This spring conservation practices such as terraces, waterways, grade stabilization structures, CRP fields, and no till systems have been put to the test and are proving their worth These practices have helped to reduce runoff water from our fields and lessen the impact from pollutants entering our creeks and rivers. They help to maintain the productivity of the soil and to retain nutrients and pesticides. With the high cost of fertilizer, seed, pesticides and other inputs, the more we can keep them on the target area the better.

One conservation practice that I have not noticed in large numbers is buffer strips along creeks. It is a common site to see a creek cutting through a field without an adequate buffer between the field and the creek. Buffer strips can slow water runoff, trap sediment, and enhance infiltration within the buffer. Buffers trap fertilizer, pesticides, pathogens , reduce streambank erosion and serve as an important source of habitat for wildlife. Farmers not only have the responsibility to protect their own soil and water resources but also the water resources downstream from them.

Several programs are available for providing cost share assistance in establishing buffer strips. Buffers can also provide income through payments from federal, state, and local cost-share programs or through the production and sale of specialty crops.