Last week, NACD and Pollinator Partnership (P2) presented Jim Croskey of Dalroy Farms in Holmes County, Ohio, with the 2020 Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award.
The award, presented by P2 President and CEO Laurie Davies Adams and NACD CEO Jeremy Peters, was presented to Croskey and his family during the 20th annual North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) meeting.
“Jim Croskey and his family are a testament to holistic stewardship,” Peters said. “They work hand-in-hand with the Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District to make knowledgeable decisions about their operation in order to improve their soil health and water quality, while providing much-needed habitat for our hardworking pollinators.”
Dalroy Farms is a multi-generational dairy farm that also maintains several hundred acres of hay and cropland. In recent years, Croskey has identified sites on the operation to add honey bee hives, establishing more than 20 since spring of 2018.
“Not only are pollinators a passion of Jim’s, but he’s also recruited his whole family, down to his five-year-old grandson, to become engaged in caring for honey bees,” Davies Adams said. “The family is committed to educating others on the many benefits of pollinators, actively advocating in their local communities for them to become pollinator advocates as well.”
Dalroy Farms has been no-till for decades and utilizes cover crops–largely clover stands–to improve their soil health, as chopped forage for their cows, and as fodder for the honey bees. Through the use of these conservation practices, Croskey has been able to reduce pesticide usage, committing to timing his applications to minimize the effects on local pollinators.
View the press release at NACD's Newsroom. For information on how to nominate a pollinator conservation-minded farmer or rancher for the 2021 award, visit P2's website.
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NACD HOLDS VIRTUAL STAFF RETREAT |
Last week, NACD staff gathered virtually for the association's annual staff retreat, which was taken online due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. During the two-day virtual meeting, staff members had an opportunity to update each other on ongoing and upcoming projects, brainstorm new ideas, and strengthen relationships with each other.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, staff members reviewed grant deliverables for Fiscal Year 2021 and were joined by Astor Boozer with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Mike Brown with the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA) for a National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) panel. During the panel, Boozer and Brown discussed NACD's involvement with the NCPP, which renewed its five-way agreement for another five years; and the impact of NCPP's awards programs.
On Friday, Oct. 23, staff received team updates from each department director and discussed NACD's upcoming Annual Meeting. Additionally, in light of the pandemic, NACD talked about how they can better equip themselves in supporting conservation districts and helping them address the unique challenges they currently face in their communities.
From discussing the organization's grants planning strategy to brainstorming innovative ideas for next year's annual meeting, staff members left the virtual retreat with a strengthened sense of their work and commitment to advocating for locally-led conservation districts and their associations moving forward.
"This year's staff retreat led to a renewed energy and mindset for the future," said NACD CEO Jeremy Peters. "Despite the pandemic, it was extremely rewarding for us to be able to come together virtually and hold meaningful discussions with each other. We look forward to implementing our ideas in the coming year as we continue to help support conservation efforts across the nation."
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NACD ANNOUNCES WINNER OF FOREST HEALTH CAMPAIGN |
Throughout this month, in recognition of National Fire Prevention Month, NACD encouraged conservation districts to help promote the 2021 Stewardship and Education (S&E) theme “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities” by sharing their forestry education activities and programs across social media.
From sharing a new tree pruning guide to fire prevention safety tips, conservation districts have been hard at work educating their communities on the importance of forest health. Participating districts were entered into a raffle to win two multitools donated by Cabela’s and a pack of NACD facemasks. NACD is excited to announce the winner of the raffle is the Colorado First Conservation District!
Thank you to all who participated in NACD’s #DistrictsSupportForestHealth social media campaign to support and promote forestry conservation! Although the campaign and contest have ended, NACD encourages all districts to continue to share forestry conservation programs, activities and events with NACD staff and on social media. Learn more about NACD's 2021 S&E theme on our website.
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MAINE SWCD WORKSHOP CATERS TO FEMALE FOREST LANDOWNERS |
The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Maine is working with women to ensure they have the skills necessary to manage the state's forestland.
In the past three years of developing and modifying the Chainsaw Safety for Women workshop, the conservation district has offered four sessions: three solely for women, and another in which at least half of the attendees were female.
“Many people in this county don’t have a house with a lawn," said Kacey Weber, Piscataquis SWCD educational coordinator. "They have a house with wooded acreage, and our county has an aging population, so we were thinking, 'How do we aid in getting people to work on their forested lands in constructive ways?' We chose to serve women with this program, because we saw the need in this county."
Piscataquis County is the second-largest county in the state, but it is among the least populated. Of its 17,500 people, 45 percent are over the age of 45; more than 17 percent are over age 65, and just under 10 percent are women living alone.
