Preserving Your Farm’s Legacy
Starts With A Buffer Strip
ST. LOUIS, Mo. When
it comes to preserving our
precious environment, words
are plentiful, but deeds are
what truly counts.
That’s why the USDA has
increased its emphasis on
conservation buffers by
launching the National Con
servation Buffer Initiative
with a goal of encouraging
farmers to install two million
miles of conservation buffers
by the year 2002.
Environmental steward
ship is also a primary goal of
the NCGA, which supports
education on best manage
ment, practices, encourages
local voluntary action on en
vironmental issues, and rec
ognizes growers for their
stewardship efforts.
NCGA and the Natural
Resources Conservation Ser
vice (NRCS) are leading this
national effort with conserva
tion and environmental or
ganizations, educational
organizations and most im
portant, U.S. corn farmers.
Conservationists and soil
experts agree that almost
every farm gains discernible
benefits from installing
buffer strips. Besides the en-
HOOBER. Inc
vironmental benefits, a field
border buffer strip provides a
place to operate and turn
around heavy equipment,
which leads to reduced com
paction. Field borders near
steep slopes and river banks
can also increase safety in the
same way.
Here are a few key reasons
why buffers just make good
business and environmental
sense:
• Properly installed and
maintained buffers can help
reduce sediment in runoff
water up to 75 percent.
• Buffers can remove up
Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 14, 2000—Page
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PENNSYLVANIA MASTER CORN GROWERS ASSOC., INC.
to 50 percent or more of cer
tain nutrients. They can also
help filter a large percentage
of certain pathogens.
• Buffers protect people,
crops, livestock, buildings,
wildlife, and roads from
wind-blown soil, snow, or
other materials.
• The efficiencies of buff
ers can be increased by con
sidering buffers as one part of
a complete resource system
for your farm or ranch.
Under the new farm bill,
many buffer strips may also
be entered into the continu
ous Conservation Reserve
Program sign-up. Land can
be entered at any time and
farmers do not have to wait
for the USD A to announce a
time.
The difference between
continuous and annual sign
up is that the continuous
sign-up is meant specifically
for small parcels of land,
such as buffer strips. The
annual sign-up, is meant for
whole fields and larger tracts
of land.
While buffer
strips are voluntary,
there are indications
that this could
change in the future.
But voluntary
water-quality im
provement efforts
have a limited
amount of time to
demonstrate posi
tive results before
mandatory regula
tions may be put in
place.
Voluntary conser
vation practices,
such as the conser
vation buffer initia
tive, helps NCGA
and your state asso
ciation achieve a
very important goal
while preserving a
precious resource
our environment.
For more infor
mation on how to in
stall a buffer, visit
your local NCRS or
Farm Services
Agency office.
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Proven
Profit
Potential
Corn yields up to 25%
higher with the use of
Conklin Guardian®
nitrogen fertilizer additive
were documented by the
University of Minnesota
in tests on corn over
three years
Conklin offers a cost-
effective, proven program
for corn utilizing Guardian
with your 28-32%
nitrogen solutions or urea
nitrogen Call me to see
test results and put the
power of Conklin
agronomic products to
work for you
CONTACT
Walter Ocker
3004 Sollenberger Dr.
Chambersburg,
PA 17201-9031
(717) 264-5147
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