SARE and NRCS - Conservation Partners
SARE is working to identify new partnership opportunities with the Natural
Resource Conservation Service. Land stewardship and resource conservation
are of paramount importance to both SARE and NRCS. Specific areas of focus
for both agencies include:
Collaboration at Work
SARE and NRCS have been working more closely in the last year to step
up cooperation at national, regional and state levels. For example, SARE
will be using its vast database of Research and Education projects to
assist NRCS staff as they update their National Conservation Practice
Standards. SARE and NRCS have many other opportunities to collaborate
more closely in areas such as:
Conservation Security Program
SARE State Coordinators are strategizing ways the two agencies can cooperate
on the Conservation Security
Program, a new NRCS program that financially supports farmers and
ranchers who are utilizing conservation systems that protect soil, water,
air and wildlife.
In Wisconsin, SARE teamed up with the Michael
Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI), NRCS, the University of Wisconsin
Extension and Land Conservation Departments to sponsor field
days that brought together farmers, state and federal agency staff,
and other agriculture professionals to see how the CSP program is working
for farmers in Wisconsin.
The program was also supported by Diane Mayerfeld, SARE
state coordinator from Wisconsin, who set up information booths and
encouraged Extension staff to attend the CSP events.
SARE-Funded Projects
NRCS staff often serve as technical advisers on SARE
farmer/rancher grants and as cooperators for on-farm
research and partnership grants. RC&D coordinators are eligible
to apply for all SARE grants and many have done so successfully.
State-Level Planning & Technical Support
In New Jersey, former Rutgers Cooperative Extension Director Zane Helsel,
a member of the Northeast SARE grant-making council, worked with the NRCS
State Technical Committee to develop advanced categories for nutrient
and pest management under the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). New
Jersey growers can now receive payments for using pest and nutrient
management practices such as reducing certain pesticides, and detailed
soil and tissue testing.
 Featured Topics
Many farmers who have received NRCS incentive or cost-share payments also
have received SARE grants. Using NRCS funds for equipment or physical
improvements and SARE grants for researching new methods allows farmers
to increase financial security and reduce risk as they transition to conservation-oriented
farming systems. Pairing SARE's farmer grants
with NRCS conservation programs
and technical assistance often produces an impact far beyond what
a single program or grant could accomplish.
Stories highlighting joint NRCS/SARE efforts appear in NRCS-This
Week and SARE publications:
Grazing
 Goats,
Sheep Help Manage Weeds on Western Rangeland
Innovative
Grazing Program Facilitates Outreach and Implementation to New York Livestock
Producers
Win-Win-Win:
Managed Grazing Improves Profits, Soil, Water Quality
SARE
Grant, NRCS Know-How Create Unique Grazing, Watering System for Cattle
Grazin'
Days Workshops Bring the Benefits of Rotational Grazing to Iowa Farmers
Midwest
Graziers Seek to Capitalize on Nutritional Benefits of Pasture-Raised
Products
Small
Ruminant Resource Training Manual Available
Pest Management
Partnerships,
Pesticides, and Potatoes
Thistle
Management on Lodgepole Creek
Marketing
Marketing
Local Products to a California Community
Prairie and Range Management
Kansas
Patch Burning
Prairie
Bird Conservation through Range Management
Cooperative
Conservation Improves Nevada Rangeland
Farmer-Driven Research
NRCS,
SARE Cooperate to Create Farmer-Run Research Groups in New England
Soil Quality
Grass
Roots Partnering for Soil Quality
Water Quality and Conservation
Developing
Vegetative Barriers to Stem Soil Erosion and Improve Water Quality
Partnership
Enhances Water Quality in West Virginia
New
Texas Initiative Targets Water Conservation
A
New Look at Designing Buffers in Maryland
On Farm Research
Help
Farmers Put Their Ideas to the Test
For more information about opportunities for NRCS/SARE collaboration in
your state, contact SARE.
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