“Primarily, what we’re seeing are women who have lost their significant others, where they are left with acreage to care for," said Weber. "And how can they do that when they’re struggling to find arborists and people to come out and help?"
In 2018, the conservation district developed the safety program with an eye on assisting those landowners. The initial course offered 15 slots, and the demand pushed the workshop into a second day, offering another full session to accommodate the number of women who signed up on the waiting list.
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NOVEMBER U&C WEBINAR FEATURES OKLAHOMA YARD BY YARD PROJECT |
The next NACD Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar, scheduled for 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 19, 2020, will feature Oklahoma's Yard by Yard Community Resiliency Project.
In conjunction with the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD), the Oklahoma County Conservation District (OCCD) recently launched the Yard by Yard Community Resiliency Project. This community-based yard certification program highlights and rewards urban neighbors who adopt earth-friendly conservation practices on their land and empowers them to encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same.
OACD and OCCD developed a cohesive checklist of acceptable conservation practices in four different categories: soil, water, food and habitat. To gain the Yard by Yard certification, a homeowner must maintain a pesticide-free yard and utilize five practices in three out of four categories. To participate in the program, applicants submit a video of their yard highlighting the conservation practices they use.
Certified yards receive a sign to display, as well as wildflower seed and materials to share with friends and local representatives regarding the program. OACD and OCCD use the photos and videos they receive to promote the program and highlight the participants, which allows for increased outreach.
This newly launched program has excellent potential for replication nationally. The Tulsa County Conservation District is slated to launch Yard by Yard in their county this August. With ongoing challenges related to hosting in-person workshops, the Yard by Yard project has become a way for citizens to actively participate and showcase their conservation activities, while providing districts with content to share for educational purposes.
These popular webinars, held on the third Thursday of each month, are sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation in partnership with the NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To register, click here. If you have difficulty, please contact NACD Pacific Region Representative Ariel Rivers. |
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NACD Welcomes
Fall Interns
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On Monday, Oct. 26, Katherine Gelsey and Julianna Violetto joined NACD as the association's fall interns.
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Katherine (Kat) Gelsey is a junior at Pomona College in California, majoring in environmental analysis with a concentration in environmental science and minoring in math.
She is interested in the intersections of land use and public health, believing in a future where humans can maintain a symbiotic relationship with their natural environments.
At NACD, Gelsey looks forward to learning more about how regional communities are supported by the national association and how NACD informs new funding and policy initiatives. Gelsey will be working remotely and can be reached at [email protected]. |
Julianna (Jules) Violetto is a recent graduate from Ithaca College in New York majoring in environmental studies. During her time there, she performed educational work with children at Cayuga Lake, while researching ecotourism initiatives.
While at NACD, Violetto looks forward to helping advocate for landowners and farmers nationwide by learning more about community-based management and various conservation programs. Violetto will also be working remotely and can be reached at [email protected]. |
Have You Cast
Your Vote?
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Election Day is next Tuesday, Nov. 3! Have you cast your vote? Make sure your vote is counted in this year's election, where local conservation district officials may be on the ballot! You can check your voter registration status here.
If you plan to vote in-person, click here to find your polling place. We wish everyone a safe voting experience! |
USDA NAC Offers New Inside Forestry Library
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agroforestry Center (NAC) publishes the "Inside Forestry" newsletter, which shares experiences of farmers, forest managers, researchers, technical assistance providers and others working in agroforestry. NAC now offers a full library with all articles and newsletters housed in one space.
Articles highlight examples of agroforestry practices in action on farms, research sites and elsewhere. To find articles on a specific agroforestry practice or in a specific location, visit the Inside Agroforestry Article Library. |
Hamilton County SWCD Releases Movie Spotlighting Invasive Species Control Efforts |
Recently, the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in New York released a movie featuring the harmful impacts of purple loosestrife, while showing how to raise bio-controlled Galerucella (leaf-munching) beetles.
In 2017, the International Paper Foundation granted funding to the SWCD to enable the district's launch of the Lead Munchers program, which teaches Hamilton County students how to rear and release leaf-munching beetles to keep the invasive wetland plant purple loosestrife in check.
Conservation district staff teamed up with Lake Pleasant Central School's science teacher Vanessa Saltis to coordinate a presentation in June 2017. Students learned the definition of invasive species, as well as how leaf-devouring beetles help control invasive purple loosestrife.
The recently released movie covers the project's journey and how to raise leaf-munching beetles in your own community. To learn more and watch the full video, visit Hamilton County SWCD's website. |
Sign Up for
NACD's Daily Roundup
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Looking for ways to get the most recent agriculture and conservation news?
Sign up for NACD's Daily Roundup, a daily publication that provides the latest conservation updates and news. Roundup is available Monday through Thursday–log into your NACD account or click here to subscribe.
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Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's Calendar of Events!
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