Category Archives: Environment

USDA and EPA Release Honey Bee Health Report

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usda-beesThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health. The report states that there are multiple factors playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.

“The challenges are complex and there is no smoking gun,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, Administrator of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “It is imperative that we take action to address the factors contributing to the decline in honey bees and the continuing impact that our farmers and honeybee producers are facing as well.”

“It’s a critical issue that affects virtually every American,” said Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “The report we’ve released today is the product of unprecedented collaboration, and our work in concert must continue. As the report makes clear, we’ve made significant progress, but there is still much work to be done to protect the honey bee population.”

When it comes to the issue of pesticide exposure, the report says that more research is needed. Other countries are moving to ban the neonicotinoids class of insecticides over fears that they are the cause of the honey bee decline. Asked why the United States doesn’t just ban the pesticide, “We let science drive the outcome of our decision-making,” said Jim Jones with the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “There are non-trivial costs to society if we get this wrong. These are products that not only provide meaningful benefits to the farmers who use them, but they then generate benefits to consumers as well for affordable in the United States and they also are compounds that, as a general matter for human health and the environment, are preferable to the alternative.”

Link to full report.

A press conference featuring government officials and stakeholders in the honey bee industry was held to explain the report’s findings. In addition to Ramaswamy and Perciasepe, those on the call included:
Dr. May Berenbaum, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Zac Browning, Beekeeper
Steve Bradbury, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Dr. Jeffery Pettis, Bee Research Lead, USDA Agricultural Research Service

USDA/EPA Honey Bee Report press call

An Earth Day Message

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print-emailGot an email today from an employee of GROWMARK with a great message that I wanted to share for Earth Day week.

I’m sure you’ve seen email signatures saying something like “Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail!” This one is a little different.

Notice: It’s OK to print this e-mail.

Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees and corn starch. Growing and harvesting trees and corn provides jobs for millions of Americans. Working forests are good for the environment and provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. Thanks to improved forest and agricultural management, we have more trees and corn in America today than we had 100 years ago.

I love it! Planning to add it to my email signatures in the future. How about you? Thanks GROWMARK!

New Resources Available for Dairy Producers

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UsDairy_LogoThe Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced new science-based resources available for dairy producers, processors, industry partners and stakeholders. The resources help the industry act on the unprecedented scientific research commissioned as part of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment — a collective effort of the dairy value chain to measure and improve the sustainability of U.S. dairy from farm to table.

As part of this commitment, the dairy industry initiated a series of scientific life cycle assessments of fluid milk, cheese and whey. With this body of work, the U.S. dairy industry is striving to create the most transparent and documented dairy LCA database available. Due in part to its rigorous science-based approach, it was chosen to be the pilot industry participating in the National Agricultural Library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide an open-access, prototype LCA database and tools.

The three new resources available include:

Novus’ Commitment to Sustainability

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ippe-13-10-editedThe vision at Novus International is to feed the world affordable, wholesome food. They have adopted a three pillar stance of solution, service and sustainability all tied in to thinking globally, but acting locally.

Sustainability is the cornerstone of their vision to improve the quality of life for people around the world. During the recent International Production and Processing Expo, I talked with Alex Pierroutsakos, who works in quality assurance in sustainability and environmental safety, about how Novus brings sustainability into their everyday lives.

“Novus has done a really good job at looking into what sustainability is all about and focusing on that is part of our mission statement. How are we going to feed a growing population over the next 40 years? Once you transcend that back to what we can do to help that process and help to make our own customers more sustainable. [We ask] how do we provide product on time, how do we help make sure the supply chain and distribution is there for us to support them. These are the things we are looking at.”

Novus believes being sustainable starts at home. There 90,000-square foot headquarters is platinum LEED-certified. This is the highest energy and environmental design available in the United States. It is one of four in Missouri and one of 150 in the entire United States.

Check out my complete interview with Alex: Interview with Alex Pierroutsakos

You can find photos from the event here:International Production & Processing Expo Photo Album

Sponsored by Novus International Inc

Syngenta Promotes Safety Benefits of Atrazine

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Have you visited the Oasis yet? Syngenta recently launched the website “Saving the Oasis” to promote the safety of using atrazine. During the Farm Progress Show, Cindy Zimmerman caught up with Ann Bryan of Syngenta to learn more about the campaign.

