an economic program to take some cropland out of production, raising corn and bean prices.
THE CRP AT 30: December 2015 is the 30th anniversary of the nation's most successful voluntary conservation program. First and foremost CRP is aimed at controlling erosion. It also provides wildlife habitat. And it's an economic program to take some cropland out of production, raising corn and bean prices.
As of September 2015, 24.2 million acres were enrolled in CRP in the U.S. CRP also is protecting more than 170,000 stream miles with riparian forest and grass buffers, enough to go around the world seven times. For an interactive tour of CRP success stories from across the U.S., visit fsa.usda.gov/CRPis30, or follow on Twitter at #CRPis30.
Changing with the times: CRP is 30 years old
"Over the past 30 years, farmers, ranchers, conservationists, hunters, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts have made CRP one of the most successful conservation programs in the history of the country," says Vilsack. "Today, CRP continues to make major environmental improvements to water and air quality. This is another longstanding example of how ag production can work hand-in-hand with efforts to improve the environment and increase wildlife habitat."
Participants in CRP establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as "covers") to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on marginally productive farmland. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. In times when commodity prices are low, enrolling sensitive lands in CRP can be especially attractive to farmers and ranchers, as it softens the economic hardship for landowners at the same time that it provides ecological benefits.
Farmers with expiring contracts need to evaluate options
Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish native plant species on marginal ag lands for the primary purpose of preventing soil erosion and improving water quality and related benefits of reducing loss of wildlife habitat.
Contracts on 1.64 million acres of CRP are set to expire on Sept. 30, 2016. Producers with expiring contracts or producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate their options under CRP.
For 30 years, CRP has provided various benefits
Since it was first established on Dec. 23, 1985, the Conservation Reserve Program has:
* Prevented more than 9 billion tons of soil from eroding, enough soil to fill 600 million dump trucks
* Reduced nitrogen and phosphorous runoff relative to annually tilled cropland by 95% and 85% respectively
* Sequestered an annual average of 49 million tons of greenhouse gases, equal to taking 9 million cars off the road
* Since 1996, CRP has created nearly 2.7 million acres of restored wetlands
For more information about FSA conservation programs, visit a local FSA office or fsa.usda.gov/conservation at 1300 Clark St, Cambridge, OH. 740-432-5621
The CRP program was re-authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing, and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit usda.gov/farmbill.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
Ban Lifted
Department of Agriculture: Director David Daniels and State Veterinarian Tony Forshey on Thursday announced the lifting of a ban on bird shows prompted by concerns over spreading avian flu, or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The order, which impacted the Ohio State Fair and dozens of county fairs across the state, was issued June 2 in the wake of a national outbreak and was originally to remain in place until April 2016.
"Ohio is home to more than 50 million domestic birds which makes our state particularly vulnerable to an outbreak. Thankfully, the disease never took hold here," Director Daniels said in a statement. "I believe this is a justification of the steps taken by our producers and exhibitors to mitigate the risk of an outbreak."
There were no confirmed cases of the disease in Ohio even though more than 48 million birds nationally were affected nationally last year, ODA reported. On November 18, the World Organization for Animal Health issued a final report on the outbreaks, deemed them resolved and declared the U.S. to be free of avian influenza for the time being.
"I would like to extend a sincere thank you to OSU Extension and the youth exhibitors for their understanding and to their advisors for turning this unfortunate outbreak into an important educational moment," Mr. Daniels said.
Ohio is the second largest egg producer in the country and home to 28 million laying chickens, 12 million broilers, 8.5 million pullets and 2 million turkeys, ODA said. The Ohio's egg, chicken and turkey farms create more than 14,600 jobs and contribute $2.3 billion to the state's economy.
"Ohio is home to more than 50 million domestic birds which makes our state particularly vulnerable to an outbreak. Thankfully, the disease never took hold here," Director Daniels said in a statement. "I believe this is a justification of the steps taken by our producers and exhibitors to mitigate the risk of an outbreak."
There were no confirmed cases of the disease in Ohio even though more than 48 million birds nationally were affected nationally last year, ODA reported. On November 18, the World Organization for Animal Health issued a final report on the outbreaks, deemed them resolved and declared the U.S. to be free of avian influenza for the time being.
"I would like to extend a sincere thank you to OSU Extension and the youth exhibitors for their understanding and to their advisors for turning this unfortunate outbreak into an important educational moment," Mr. Daniels said.
Ohio is the second largest egg producer in the country and home to 28 million laying chickens, 12 million broilers, 8.5 million pullets and 2 million turkeys, ODA said. The Ohio's egg, chicken and turkey farms create more than 14,600 jobs and contribute $2.3 billion to the state's economy.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
QUALITY vs QUANTITY: A Closer Look at Deer Herd Condition Trends in Ohio (from ODNR-DOW)
The Ohio Division of Wildlife is in the process of revising county deer population goals and is asking hunters that receive a mailed survey to help by completing and returning it as soon as possible.
