U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist for Arkansas Derrek Nokes, and State Grazing Lands Specialists such as Jeremy Huff assisted Kenny and Annette Sites with a conservation plan that includes prescribed grazing (528); and the forage and biomass planting (524) of the pastures, in Sheridan, AR, on June 27, 2019.
A companion video can be seen at youtu.be/JOiyO31rOis
Prescribed Grazing manages the harvest of vegetation by grazing and/or browsing animals.
This improves or maintains desired species composition and vigor of plant communities. Improves or maintains quantity and quality of forage for grazing and browsing animals’ health and productivity. Improves or maintains surface and/or subsurface water quality and quantity. Improve or maintain riparian and watershed function. Reduce accelerated soil erosion and maintain or improve soil condition. Improve or maintain the quantity and quality of food and/or cover available for wildlife. Manage fine fuel loads to achieve desired conditions.
Forage and Biomass Planting establishes adapted and/or compatible species, varieties, or cultivars of herbaceous species suitable for pasture, hay, or biomass production.
These pastures improve or maintain livestock nutrition and/or health. Provide or increase forage supply during periods of low forage production. Reduce soil erosion. Improve soil and water quality. Produce feedstock for biofuel or energy production
NRCS has a proud history of supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.
And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Department’s focal point for the nation’s farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
For more information please see www.usda.gov.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
. Original public domain image from Flickr