NRCS This Week - 10/06/00

Crop Residue Survey application - CropRes - allows users to upload survey transect data, enter county profile data (county crop acres), and adjust tillage percentages. CropRes is now available at http://calais.itc.nrcs.usda.gov/ctic/ (A PMRS user ID and logon are required to enter this site).

Computer Tools Now Available to Field Offices! Field office personnel now have access to better tools to reduce paperwork, improve efficiency, and allow more time to work in the field with customers. Computer tools are available at http://www.info.usda.gov/NRCS/FOWR/

AGRICOLA: USDA's AGRICultural Online Access

e-Notes from NACD: Weekly news briefs from the National Association of Conservation Districts

Ag Day - Nationally syndicated daily program at http://www.agday.com/.

Conference & Training Connection!

See the alphabetical-by-subject list of upcoming events. See NEW! additions under Grazing & Grassland, Soil Science/Erosion Control, and Locally Led Conservation.

FOCUS ON THE FIELD

State Office Develops Tools for Field Office Use - Thanks to NRCS Alabama, field staffs Nationwide now have two new computer tools to help reduce paperwork, improve efficiency, and allow more time to work in the field with customers. The first spreadsheet tool, Long Term Agreement/Support Documentation, includes fill-in-the-blank and cost pop-up features and is supported by a 400-item built-in cost list. This tool helps district conservationists develop within minutes, a long-term agreement (like an EQIP contract) with accurate estimated costs and cost shares thus allowing more time on the farm to develop the plan and less time preparing paperwork.

The Nutrient Value spreadsheet tool allows a quick calculation of nutrients needed for various crops after soil tests, and a cost comparison for using animal waste versus commercial fertilizers to most economically meet crop needs. Please note that recommended nutrients are those recommended by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service for Alabama and should be modified for your area. Check the website at: http://waterhome.brc.tamus.edu/NRCSdata/costs/ Your contact is Bill Hughes, NRCS Alabama State Office, 334-887-4520 or bill.hughes@al.nrcs.usda.gov

Poultry Growers Meet in Modesto - Through an EQIP Education grant, the California Poultry Federation held the last of four "Nutrient Management Summits" in Modesto on September 28. The summit provided the poultry industry with an update on nutrient management and covered managing waste from poultry operations, environmental issues, and regulations. Speakers included representatives from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Foster Farms. NRCS District Conservationist Mike McElhiney spoke on resources available through NRCS. Nearly 60 poultry growers from California's Central Valley attended; 300 growers have participated in previous summits. Nutrient Management Seminar Videotapes are available. Your contact is Mike McElhiney, NRCS District Conservationist, at 209-491-9320.

Connecticut Flood Audit Averts Disaster - While conducting a flood audit assessment of a church and daycare center in Westport, Connecticut, Pamela Failing, a Civil Engineer with the NRCS State Office alerted building owners of water and structural damage found at the foundation of several composite wooden trusses that support the structure. The owner subsequently hired a structural engineer to analyze the base of the support columns. That analysis resulted in an emergency restoration project to replace the rotted portions of the trusses with concrete grout and steel brackets. The owners have expressed their heartfelt thanks for the thoroughness of Pam's inspection, proving that sometimes a flood audit can provide more benefits than just an inventory of properties susceptible to damage. Your contact is Carolyn Miller, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 860-871-4029 or carolyn.miller@ct.udsa.gov.

Farm Progress Show "Fore" 2000 - A farm near Cantrall, Illinois, was the setting for the 2000 Farm Progress Show. This year, NRCS, local Soil and Water Conservation District staffs, and Rural Development shared a tent where they created a miniature golf course hole. In a setting with the look and feel of a real course complete with signs and flags donated by local golf courses, right down to an authentic "out-of-bounds" with native grasses, cattails, and other props, nearly 6,000 golfers and non-golfers alike tried their luck at shooting a hole-in-one. Your contact is Paige Mitchell Buck, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 217-353-6606 or paige.mitchell@il.nrcs.usda.gov.

Growth in Agriculture through Education (GATE) Aids Minority Students - Growth in Agriculture through Education (GATE) is a combined effort between NRCS Indiana and Purdue Extension Service that introduces minority high school students to careers and opportunities in agriculture. Purdue Extension educator, Gonzalee Martin, leads urban teens in a hands-on food production program to plant, tend, harvest, and sell an acre of vegetables. The teens are paid for their work with grant funds, and the money they earn from selling the fresh vegetables goes into a scholarship fund. The teens also get opportunities to take field trips to nearby agricultural colleges, the Chicago Board of Trade, Maple Leaf Farms in Milford and other places to observe a broad range of opportunities for careers in agriculture. Your contact is Mike McGovern, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 317-290-3222, ext. 324 or mmcgovern@in.nrcs.usda.gov.