Information about balancing deer numbers versus deer quality can be found in the publication:
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
OSU offers cover crop education workshops
Cover crop workshops across the state starting next month. Farmers who plant cover crops can expect to see lower input costs and healthier soils for both crop and livestock production, according to soil expert Jim Hoorman an Ohio State University Extension educator and an assistant professor studying cover crops and water quality issues. The registration cost for each workshop is $35 and includes lunch, handouts, fact sheets and the new Midwest Cover Crop Field Guide. All workshops start with registration at 8 a.m. and last no longer than 4 p.m. at the following locations:
· Jan. 7, OSU Extension East Regional Office, Caldwell. Contact Clif Little, 740-489-5310,
· Jan 14 Plaza Inn Restaurant, Mt. Victory. Contact Mark Badertscher, 419-674-2297.
· Jan. 20, Wood County Fairgrounds, Junior Fair Building, Bowling Green. Contact Alan Sundermeier 419-354-9050
· Jan. 29, Madison County Engineer's Office, London. Contact Mary Griffith, 740-852-0975, ext. 13.
· March 21, location to be announced. Contact Suzanne Mills-Wasniak, , Montgomery County, 937-224-9654, ext. 109
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Deer kill numbers up from 2014
Hunters checked 73,399 white-tailed deer during Ohio's 2015 deer-gun hunting season, Nov. 30-Dec. 6, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). This represents a significant increase over last year's harvest of 65,484 deer. During the 2013 deer-gun season, 75,408 deer were checked. To date, for the 2015 deer hunting seasons, hunters have checked 152,554 deer. Last year at this same time, hunters had harvested a total of 148,821 deer. Until recently, deer populations in nearly all of Ohio's counties were well above goal. In the last few years, through increased antlerless harvests, most counties are now at or near goal. Therefore, to help stabilize deer populations, bag limits were reduced, and antlerless permit use has been eliminated in most counties for the 2015-2016 season
Monday, December 7, 2015
Congratulations!
Jason is now certified at Level II as an Ag Resource Specialist, and Levi, who is the Wildlife/Forestry Specialist, is certified at Level I.
The training is over a wide range of topics including soils, surveying, hydrology, engineering tools, and construction materials.
Friday, December 4, 2015
World Soil Day December 5th
Soils have been neglected for too long. We fail to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. We must invert this tendency and take up some preserving and restoring actions. The World Soil Day campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives.
Did you know?
Soil is the basis for food, feed, fuel and fibre production and for services to ecosystems and human well-being. It is the reservoir for at least a quarter of global biodiversity, and therefore requires the same attention as above-ground biodiversity. Soils play a key role in the supply of clean water and resilience to floods and droughts. The largest store of terrestrial carbon is in the soil so that its preservation may contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. The maintenance or enhancement of global soil resources is essential if humanity’s need for food, water, and energy security is to be met.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Guernsey youth harvest 188 deer this year
Ohio's young hunters checked 7,223 white-tailed deer during the two-day youth gun season, Nov. 21-22, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. In Guernsey County, young hunters killed 188 deer while Noble County hunters harvested 114 deer.
"The weather this year provided our youth hunters with a great opportunity to enjoy their time in the field," said ODNR Director James Zehringer. "Providing exclusive youth hunting seasons is a great way to provide our kids with a mentored and educational environment to learn and succeed in the field."
Youth hunters could pursue deer with a legal shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun or specific straight-walled cartridge rifle and were required to be accompanied by a non-hunting adult during the two-day season.
The youth deer-gun season is one of four special youth-only hunting seasons designed to offer a dedicated hunting experience for young hunters. Youth hunting seasons are available for small game, wild turkey and waterfowl.
Ohio offers many more opportunities for hunters of all ages to pursue deer.
The deer-gun season is Monday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 6, and Dec. 28-29. Deer-muzzleloader season is Saturday, Jan. 9, through Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016. Deer-archery season is open now through Sunday, Feb. 7.
Find complete details in the 2015-2016 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations at wildohio.gov.
For summaries of past deer seasons, visit wildohio.gov/deerharvest.
Youth hunters can commemorate their hunt with a First Harvest certificate, available at wildohio.gov. Participants can upload a photo and type in their information to personalize the certificate. Hunters can also share photos by clicking on the Photo Gallery tab online.
The goal of Ohio's Deer Management Program is to provide a deer population that maximizes recreational opportunities, while minimizing conflicts with landowners and motorists. In most counties, deer populations are at or near target levels.
Therefore, to help stabilize deer populations, bag limits were reduced, and antlerless permit use has been eliminated in most counties for the 2015-2016 season.
In general, deer hunters will likely find deer populations similar to last year. However, because of the regulation changes (smaller bag limits and limited availability of antlerless permits), fewer antlerless deer will be harvested, and the overall deer harvest will likely be down 4 to 8 percent.
For summaries of past deer seasons, visit wildohio.gov/deerharvest.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Ohio's Deer-Gun Season Opens with more than 22,000 Deer Harvested
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Tree Farm Inspector of the Year
Jeremy Scherf, forester for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), has been named the 2016 U.S. North Central Region Outstanding Tree Farm Inspector of the Year. Scherf is one of four regional foresters that will be recognized by the American Tree Farm System at the National Leadership Conference, which will be held in February 2016 in Seattle, Washington. Scherf is one of 19 ODNR service foresters assisting woodland owners throughout the state. His project area includes Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson and Belmont counties in eastern Ohio. He is also inspector training chair for the Ohio Tree Farm program.
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