The website features several documentaries: “Atrazine and Water,” “Atrazine and Safety,” and “Atrazine and Food Safety”. The goal of the campaign is for people to watch, learn and decide for themselves if they believe atrazine is safe. As an added incentive, if people go and watch the videos this month, Syngenta will donate $5 to the Iowa Food Bank Association through the end of September.

Ann said they wanted to correct some misinformation that’s out there with the public about atrazine. So the company engaged some academic experts over the last couple of years and released their benefits studies last November. With this information in their arsenal, they decided to turn them into mini documentaries with a focus of some of the benefits of atrazine that many don’t know about.

For example, atrazine helps minimize soil erosion and helps to keep the soil from collapsing into waterways. Ann said it also protects the environment and helps to foster habitat development. It also helps to increase the yield of many crops including corn, sorghum and sugarcane. Lastly, Ann highlighted that with the increase in yields, growers can help to feed a growing population.

Now it is time for you to decide. You can learn more about atrazine by watching the mini-documentaries (and helping those hungry get fed) and by listening to Cindy’s interview with Ann: Saving the Oasis

2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Become a Carbon Farmer

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Do you ever sit around your kitchen table and contemplate other crops you might like to grow? Here is a novel idea – grow carbon. What you ask? Growers across the country are becoming carbon farmers as highlighted in the documentary film Carbon Nation. The film touts itself as a “climate change solutions movie that doesn’t even care if you believe in climate change.” Yet this movie does care about climate change. The narrator says, “We thought we had time to figure things out. Trouble is there is no more time. Climate change is happening now.”

While the film covers the custom gamut of climate change solutions from renewable energy to energy efficiency, it enters new territory by featuring “carbon farmers”. How might you become one of these? By adding wind turbines to your land, or solar panels to your operations or add an algae farm interspersed within your fields.

One of the featured growers was Cliff Etheredge, a cotton farmer, aka wind farmer, in Roscoe, Texas. He along with 400 other landowners are sharing in the payment royalties from wind energy production. “Farmers really do appreciate these things,” he says. This is dry land. We sit out here and pray for rain and cuss the wind. Now what we’ve been cussing all these years turned out to be a blessing.”

Continue reading →

Finding Balance Between Business and Environment

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Trudy FisherAt the closing dinner for the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour, Trudy Fisher, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality spoke to our group. Trudy told us that she’s a farmer’s daughter and has farming experience herself. For that reason, the things we were seeing and hearing about on the tour are near and dear to her heart.

Trudy told the group that they don’t have to sacrifice aggressive farming practices and tremendous business opportunities to protect the environment and that “we can do it right and we are doing it right.” It’s all about finding the right balance between what’s good for business and what’s good for the environment. She says that “if we continue to do this right future generations of farmers will be able to carry on the long tradition of feeding the world from the heart of America.”

Listen to Trudy’s remarks here: Trudy Fisher Remarks

2012 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN

Locust Trace AgriScience Farm

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Locust Trace AgriScience Farm is the newest career and technical high school in Lexington, Kentucky with energy and environmental being key factors in the facility design and agriculture being the educational focus.

Locust Trace features spacious classrooms with adjoining labs, 6.5 acres for gardening, a state-of-the-art greenhouse with an aquaculture area for raising native fish, a soaring auditorium with a garage door for brining in livestock and machinery, an expansive equine barn and arena and an on-site veterinary clinic.

Students study in one of five programs: Intro to Agriculture, Environmental and Wildlife Science, Agriculture Power Mechanics, Equine and Vet Science, and Small and Large Animal Science.

The school is designed to be net-zero in energy through the use of photovoltaic solar panels and net-zero in waste disposal through the utilization of constructed wetlands. The school is also minimally hooked up to water municipalities. All the rain water is collected from the classroom building and the equine barn/arena to be utilized for all crop irrigation and livestock watering. An on-site well has been accessed to back up the rain water collection system in case of a drought. Sustainable agriculture is a focus in all programs.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Sara Tracy, who serves as the Community Lesion for Locust Trace, Brian Miller, Administrative Dean, and Danielle Milbern, Jr. at Locust Trace AgriScience Farm. They explain what it is like to work for and attend such a unique high school as well as a perspective into the diverse set of opportunities students can take part in.