NRCS Assists in Huge Wetland/Tall Grass Prairie Restoration Project - NRCS is involved in one of the Nation's largest wetland/tall grass prairie restoration projects. The Nature Conservancy announced the $9 million purchase of nearly 25,000 acres in northwestern Minnesota. NRCS has identified about 21,000 acres in this project that can be entered into the Wetlands Reserve Program at an estimated cost of $13 million, which includes funding for acquisition and restoration. Thus far, NRCS has signed options with The Nature Conservancy to purchase easements on more than 7,350 acres. The agency will restore nearly 6,000 of those acres to various types of wetlands, ranging from seasonally-flooded wet meadows to large, open wetlands of varying depths. The remaining nearly 1,400 acres will be restored to a diverse mix of upland grasses, and forbs and flowers native to this area. NRCS will pursue additional easements with The Nature Conservancy as funding becomes available. Your contact is Sylvia Rainford, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 651-602-7859 or str@mn.nrcs.usda.gov.

Husker Harvest Days Draws Thousands - Thousands of visitors flocked to Grand Island, Nebraska, for the annual working farm show "Husker Harvest Days," sponsored by Farm Progress Magazine. Six NRCS exhibits on buffer strips, irrigation flow meters, range management, EQIP, manure management, and Private Lands Conservation were on display at the 3-day show. Other partners in the tent with NRCS included the State Game and Parks, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health (demonstrating water quality testing) and the natural resources districts. Your contact is Pat McGrane, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 402-437-5328 or pat.mcgrane@ne.usda.gov.

Partners Celebrate Cultural Awareness\ - "One People, One World" was the theme of South Carolina's 4th Annual Cultural Awareness celebration. The fun-filled day united employees from NRCS, Rural Development, Farm Service Agency, conservation districts, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources in celebration of cultural diversity. Nearly 500 participants heard presentations on equal employment opportunity, Title II, and sexual harassment awareness. Al Roberts, Southeast Regional Civil Rights manager, presented the Title VII overview. In addition, the group learned more about the Hispanic, African American, and Irish/Scottish cultures and was entertained by an energetic Latino dance troupe.

Each year, NRCS presents a Statewide outreach award to an employee who has performed exemplary efforts to reach underserved communities. Debbie Mann, district conservationist in Georgetown County, was this year's recipient.

NRCS, Others Build "Field of Dreams" - NRCS Tennessee, Haywood County Soil Conservation District (SWCD), and the Chickasaw Shiloh RC&D recently assisted in building a softball "field of dreams" for the Brownsville-Haywood County Girls Softball League. After receiving $75,000 in funding and $25,000 worth of donations for the new facility, parents and other citizens, with technical assistance from NRCS and the Haywood SWCD, worked to make the project became a reality for the 2000 softball season. More than 210 girls participated in this season. Your contact is Lavonne Winters, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 615-277-2535 or lwinters@tn.nrcs.usda.gov.

WHAT'S UP (AND COMING) IN WASHINGTON

Chief Reed Signs Research, Knowledge, and Technology Development MOU - Chief Reed signed an MOU with the Agricultural Research Service and the Cooperative State, Research, Education, and Extension Service on Natural Resources Technology Partnership at a ceremony on October 2. The MOU will enhance the responsiveness of these agencies to national natural resources and environmental issues.

The three agencies have established a Partnership Management Team in order to cooperatively identify the needs for research, knowledge, and technology development for the most critical natural resources and environmental management problems. The NRCS Deputy Chief for Science and Technology and the Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment staff are participating in this effort. The full text of the MOU can be found at http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov/pmt/nrtpmou.html.

Your contact is Fen Hunt, NRCS National Agriculture Coordinator, at 301-504-4787 or fch@ars.usda.gov.

USDA 2000 National Disability Employment Awareness Month - The theme for October's USDA 2000 National Disability Employment Awareness Month is "Ability You Can Bank On." The theme of the 2000 education program kit (available at http://www50.pcepd.gov/pcepd/pubs/ek00/index.html) conveys a vital message that "People with disabilities are ready, willing and able to be an essential part of our Nation's human resource capital."

