Conservation

Learn about conservation practices for your farm that can reduce erosion, improve water quality, and provide wildlife habitats. This section includes information on no-till, reduced tillage, buffer strips, the Conservation Reserve Program, and wetlands.
A tree is divided in half. On the left is lush grass, while on the right, the ground is bare and cracked.
How farmers are combatting climate troubles
A Polk County field day showcasing a saturated buffer installed in Iowa
Batch and Build strategy makes conservation more convenient in central Iowa
Bill Bridgeforth shares insights about cotton seeding rate field research conducted on his farm at a recent NBGC Model Farm tour in Tanner, Alabama.
Farm tours help Black farmers share ideas and technology
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Conservation in Action tour heads to Arkansas
Bright green sprouts come up through dried corn stalks and leaves
CRPs and carbon programs: What's the difference?
Cattle graze in pasture as the sun sets.
How grassland protection spurs carbon credits
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7 Ways farmers can protect bees from chemicals
A shovel full of dark soil.
Why should farmers care about carbon?
John Deere and Cargill logos
Cargill RegenConnect now offered through John Deere Operations Center
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Sustainability is here to stay, says industry expert
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Trees belong in Nebraska
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Certifying water quality
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Water quality lessons from East Coast farmers come to the Midwest
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Patchwork planting puts less expensive crops across fields with poor soil
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Switchgrass as an energy crop has untapped potential
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Converting marginal cropland to grass yields soil carbon and more
A person holds up a panel of a bee colony that is covered in beeswax
Beekeeping and the Conservation Reserve Program
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Conservation Reserve Program benefits can outweigh high commodity prices
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Converting marginal cropland to perennials builds soil and profitability
An orange Seed a Legacy sign in a pollinator friendly field full of wildflowers.
How to turn unproductive field areas into pollinator havens
An orange monarch butterfly feeding on a pink flower.
Monarch butterfly now an endangered species
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Pollinator Partnership's Pollinator Week
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Illinois STAR conservation program covers over 85,000 acres
Dark green trees in the distance on rolling green hills
USDA announces $503 million to improve conservation and outdoor recreation in National Forests
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USDA to allow producers to request voluntary termination of Conservation Reserve Program contract
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Minnesota cost-share program helps upgrade irrigation systems
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Meet the South Dakota bankers with hearts for conservation and community
A farmer on a white horse and a farmer on a brown horse herd a group of black calves up a green grassy hill
KSU researching virtual fencing's influence on grassland conservation, cattle business
The Maryland Bay at sunset.
USDA invests $22.5 million in water quality improvements in Chesapeake Bay
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This award-winning farm is rooted in conservation and diversity
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USDA accepts 2 million acres in offers through CRP General sign-up
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Study shows water quality certified farms earn higher profits
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Healthy land management can prevent dust storms
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How grazing management transforms grasslands
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USDA encourages enrollment of grassland into working land conservation 
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This sugarcane operation may be the most sustainable farm in Florida
A no-till soybean field.
CFAD releases new white paper
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Whooping crane comeback proves value of conservation
A wetland in Indiana
USDA report shows conservation practices increasing
Wildflowers bloom on CRP land in Iowa
Leopold Conservation Award expands to Iowa in 2022
A wood chip bioreactor on a farm
Water quality projects expand in central Iowa
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Kellogg announces regenerative ag program for Lower Mississippi Basin rice farmers
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Reimagine profit-loss areas in your fields
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The state of erosion on U.S. farms
A pair of hands dig into the ground, clearing away debris that lays on top of the soil
Working Lands, Water and Wildlife Partnership Project available in Illinois
A farmer overlooks his farm as the sunsets.
USDA announces Conservation Reserve Program signups for 2022
A farmer's hand digging in the soil
A guide to the recent USDA conservation investments
Former Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack
Vilsack highlights key work in 2021 to combat the future of climate change
An Indiana farmer plants corn directly into his cover crops
USDA to invest up to $225 million in partner-driven conservation
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Research shows more riparian buffer strips can protect waterways
A wetland in Indiana
USDA invests nearly $5 million in Wetland Mitigation Banking Program
A drone shot of CRP wetlands in Iowa
USDA expands opportunities for Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
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Decreased funding for conservation programs doesn't meet the demand
A drone shot of CRP wetlands in Iowa
$100 million invested in Iowa water infrastructure and conservation practices
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Carbon farming opportunities beckon farmers
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40 Seasons: Farming in a new direction
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Planning for pollinators
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How to build a wildlife habitat on your land
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Q&A with Jason Weller, Vice President of Truterra
A birds eye view of a no-till soybean field.
No-till November
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Government ground
A close-up of cover crop roots.
Verdesian Life Sciences and Truterra team up to advance on-farm sustainability
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Ag coalition proposes climate mitigation for $100 an acre