Listen to my interview with Sara, Brian and Danielle here: Interview with Locust Trace Representatives

Locust Trace AgriScience Farm Photo Album

Syngenta Saving The Oasis

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Farmers, the original environmentalists. Continuing the tradition and using good science to do so.

Syngenta today announced the launch of a new website, “Saving the Oasis,” featuring three short documentaries that tell the story of how atrazine helps modern farmers protect precious water and soil resources while aiding the environment and economy. The site also contains information about other Syngenta efforts that help farmers preserve water.

Chillin In My Corn Watch

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While Cindy and Chuck are traveling around the country bringing you real agricultural news, I’m chillin on this beautiful day in my corn watch. Yes, you heard me right, I have an environmentally friendly watch that is partly made from corn.

Sprout Watches manufactures a line of eco-friendly watches that contain corn resin and bamboo. The watches come in multiple colors, but I chose white because of its neat design on the watch face. Each color watch has a different earth themed design to go along with its earth themed materials.

But back to the corn resin. It’s used as a component of the plastic, rather than using petroleum-based products. Nice, right?  Sprout promotes the technology on its website and notes that corn resin pellets sequester far less fossil fuel and emits much less greenhouse gases.  In addition, the watches are biodegradable and will not leach toxins into the ground. If you want to learn more, they have some neat graphics to demonstrate the process from stalk to watch.

So why am I sharing this story with you? Because it is another example of what our corn farmers across the country are bringing us today and a glimpse of what they will be helping to bring to use in the future – a myriad of products that are petroleum free.

EPA Denies NRDC Petition

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a 2008 petition by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) seeking to cancel 2,4-D herbicide registrations and revoke all the tolerances for use.

“The impact of this decision should not be understated,” said Jim Gray, executive director of the Industry Task Force II on 2,4-D Research Data. “EPA’s comprehensive review of one of the most extensive scientific data bases of a pesticide confirmed the Agency’s previous finding that the 2,4-D tolerances are acceptable.”

In the decision, EPA noted that based on “studies addressing endocrine effects on wildlife species and the adequacy of personal protective equipment for workers, the Agency concluded that the science behind our current ecological and worker risk assessments for 2,4-D is sound and there is no basis to change the registrations.”

“This has been one of the most widely used and successful herbicides in history and growers along with other users around the U.S. and the world can continue to use it with confidence”, added Gray. “EPA’s most recent decision is consistent with findings of other authorities such as the World Health Organization, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency and the European Commission.”

The US EPA conducted a thorough evaluation of all of the available information, including GLP studies, peer-reviewed studies, as well as the anecdotal information submitted by the pressure groups. This determination follows the 2005 Re-registration Eligibility Decision which encompassed 17 years of scientific evaluation.

As EPA correctly notes, “2,4-D is a phenoxy herbicide and plant growth regulator that has been used in the U.S. since the 1940s. It is currently found in approximately 600 products registered for agricultural, residential, industrial, and aquatic uses.” The original patent for 2,4-D was actually issued in 1945 and today it is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world for a variety of crops including wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, potatoes, sugar cane, pome fruits, stone fruits and nuts. In addition, 2,4-D controls invasive species in pastures, aquatic areas and federally protected areas and broadleaf weeds in turf grass.

Give EPA some brownie points for this decision!

Top Environmental Stewardship Award Goes to PA Farm

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The Masonic Village Farm of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania was named the top winner of the 21st annual National Cattlemen’s Foundation Environmental Stewardship Awards at the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in Nashville this week.

The Masonic Village Farm, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, raises 180 cow/calf pairs, maintains a feedlot that finishes approximately 200 steers annually, grows corn, soybeans and hay land. The Village implements rotational grazing to maintain its pastures; uses manure from feedlots to fertilize its fields; and innovative watering systems throughout the farm. Additionally, the farm invites the public to tour the facilities and learn more about the possibilities of stewardship in agriculture.