Background of National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Public Law 176 was enacted by Congress in 1945. P.L. 176 designated the first week in October as "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week," and the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities was appointed by President Truman to carry out the act. In 1962, the word "physically" was removed from the week's name to recognize the employment needs of all Americans with disabilities. Congress, in 1988, expanded the week to a month and changed its name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month"(NDEA Month). October has become the kick-off month for year-round programs that highlight the abilities and skills of Americans with disabilities.

National Plant Data Center (NPDC) Cooperates Globally - The NPDC is redesigning the PLANTS database http://plants.usda.gov so all of the major global taxonomic databases will have a basic design that allows them to easily exchange information. A major part of the redesign involves rebuilding the foundation of the taxonomic database, without which PLANTS will not work. Work on a common taxonomic database design is being performed with the Association for Biodiversity Information (The Nature Conservancy), Ecological Society of America (National Vegetation Classification), Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ARS, USGS, NOAA, EPA, NRCS, Smithsonian Institution, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, and CONABIO (Mexico), and the Botanischer Museum-Berlin (International Organization for Plant Information-Global Plant Checklist).

Your contact is J. Scott Peterson, Director, NRCS National Plant Data Center, at 225-755-6280 or speterson@npdc.usda.gov.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month - Hispanic Heritage Month 2000 has arrived! Latino communities nationwide welcome this yearly event. The month of celebration continues through October 15. El Dia de la Raza will be celebrated on October 12.

The observance was initiated by the U. S. Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week more than 20 years ago. The month-long celebration has grown. The intent of Hispanic Heritage Week was to encourage Hispanic awareness among all U. S. citizens. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by participating in events in a Latino community near you!

TECH TIP

Balancing the Animal and the Environment - Balancing the grazing forage supply available to an animal, either domestic livestock or wildlife, can be perplexing. As the grazing environment changes with weather patterns and shifting climatic cycles, the land manager is faced with a continuously moving target. Each year, as the forages begin a new life cycle, precipitation, temperature, and nutrients must be in adequate amounts for potential grazing production to develop. As any one of these limiting factors stress the forages during growth, the challenge begins to determine the effect on quantity and also the impact on the quality of the forage.

Determining the demand of the grazing animal (Total Animal Units) begins the foundation of the balance. Once the amount of forage that could be consumed by the grazing animals during the year is determined (Total Animal Unit Months) then the amount of grazing forage potentially available can be compared to the animal demand. The animal demand determination should always include both livestock and the wildlife species present. Determining the effect on production (reduced production or lower quality) caused by stress factors is important to both the health of the animals and the health of the plants grazed. Once the amount of production is determined (quantity), livestock numbers can be adjusted. Making this determination early in the growing season reduces the grazing pressure on the plants and animals before they become stressed. If the stress has impacted the quality of the grazing plants and quantity is sufficient, concentrates and roughage can be added to improve the balance needed. Providing additional feed sources during periods of abnormal production can reduce the grazing pressure on the land and maintain animal condition. A balance between grazing supply and animal demand provide a healthy grazing environment.

Your contact is Arnold Norman, NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist, at 817-509-3214 or anorman@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov.

CONFERENCE & TRAINING CONNECTION

October 6, 2000

As a service to NRCS personnel and the agency's partners, "NRCS This Week" offers the following by-subject list of conferences and training sessions. To add an event, please send an e-mail message to fred.jacobs@usda.gov

AFO/CAFO

Agricultural Economics

Agroforestry/Forestry

Agronomy

Air Quality

Animal Residuals Management

Coastal Zone Management

Environmental Education

Farmland Preservation

GIS

Grazing Land & Grassland

Irrigation

Locally Led Conservation

Mining & the Environment

Partnerships

Resource Conservation & Development

Rivers

Soil Science/Erosion Control

Water Quality

Watersheds

Wetlands

AFO/CAFO

The Innovative Technology for Planning Animal Feeding Operations

December 4-6

Denver, Colorado, Renaissance Denver Hotel

Attendees will be producers, government agencies, businesses, and consultants writing comprehensive nutrient management plans. Topics include land application technologies, alternative manure uses, air quality control strategies, mitigation of impacted sites, filter strips, etc. Exhibitors: $400.00 with two free registrations. Posters: Individuals presenting posters should be registered for the conference. Contact Ron Schierer, at 970-330-0380 or ron.schierer@co.usda.gov or Mike Collins at 307-682-8843, ext. 113, or mike.collins@wy.usda.gov