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Tom Buman

1966 Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park

Have you ever entered Yellowstone National Park through the East Gate?

September 17, 2018 //  by Tom Buman

My first trip to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) was in 1965.  Since then, I have returned on numerous occasions, each time deliberately entering by a different route.  Yellowstone has five entrances (the South, East, Northeast, North, and West).   Each entrance provides me with a unique perspective of the park.  It is not the entrance, itself, that is so unique.  Instead, it is the route I travel to reach each entrance that provides me the altered perspective.  Each time, I see new things. I feel like the same type of experience has happened …

Category: Precision Conservation, Sustainability

The science of today is the technology of tomorrow

We are Misappropriating Our Limited Resources

August 28, 2018 //  by Tom Buman

The arguments to increase the number of publicly funded conservation employees has admittedly run its course. Therefore, the need to update technology in soil and water conservation is blatantly obvious. We know we all need to accomplish more with less. Let’s end the pretext for our lack of progress, and get on with improving technology. Before you respond and tell me why this is impossible, let me provide a response to the Top 5 arguments I hear for not improving technology. #1: Soil and water conservation budgets are limited.  Resources are …

Category: Precision Conservation

What did you accomplish with all that taxpayer money?

August 20, 2018 //  by Tom Buman

It seems like “dollars spent” has become the new metric for reporting improvements in soil and water conservation. I totally agree, we should know how much money is being spent on protecting our natural resources, but I think “dollars spent” is a misleading way to report progress. Taxpayers are entitled to information that contains more specificity, such as tons of soil or pounds of nitrogen kept from entering water bodies.  Better yet, progress reporting should include efficiency information such as the cost of saving a ton of soil (cost/ton …

Category: Precision Conservation, Soil Erosion, Sustainability, Water Quality

The End or the Start?

July 31, 2018 //  by Tom Buman

This week I find myself sorting through a mountain of turbulent emotions.  After a wonderful ride of 22 years, I am no longer the CEO of Agren. Last week, we inked a deal with a major agribusiness whereby they acquired Agren and our software.  As I said, this announcement comes with a range of emotions. The process of selling Agren has come with feelings of sorrow and loss. I would be lying if I said this process has been easy. It is difficult to walk away from a life-time spent pursuing a passion and realizing the rewards of relationships …

Category: Precision Conservation

Tom Buman - Precision Conservation

What’s bugging Tom

March 27, 2018 //  by Tom Buman

I’m Tom Buman and this is what’s bugging me… Everybody wants to put their best foot forward. I get it. I realize it is important to report the good news, but when the good news is misleading, it bugs me. So here’s what’s bugging me. Yield vs. Profitability: For years, conservationists have criticized farmers who just look at yield and not profitability. But now, the headlines are espousing cover crops because they increase yield. Conservationists are on the cover crop bandwagon. I realize that cover crops are good conservation practices, but …

Category: Precision Conservation

blame game

Deny, deflect, defend

February 14, 2018 //  by Tom Buman

Recently, I have heard some environmentalists complain about using tax payer money to clean up the environment. They say, “let the polluters pay,” meaning farmers should pay the entire bill. Really? Wow, talk about denying, deflecting, and defending. It is my sincere hope that people study the impacts of climate change and its effect on nitrogen and phosphorus runoff before denying culpability. I hope they realize they are part of the problem and need to be part of the solution; unless, of course, these environmentalists deny climate change is …

Category: Water Quality

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