USDA Begins National Agricultural Conservation Survey

Nov 11, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is surveying 16,000 farmers and ranchers across the country through February 2017 about their conservation and production practices on cultivated and non-cultivated farmland. The results of the 2016 National Resources Inventory-Conservation Effects Assessment Project (NRI-CEAP) survey will further document on-farm conservation accomplishments and develop science-based solutions that help farmers and ranchers improve the environment.

The survey will measure the environmental benefits associated with installing and using conservation practices on agricultural land,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “Responses to the survey can directly benefit producers themselves by helping leaders focus on what producers need to install conservation practices that are best for their operations environmentally and financially.”

Over the past several months, NASS contacted 25,000 farmers and ranchers to determine if their land meets the criteria to be included in the survey. Now, NASS representatives are contacting those with eligible agricultural land to schedule in-person interviews.

The survey asks for information on conservation practices installed, nutrients and pesticides applied, cropping history, irrigation, and grazing for the 2014-2016 production years. Those responding should expect that the survey will take about an hour to complete, depending upon the size and scope of the operation and conservation practices. Having records on hand will help shorten the time needed to complete the questionnaire.

NASS conducts the NRI-CEAP survey under a cooperative agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. NRI-CEAP results help determine the effectiveness of existing conservation practices and what resources farmers may need to further protect the soil, water and related resources in selected watersheds, and to document on-farm conservation accomplishments. The results guide USDA conservation policy and program development and help conservationists, farmers and ranchers more efficiently and effectively conserve natural resources.

Source:usda.gov

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.