Last week I asked a question of our Facebook Fans.  What does conservation mean to you?  My thoughts were that conservation had become a general term whose meaning depended a lot on the person who used it (and their political viewpoint).  It is with this mindset as a backdrop that I spent three days attending the Mother Earth News Fair in central PA last week.

Conservation vacation?

I'm not really sure what I expected, but the Mother Earth News folks had asked me to come speak about landowner responsibility, stewardship, and blending conservation into a land ownership strategy (all things I believe in), so I happily went.  For the record, central PA is BEAUTIFUL this time of year with rolling hills, farmland, and small comfortable towns.  Fall was in the air, and since I left 98 degree temps in GA, a welcome change.  I had a great time.  My session was well attended, as was the entire event.  People came from all over - speakers, vendors, and attendees.  Well over 10,000 people were there over two days.

Here's what I found out about the Mother Earth News crowd:

• They are ordinary folks just like you and me.
• They have a love of all things outdoors.
• They are passionate.
• They have some great ideas (and great products).
• They are mostly apolitical.
• They just want to make a difference.
• They are nearly all  landowners and aspiring landowners.
• They believe simple is better than complicated.

Here's what I found out about conservation:

• It is alive and well.
• It is being carried out every day by ordinary folks doing extraordinary things.
• It is much more about passion than it is about politics.
• It is a surefire way to create a rewarding and PROFITABLE land ownership experience.

Here's what I found out about me:

• I like central PA.
• I like the folks at Mother Earth News.
• I want to learn (and share) more about the people and products that make up the grassroots conservation movement.

1. Composting - the controlled aerobic decomposition of raw organic material.
2. Conservation Crop Rotation - a system for growing several different crops in planned succession on the same field.
3. Conservation Drainage - refers to several emerging technologies and methods that provide the benefits of conventional agricultural drainage.
4. Conservation Planning - involves assessing a farm's natural resource challenges and opportunities and identifying appropriate conservation practices.
5. Conservation Tillage - any method of soil cultivation that leaves the previous year's crop residue on fields.
6. Contour Buffer Strips are permanent, narrow bands of grasses/legumes planted on the contour between wider strips of crops farmed on a contour and are designed to reduce soil erosion and runoff on sloped fields.
7. Contour Farming - growing crops "on the level" across or perpendicular to a slope rather than up and down the slope.
8. Contour Stripcropping - growing strips of row crops such as corn and soybeans alternate in a planned rotation with equal-width strips.
9. Controlled Burning - the intentional periodic use of fire to manage perennial vegetation.
10. Cover Crops - grasses, legumes, forbs or other herbaceous plants that provide seasonal cover on cropland.
11. Dead Animal Composting - involves specialized on-farm facilities and practices to completely compost livestock/poultry carcasses on the farm or safely store them until they can be removed for off-farm disposal.
12. Fencing - is most often used for pasture management and to exclude livestock from cropland as well as environmentally sensitive areas.
13. Feedlot Runoff Control Systems - integrated structures and practices for collecting, storing and treating livestock manure and feed wastes.
14. Feedlot/Wastewater Filter Strips - areas of grassy vegetation engineered to receive and treat feedlot wastewater.
15. Field Border - a type of conservation buffer consisting of a grassy border along one or more edges of a field.
16. Forestry/Woodlot Management - the art and science of tending forests, woodlots, tree plantations or agroforestry plantings ...
17. Grass Planting - establishing or restoring permanent, perennial conservation cover consisting of native or non-native grass mixes.
18. Grass Waterway - a type of conservation buffer, designed to prevent soil erosion while draining runoff water from adjacent cropland.
19. Grassland Management - keeps grass stands healthy so they continue to provide long-term conservation benefits.
20. Gully/Grade Stabilization - an embankment or spillway built across a drainageway to prevent soil erosion.
21. Habitat, Duck Nesting - provide various duck species with critical nesting and brooding habitat.
22. Habitat, General - preserves natural upland or wetland ecosystems and the plants and animals that thrive there.
23. Habitat, Pheasant - attracts and supports healthy pheasant populations by ensuring adequate food, water and cover.
24. Habitat, Rare & Declining - ecosystems that once flourished but now are severely diminished or degraded.
25. Invasive Species Management - specialized weed management strategies to suppress invasive plant species.
26. Irrigation Water Management - primarily aims to control the volume and frequency of irrigation water applied to crops.
27. Livestock Exclusion or Access Control - the temporary or permanent exclusion of livestock from a designated area
28. Livestock Watering Systems - ensure that livestock have ready access to clean drinking water from sources such streams, ponds, springs or wells.
29. Manure/Ag Waste Facility Cover - rigid, semi-rigid covers or flexible membranes designed to prevent spills and control odors.
30. Manure/Ag Waste Storage - pit, lagoon or above-ground structure that safely holds manure or other ag waste.
31. Manure Digester - collects manure and convert the energy stored in its organic matter into methane, which is used to produce energy.
32. Manure Management - planning ensures careful handling and use of livestock manure to obtain its full value as a crop nutrient.
33. Manure Storage Abandonment - permanently removing facilities that are no longer used or can no longer serve their intended purpose.
34. Milkhouse Wastewater Treatment - systems involve specialized technologies and processes to treat milking-related wastewater.
35. Nutrient Management - using crop nutrients as efficiently as possible to improve productivity while protecting the environment.
36. Pasture and Hay Planting - establishing or re-establishing long-term stands of native or introduced grasses/legumes for livestock forage.
37. Pest Management - in agriculture involves the safe and environmentally sound use of pesticides to control crop pests.
38. Riparian Buffer, Forested - linear multiple-row plantings of trees, shrubs and grass designed primarily for water quality and wildlife habitat purposes.
39. Riparian Buffer, Grass Filter Strip - strips of grass and/or legumes,typically 20 feet to 120 feet wide, planted next to a water body.
40. Roof Runoff Management - specially designed high-capacity gutters, downspouts and outlets to collect rain and snowmelt from roofs.
41. Rotational Grazing - is a management-intensive system of raising livestock on subdivided pastures called paddocks.
42. Stream Crossing - stabilized fords, culverts or bridges that allow livestock, people, equipment or vehicles to cross a stream ...
43. Stream Habitat - is restoring or enhancing stream ecology to support desired fish and other aquatic species.
44. Streambank  & Lakeshore Protection- using vegetation or materials such as riprap or gabions to stabilize stream, river or ...
45. Terraces - earthen embankments, ridges or ridge-and-channels built across a slope to intercept runoff water and reduce soil erosion.
46. Tree/Shrub Planting - for conservation purposes is establishing perennial woody plants for reforestation, habitat restoration, tree or forest farming, riparian buffers, windbreaks, or floodplain wetland restoration
47. Water and Sediment Control Basin - (WASCOB) small earthen ridge-and-channel or embankment built across a small watercourse within a field.
48. Water Well - a hole drilled, dug, or driven into an aquifer to provide water for various agricultural uses.
49. Well Sealing - permanently closing a well that is no longer used or is deemed unsafe.
50. Wetland Restoration - reestablishes or repairs the hydrology, plants and soils of a former or degraded wetland ...
51. Wetlands, Constructed - are man-made systems engineered to approximate the water-cleansing process of natural wetlands.
52. Wind Erosion Control - practices reduce soil erosion by slowing wind speed, which prevents soil particles from detaching and becoming airborne.
53. Windbreak, Field - linear plantings of trees/shrubs designed to reduce wind speed in open fields.
54. Windbreak, Living Snow Fences - trees/shrubs planted strategically along roads to trap snow and keep it from blowing and drifting.
55. Windbreak, Shelterbelt - windbreaks designed to protect farmsteads and livestock from wind and blowing snow.

On April 16^th, 2010, the President established America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to promote and support innovative community level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and reconnect Americans to the outdoors.

The President has also launched a national dialogue about conservation in America to learn about some of the smart, creative ways communities are conserving outdoor spaces.  As part of this process, The Greenwood Project’s Don Webb was invited to participate in a round table event in Charleston, SC.

You can read more about that here.

What do you think?

As part of our commitment and role in the process, we want to include the thoughts and comments of the Greenwood Project Community in the final report, which will be submitted to the President in November.  Please take a minute to share your thoughts, ideas, and stories regarding the following topics:

What works – What are the most effective strategies for conservation, recreation, or reconnecting people to the outdoors that you have heard of, seen, or participated in?

Challenges – What obstacles exist that might stand in the way of conservation, recreation, and reconnecting people to the outdoors?

Federal Government Role – What is the government’s role?  How can the federal government be a more effective partner in helping to achieve conservation, recreation, or reconnecting people to the outdoors?

Tools – What additional tools and resources would help make this initiative more effective at the local level?

Submit your ideas and join the conversation!

Please take a minute to post a comment below.  Tell us what you think.  Share an idea.  We’ll make sure your comments are included in our follow up for the final report.

Greenwood Project founder, Don Webb and his son Joseph with Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack

On Monday, June 28^th, 2010, Greenwood Project Founder and CEO, Don Webb, participated in a roundtable discussion with members of several government agencies, conservation organizations, and representatives from private industry.  The purpose of the meeting was to provide feedback directly to President Obama for The White House Initiative on America’s Great Outdoors.

The President established the America’s Great Outdoors initiative to promote and support innovative community level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and reconnect Americans to the outdoors.  The initiative is led by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, the Administrator of the EPA, and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.

After the meeting, Mr. Webb said, “I was honored to be involved in this worthy project and to have the opportunity to speak one on one with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.  Providing input for The President’s Great Outdoors Initiative is a natural extension of our efforts to promote land ownership, conservation, and the outdoor lifestyle.  I look forward to our continued involvement and welcome the opportunity to assist in developing practical ideas to support this important program.”

The three main goals of the Initiative are:

1)      Reconnecting American’s, especially youth to the outdoors

2)      Building upon State, local, private, and Tribal priorities

3)      Using Science based management practices

The initiative will include several components to support a community based, 21^st century conservation agenda for America’s Great Outdoors that is built from the ground up, including community outreach, interagency coordination, and direct feedback to the President identifying the best ideas and approaches.