The Masonic Village Farm was winner for Region 1. The other regional winners who were recognized during the Best of Beef breakfast this week were: Region 2 – Daigle Farms of Ragley, LA; Region 4 – Matador Ranch in Matador TX; Region 5 – M/M Feedlot of Parma, ID; Region 6 – Della Ranches in Grouse Creek, UT; and Region 7 – Center of the Nation Cattle Company of Newell, SD. Region 3 – which includes Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota – did not have a winner for 2011 because there were no applications from that region last year.

2012 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Ag Aviators Facing Unnecessary Regulations

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naaaLike all of agriculture, aerial applicators are facing potentially onerous regulations that could ground them if they are allowed to continue.

The biggest issue they are dealing with right now is the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which National Agricultural Aviation Association executive director Andrew Moore told me just went into effect on Halloween. “It’s kind of a scary regulation,” said Andrew of the regulation which impacts pesticide application near water. “The problem is that it’s duplicative of everything that already exists to protect the environment in regard to pesticide regulation.”

naaaAndrew says the NPDES would require a great deal of paper work on the part of applicators. “FIFRA already regulates the safety of pesticides to water, so this is a completely unnecessary burdensome rule.” In addition, Andrew says they are very considered about lawsuits under the new regulation.

So, NPDES was a big topic at the NAAA convention in Las Vegas this week, where workshops were held and applicators were educated about the current status of the federal rule and where it stands at the state level. Andrew says they are also urging aerial applicators – and really anyone in the agriculture industry – to contact their senators about the issue. “Because we’ve been successful in passing legislation that would exempt pesticide applications over water for FIFRA approved pesticides,” said Andrew. The measure has been passed by the House and has gone through the Senate Agriculture Committee. “We believe we have the votes in the Senate but it’s not being brought to the floor for a vote,” he said.

Listen to my interview with Andrew here: NAAA executive director Andrew Moore

2011 NAAA Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2011 NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

New Research On Benefits Of Atrazine

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During the recent NAFB convention, AgriTalk recorded a panel discussion about new research on Atrazine. This herbicide, which has been on the market for more than 50 years is very beneficial from an economic and environmental standpoint in the production of corn, sorghum and sugar cane according to this new research.

I interviewed one of those researchers, Dr. Mike Owen, during the NAFB Trade Talk in the Syngenta booth. He says his role was to investigate the issue of herbicide resistance. He says the information basically reinforces what most people already knew about the impact of using glyphosate resistant crops with glyphosate to the exclusion of a lot of the other tools in the agricultural toolbox. He says farmers are still in denial about this issue. They need to diversity in weed management! You can find a number of links on this subject posted by Dr. Owen here.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Owen here: Interview with Dr. Mike Owen

According to a release from Syngenta (pdf) on this subject:

U.S. consumers and society benefit from atrazine and other triazine herbicides by up to $4.8 billion per year, due to increased yield as well as decreased producer costs and reduced soil erosion, according to new studies released today in Kansas City.

In addition, the U.S. economy benefits from atrazine and other triazine herbicides by as much as $22 billion over a five-year period. Benefits to farmers and consumers from the triazine herbicides include increased corn, sorghum and sugar cane crop yields, lower weed-control costs, significantly reduced soil erosion and less carbon released into the atmosphere. Atrazine and the triazine herbicides account for as many as 48,000 American jobs in corn production alone.

You can watch the AgriTalk program with all the researchers, as they share highlights of the new data, documenting atrazine’s impact on weed management, crop yields and jobs.

2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Isn’t Climate Change Inevitable?

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“Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Let me say first off, I am not a climate change denier. There’s plenty of proof to satisfy me that the climate of the Earth can and does change over time. It has done so multiple times over the last four billion or so years of its existence – billions of years before we got to roam the planet. However, I do question the notion that humans are a) causing it or b) can do anything to reverse it. I also question why some people believe that any climate change would be catastrophic.


A new campaign by “This is Climate Change” (TICC) has posters up in Reagan National Airport showing glacial retreat in North America. “Consequences of glacial retreat include changes in local ecosystems,” TICC notes. Aren’t ecosystems changing all the time? Wasn’t most of North America covered in glaciers not so very many millennia ago? Had the climate not changed and allowed the majority of glaciers to retreat, we would probably have a much smaller United States of America and Canada probably wouldn’t exist. And, frankly, I think when you compare the photos it looks a whole lot more inviting without all that ice on it – but that’s just me. I’m not a big fan of ice.

As stewards of the land, humans have an obligation to care for our precious resources of land, air and water. However, we should not presume in our role as caretakers that we are omnipotent, or that we know what is best. The world has been evolving and the climate has been changing way longer than we have been here, both constantly and inevitably. It is very likely that the climate will continue to change, for better or worse (in our opinion), no matter what we do or do not do.

If you look up quotes about change, you will find many that say what change is, like Disraeli. Change is eternal, perpetual, immortal, sweet, the essence of life, the signal for rebirth – but it is also difficult, hard work and frightening. As humans, we tend to fear change, even when the change is good.

It was Charles Darwin who said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” I would think that includes climate change.

President’s Agricutlure Comments Draw Reaction

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As the president’s Magical Midwestern Tour rolled on, some of his comments about agriculture were getting negative reviews.

Suggestions by President Obama in Atkinson, Illinois Wednesday that farmers who are concerned about more government regulations should just “contact USDA” about it got particular attention.

The best of all came from Politico reporter MJ Lee, who decided to take the advice of the POTUS and try and contact USDA himself to get an answer to the question posed to Obama about the impact of pending regulations regarding noise, dust and water runoff on farming operations. After more than ten different phone conversations with various people on the state and national level, the reporter finally ended the quest with the response received from USDA’s main media relations department, via email:

“Secretary Vilsack continues to work closely with members of the Cabinet to help them engage with the agricultural community to ensure that we are separating fact from fiction on regulations because the administration is committed to providing greater certainty for farmers and ranchers. Because the question that was posed did not fall within USDA jurisdiction, it does not provide a fair representation of USDA’s robust efforts to get the right information to our producers throughout the country.”

The USDA Radio Newsline features a story from our friend Gary Crawford in an attempt to clarify the president’s remarks. “The president’s response was right on target,” said Vilsack. “We’ll continue at USDA to work with EPA so that they understand fully and completely the impact that proposed regulations may have on agriculture.” Listen to Gary’s report here: Gary Crawford, USDA Radio

The POTUS was challenged more directly about regulations at his last stop on the tour in Alpha, Illinois by the POTIFB – president of the Illinois Farm Bureau Philip Nelson. “And I guess my challenge, Mr. President, is that you work with the EPA Administrator to put some common sense back into some of these regulatory discussions so we don’t regulate farmers out of business,” Nelson said.

The president’s response in Alpha was similarly dismissive, although he left out the advice to call the USDA. “Some of these regulatory concerns that people have, frankly, are unfounded in the sense that if somebody even has an idea or a thought about some regulation, then right away the message is sent out, they’re coming and they’re going to make it impossible for you to farm and this and that and the other,” he said.

Obama continued the same message in an interview with National Association of Farm Broadcasting President (POTNAFB) Tom Steever of Brownfield Ag News. “A lot of times folks will get geared up before a regulation’s even been proposed because there’s a rumor that there might be some regulation out there,” said Obama, adding that he wants “specifics” and not just “general accusations that the EPA’s coming after agriculture.” Listen to Tom’s question about EPA regulations and Obama’s answer here: Tom Steever and President Obama

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Immediate Past President (POTNCBA) Steve Foglesong said the president “is out of touch with rural America” and that he “has no clue what regulations his bureaucratic agencies are proposing or he simply doesn’t care.”

And, as the Politico reporter points out, still no real answer to the farmer’s question.

Record Setting Conservation in Action Tour

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The 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour on August 9 in northwest Ohio was one for the record books.

“We’re thrilled that we had to add an extra bus,” said one of the organizers of this year’s event, Steve Davis with the Ohio USDA NRCS. “We wanted to show people the agriculture in northwest Ohio, the good work that many Ohio farmers are doing, and also talk about the challenges that still lie ahead for us.”

