Press Releases

Online program aims to solve soil erosion

March 13, 2011

PAW PAW – Farming practices that help protect the soil from eroding or blowing away have been developed over many decades, and can be as simple as planting a cover crop.

But the latest tool in the soil conservation arsenal is strictly high tech.
The Van Buren Conservation District has landed a $25,000 grant to teach corn farmers in the Paw Paw River Watershed this year how to use a free, online software program that will collect data and help them adopt better farm management practices.

The district will teach corn growers to use the Fieldprint Calculator, and the data provided by those farmers will then allow conservation district staff to develop a strong set of information related to the watershed.

The grant is renewable for another $25,000 next year, said district Director A.J. Brucks. The grant is from the Coca-Cola Company and the World Wildlife Fund, she said.

The Fieldprint Calculator software was developed by the Field to Market organization. Early trial versions of the software were first made available for testing and feedback in March 2009. It is free for use by the public and can be found on the Field to Market website.

The conservation district will use the grant money to do outreach programs to educate the watershed’s corn farmers, and to train the farmers on using the software, said district technician Jared Foster.

Brucks said all data collected will be anonymous.

To kick off the project, the conservation district is inviting the farmers to a software demonstration, program, and Paw Paw area farm tour starting at 9:00 a.m. March 30. The program will be at the Paw Paw Lions Club, 59050 County Road 665, just south of Paw Paw.

Source: The Herald-Palladium

ABOUT FIELD TO MARKET

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture® brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, feed, beverage, restaurant, and retail companies; conservation groups; universities and public sector partners to focus on defining, measuring, and advancing the sustainability of food, feed, fiber, and fuel production. Field to Market comprises around 200 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with members employing more than 5 million people and representing combined revenues totaling over $1.5 trillion. 

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