Commenting on the philosophy of the Great Outdoors Initiative, Mr. Webb commented, “Rather than focusing on Washington, the President’s Great Outdoors Initiative is focused on results by focusing on ideas that work and promoting a grass roots movement that leverages the best of private businesses, communities, and government organizations at all levels.”

We constantly receive tips on how to conserve and be better stewards of the great outdoors we have inherited.  If you are like me, sometimes when you read these tips, you see the first one, and say, "it's impossible for me to do that" and don't bother to read the rest that may be attainable.  I think the first one that comes to mind is the advice to carpool or take public transportation.  Great suggestion if you live in a city but for those living in rural America not only is public transportation out, for the most part carpooling is as well.  Don't despair, there are plenty other things you can do to contribute to the conservation of this great earth....and most are things you would not think about doing...or perhaps you are doing them and haven't realized how much it helps.

Conservation Tips

• Do you turn off the water in the sink when shaving or brushing your teeth??
• Do you unplug chargers not in use.....did you realize they still use about 5 watts of power per  hour even when they aren't recharging equipment?
• Do you keep your tires properly inflated?  Automobiles lose approximately 1% of fuel efficiency for every 3 pounds of pressure less than what is recommended
• Do you print on both sides of the paper vs. one?  Approximately 10,000 sheets of letter paper are used by every U.S. worker each year.  Imagine the savings there!

And lastly.......gather your friends and family for a little "low tech" fun.  Play a board game, take a walk, or just sit on the porch, patio or deck.  Such activities don't require a lot in the way of natural resource usage and offer a great way to enjoy the company of others.

More Conservation Tips from the Web

Here are some articles that have additional conservation tips:

• Water-saving shower accessory » Communications From Elsewhere ... - $9 of parts at Home Depot could save you some money in water bills. Adding a shutoff valve just before your shower head allows you to shut off the shower while you're shaving or letting your conditioner sit, or whatever you might be doing in the shower that doesn't require the water to be running. You can shut it off with the valve and not have to adjust the temperature with the main controls to turn it back on.
• clearwater florida homeowners will you skip a week to help? - clearwater florida - today swiftmud is asking all of us that own homes in clearwater to all do our part to help conserve water in the tampa bay area. luckily in clearwater many of our neighborhoods... the complete article is found on my ...
• Free Article Directory, Free Articles For Your Website. Free ... - Part of energy conservation tips is this: avoid placing heating devices near your air-conditioner as they can increase your air conditioner's electricity consumption. Examples of the said devices are TVs, lamps, personal computers, ...
• 8 Water Conservation Tips « OrganicAuthority.com – Organic Blog - The BP oil spill reminds us that our oceans are precious and water is not an infinite resource. The Nature Conservancy and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power offer the following tips for conserving water: Install a low-flow ...
• Geening Your Bath Water – Conservation Tips | Green Living Guide ... - FACT: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoors, 3/4 of all water is used in the bathroom. One easy and inexpensive way.
• Energy Conservation Tips that Won't Change your Lifestyle - So much of what you do each day depends on energy – usually electricity – that it seems impossible to change it. And any change that you can make is a drop in the ocean compared to what needs to be done. However, as history has shown us ...
• Going With The Flow - Water Conservation Tips. Here are some easy water-saving steps everyone can take: Turn off the water! When washing your hands, brushing your teeth, shaving or doing dishes, turn off the faucet when not directly in use. ...

“My Tree”

From my window I watched you grow from a little side shoot into a full grown tree.  Not a perfect grand tree because your predecessor was a stump with thick spreading roots that did not allow you to grow straight and tall.  However, you managed in your deformed way to survive.  Sometimes you waved your curling arms in gaiety.  Other times the weight of snow or winds sent you dancing this way or that, but always interesting and beautiful to me.

I am about to leave you, “my tree” because I am too old to stay here.

To my amazement I looked out my window this morning and saw that you too are about to be removed, as if to tell me good-bye, there is no one left to love me.

Good-bye my beautiful tree.  Thank you for the cooling shade, beauty, peace of mind, and inspiration to keep growing no matter what your circumstances, and life, bring you.  Someone loved you as you were, both young and old.

Written by Frances Zompakos, 2010

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Land owners who are willing to sell or lease conservation acres to new farmers could receive federal money because of a new program offered by the Department of Agriculture.

Click here to learn more and read article

If you want to see the best America has to offer, look no further than the kids of FFA.

The FFA website describes the organization's mission like this:

"The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st Congress of the United States, and is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture.  The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for the FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs.  The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education."

Take a moment to read the FFA Creed and think about how your career standards stack up.

I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds - achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.

I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.

I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil.

I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so--for others as well as myself; in less need for charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.

I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.

The creed was written by E. M. Tiffany, and adopted at the 3rd National Convention of the FFA. It was revised at the 38th Convention and the 63rd Convention.