The Trenton Office staff, along with Dyer & Henry County Field Office staff, participated in a two-day, county wide ag day event for all 4^th graders in the Gibson County Special School District held at the local fairgrounds in Trenton on September 10^th & 11th. A total of 8 different schools which included a home school group participated in the two-day event totaling over 520 students. The Gibson County Ag Day was sponsored by the Gibson County Farm Bureau Women, Gibson Co. SCD, and UT/TSU Extension Service-AgrAbility. The purpose of the festival was to acclimate the students to the Agriculture industry to teach them where our food comes from, and how to manage and take care of what Mother Nature has provided.

The Trenton Field Office presented the Water Quality demonstration for the students. Todd Reynolds, Soil Conservationist Trenton Field Office, Luke Hemby, Gibson Co. SCD County Technician, Emily Pope, Soil Conservationist – Dyersburg Field Office, Ryan Winchester; Soil Conservationist - Paris Field Office & Ryan Blackwood, Soil Conservationist, assisted with this tour over the two-day period. The rainfall simulator was used to demonstrate the raindrop impact, runoff and infiltration that occurs on the different landscapes in the county. Soil pans were taken from a conventional tilled corn crop with no residue present, pasture & a no-till corn crop with heavy residue. The students were involved to let them determine which land use had the greatest runoff and infiltration rates. The clarity and muddiness of the runoff was discussed, and the students learned that soil lost to erosion was the contributor to the muddy water that they might see after a rain event when traveling or maybe even near where they live. The students learned the importance of keeping a cover/residue on the land, especially through the winter months. Additionally, the students were shown how to pace their steps to measure distances in the field. They were also shown a laser level, dumpy level and a survey rod. We demonstrated how we would survey in the field to attain survey shots that might be used to aid in the design of an erosion control structure. The students also got to look through the dumpy instrument to read the correct number on the survey rod.

CSP Sign Up

USDA Announces Sign-Up Period for Updated Conservation Stewardship Program

Deadline to be considered for funding is May 10, 2019

TRENTON, April 8, 2019 – The next deadline for Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) applications to be considered for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2019 is May 10, 2019. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plans to invest up to $700 million for new enrollments and contract extensions in fiscal year 2019. The 2018 Farm Bill made several changes to this critical conservation program, which helps agricultural producers take the conservation activities on their farm or ranch to the next level.

“CSP continues to be a very effective tool for private landowners working to achieve their conservation and management goals,” said Sheldon Hightower, Tennessee NRCS State Conservationist. “It is the largest conservation program in the United States with more than 70 million acres of productive agricultural and forest land enrolled.”

While applications are accepted throughout the year, interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by May 10, 2019, to ensure their applications are considered for 2019 funding.

Changes to the Program

The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes NRCS to accept new CSP enrollments from now until 2023, and it makes some important improvements to the program. These updates include:

NRCS now enrolls eligible, high ranking applications based on dollars rather than acres. For fiscal year 2019, NRCS can spend up to $700 million in the program, which covers part of the cost for producers implementing new conservation activities and maintaining their existing activities.

Higher payment rates are now available for certain conservation activities, including cover crops and resource conserving crop rotations.

CSP now provides specific support for organic and for transitioning to organic production activities and a special grassland conservation initiative for certain producers who have maintained cropland base acres.

About the Program

CSP is offered in Tennessee through continuous sign-ups. The program provides many benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is for working lands including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, nonindustrial private forest land and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe.