In my last post I started by saying, “You would think by now that those of us working in the conservation field would have a really good handle on the value of topsoil. Again, you would think… However in 2015 we still struggle with a quantifiable value for topsoil.”Dr. Rick Cruse’s work gives us a terrific start. However, more research is needed to help us understand variations within fields, across regions and between states because a ton of topsoil does not always equal a ton of topsoil. More research is needed to help us understand why, …
No, soil doesn’t just grow on trees
You would think by now that those of us working in the conservation field would have a really good handle on the value of topsoil. Again, you would think. In the abstract, I think we would all say that we “value” topsoil. However, in the 80 years since we’ve identified soil erosion as an issue in the U. S., we have been unable to even begin to quantify the value of topsoil in real numbers; until recently. Thanks to the leadership of Iowa State University Professor, Rick Cruse, we’ve moved one step closer to identifying the value of one ton …
Disproportionate Effects
When my wife Peg looks at the conservation community, she sees a world that appears upside down, according to her paradigms. Peg’s career has been split between health care and social work. She fully supports the need for preventative care and wellness programs. However, she recognizes that health care providers and social workers need to spend an inordinate amount of time seeking out and helping those people that are unhealthy and struggling with day to day activities. What would we think if hospitals admitted only healthy people and …
Unintended Consequences
I never knew my Grandpa Buman. He died before I was born. My dad describes Grandpa as “progressive.” In the 1940’s Grandpa decided it was too laborious to farm the curvy creek and so he straightened his ½ mile of Silver Creek in Shelby County, Iowa.Back then, straightening creeks was a common practice. I am sure, given Grandpa’s progressive nature, he was one of the first to straighten his section of the creek. Figure 1 is a photo taken in the 1930’s of Grandpa’s section of creek. Figure 2 shows the same segment in 2011, now owned by my …
To mow or not to mow… that is the question
One of the people I often think about is Ernie Aust and his unwavering commitment to soil & water conservation. Ernie was one of my favorite Area Conservationists during my 14-year NRCS career. He loved to question conventional wisdom and was always willing to look at different perspectives; indeed a rare trait. I remember a lot of lively conversations with Ernie, but the most memorable was a discussion about grassed waterways and their maintenance.We agreed the conventional wisdom is to mow grassed waterways. In general, mowing …
Celebrate Soil and Water Stewardship Week
When the land does well for its owner, and the owner does well by his land—when both end up better by reason of their partnership—then we have conservation. - Aldo LeopoldIn 1955, the National Association of Conservation Districts began a national program to encourage Americans to focus on stewardship. Stewardship Week is officially celebrated from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday in May. It is one of the world's largest conservation-related observances. The program relies on locally-led conservation districts sharing and promoting …