Listen to my interview with Steve here: Steve Davis on CTIC Tour

“This is by far our largest tour ever,” said tour chairman Larry Clemens of The Nature Conservancy. “I think that as CTIC we’re learning that our tours are enjoyable for people, they’re gaining in reputation, and we’re going to have to make some adjustments on how to handle over 200 people in the future.” Despite the very large group, the tour went smoothly, on time and without a hitch. Next year’s tour is slated to be in the Mississippi Delta region.

Listen to my interview with Larry here: Larry Clemens on CTIC Tour

CTIC 2011 Conservation in Action Tour Photos

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN

International Joint Commission Chair Attends CTIC Tour

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One of the participants on the 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour in northwest Ohio last week was the chairman of the International Joint Commission (IJC), Lana Pollack.

The IJC was established by the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty to monitor the rivers and lakes along the border of Canada and the United States and aid the governments of the two countries in finding solutions to problems in these waters. “The commission was established to avoid and resolve disputes with water,” Lana told me. “Everywhere we share waters with Canada is an area that we the commission are interested in helping to protect – for agriculture, hydropower, navigation, and environmental purposes.” The six member commission has three members from each country, appointed by the highest level of government.

Lana’s interest in attending the CTIC tour was seeing what is being done to deal with environmental issues on Lake Erie. “The issue before us is one of water quality and why is Lake Erie so stressed again that we’re seeing algal blooms that are impacting recreation and probably health as well,” she said. Lana was pleased to see the tour included agricultural producers who are implementing best practices to protect water quality.

Listen to my interview with Lana here: IJC Chairman Lana Pollack on CTIC Tour

CTIC 2011 Conservation in Action Tour Photos

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN

See the Difference Between Tilled and No-Till Soil

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One of the stops on the 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour in Ohio last week was the farm of Todd Hesterman in Napoleon, Ohio. Todd has employed continuous no-till on his 450 acre corn, soybean and wheat operation for 22 years and used yield mapping for more than 14 years and is a strong advocate for doing what he can to help water quality and “still stay in business.”

“Our water infiltration rates for heavy rains, we can definitely see an improvement in the quantity of rain water we can accept and not have standing water or running water off the service,” he said. “That’s the biggest improvement we see is soil health and soil quality.”

Listen to my interview with Todd here: Ohio No Till Farmer Todd Hesterman

To show the clear difference between tilled and no-till soil, USDA-NRCS Ohio state agronomist Mark Scarpitti did a little demonstration on Todd’s farm by dropping a chunk of soil that had been in no-till for several decades, compared to a similar chunk of tilled soil. You can see what happens in the video below.

CTIC 2011 Conservation in Action Tour Photos

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN

Jeff Smeenk Talks Environmental Ranching

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Did you know that grasslands evolve by being grazed? And that taking grazing out of the equation damages the environment? I didn’t until I sat down with Jeff Smeenk, one of six Environmental Stewardship Award Program winners announced during the Cattle Summer Industry Conference. Smeenk explained that on his ranch, cattle serve the niche of grazing the land and helping to keep the grasslands healthy and thriving.

The ESAP program recognizes cattle producers with outstanding environmental and conservation practices and I asked Smeenk how he came to be such an environmental steward and role model.

He answered that he was very fortunate to have parents that when he came back to the operation allowed him to run the operation the way he saw fit. “But I just started to become very environmentally conscious at a young age and I think the next generation of Americans are extremely environmentally conscious. I think it’s very important that we as producers do the right thing and then make sure that we let consumers know that we are doing the right thing.”

Listen to my interview with Jeff Smeenk here:Jeff Smeenk Talks Environmental Ranching

In South Dakota, where Smeenk’s family ranch is located, water is the limiting factor in his area, which has been in a drought for eight years. His ranch partnered with NRC and they helped him add a well, put in a pipeline, storage tanks, and water tanks. Utilizing other partners, he also fixed up some dams that had been damaged and now during drought years, water shouldn’t be such a make or break factor.

Conservation doesn’t necessarily pay itself back right away, but Smeenk said he is looking long-term and planning for several generations in the future. In his case, over the long-term his environmental and conservation efforts will not only save him money- but might even save his ranch.

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.