A Time to Shine

By Quenna Terry, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) working through Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) partner with farmers and ranchers each year to showcase new technologies and conservation practices that are conserving natural resources while increasing agriculture sustainability.

Farm and ranch field days are hosted by SWCDs in many of the 51 counties of the High Plains and South Plains regions to honor the farmers and ranchers stewardship efforts through their implementation of conservation practices.

Tierra Blanca SWCD in Hereford recently hosted a well-attended conservation tour in Deaf Smith County where conservationists, farmers, ranchers and other agri-business leaders could see conservation at work during several irrigation and soil health tour stops across the county.

NRCS Resource Team Leader Shannon Rowley said, “Most of the farmers and ranchers in this county are progressive thinkers and conservation minded.  There is always a lot of good land stewardship with some of the most cutting edge technologies being used today.”

The tour stops included micro subsurface drip irrigation, soil moisture monitoring, precision application residue management (PARM), pivot conversions and mixed species cover crops.

During the tour, Greg Sokora, NRCS agriculture engineer and Brandt Underwood, NRCS agronomist both presented alongside the farmers and agriculture industry representatives to discuss conservation practices highlights.

After the tour, lunch was provided at the Hereford Community Center followed by a producer and industry representative panel with discussion on cover crops, no-till farming practices, micro subsurface drip irrigation and variable frequency drives (VFDs).

Sponsors for the tour included: Ag Producers, Capital Farm Credit, First Financial Bank, Happy State Bank, North American Motor & Drives, West Texas Electric Motor, Winfield, Bamert Seed Company, Brandon & Clark, First Bank Southwest, First National Bank, Top of Texas, Winget, and White Face Ford.