NACD attended the 2023 Commodity Classic in Orlando, FL from March 8-12 to connect with farmers, producers, and agricultural leaders from across the country. Staff and leadership in attendance included NACD Secretary-Treasurer Mark Masters, CEO Jeremy Peters, Chief Program Officer Jen Nelligan, Director of Education Keith Owen, Director of Government Affairs Chris Young, Natural Resource and Policy Specialist Libby Wawro, and Equity and Outreach Program Analyst Dr. Loutrina Staley.

At NACD’s booth, staff learned more about the needs and concerns of producers and members of the public with an opportunity to share information about NACD’s priorities and how conservation districts across the country work to improve soil health and implement effective conservation. Joining NACD on the tradeshow floor to discuss elements of soil health practices like cover crops, seed mixes, and using radishes as nature’s tiller, were soil health champions Burlin Findley (FL), Carl Coleman (SC), and Jeff Rice (KY). 

While there, NACD leadership met with senior USDA leadership including Undersecretary Robert Bonnie, Senior Advisor for Climate Smart Commodities Katina Hanson, FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux, Associate Administrator Steve Peterson, NRCS Chief Terry Cosby, Regional Conservationist James Tillman, and Deputy Chief for Programs Karen Woodrich.

NACD CEO Jeremy Peters also joined Field to Market's Sustainable Supply Chain Forum on Thursday. Peters spoke on a panel of conservation organizations to discuss partnership opportunities and climate smart commodities. He was able to share how producers and other stakeholders can get involved with their local conservation district and NACD. Additionally, NACD CPO Jen Nelligan joined GoSEED’s Climate Smart Commodities panel to share with the audience about NACD’s ongoing projects and benefits for producers.

The team also heard updates from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. Secretary Vilsack addressed the general session of the convention, providing updates from USDA on topics including the Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities Program with specific mention of conservation districts among the important stakeholders in the program’s implementation.

The final attendance count for the event was just over 10,400 and nearly everyone that visited the NACD booth knew of their conservation district and many even knew someone on their local board. NACD also spoke with quite a few teachers who were looking for ways to engage students in agriculture and soil health lessons, and the team was able to share our library of Stewardship and Education materials with them. 

NACD'S SPRING FLY-IN: MARCH 22-23

Next Wednesday, March 22, NACD members from across the country will convene in Washington, DC to meet with their congressional representatives as part of NACD’s 2023 Spring Fly-In. We encourage all NACD members to participate and look forward to seeing many of you soon!

The agenda, NACD’s 2023 issue papers, and frequently asked questions can all be found on NACD’s Spring Fly-In Webpage. If you have not already, please use this link to RSVP and share information about your scheduled meetings. Please also plan to attend one of the two NACD virtual fly-in training sessions this week. These sessions will provide identical information and recordings will be shared on NACD’s website for those unable to attend.

Attendees should also note that the Breakfast Briefing at 7:30AM on Wednesday, March 22 has been moved to the Hart Senate Office Building, Room 216. If you have any questions, please contact NACD’s Director of Government Affairs, Chris Young at chris-young@nacdnet.org.  

NEW 2023 STEWARDSHIP WEEK MATERIALS AVAILABLE

NACD Stewardship Week is one of the largest national programs to promote natural resource conservation in the US and US Territories. Stewardship Week reminds us of our individual responsibility to care for natural resources and has been celebrated annually since 1955. NACD’s 68th Stewardship Week will be held April 30 – May 7. For 2023, the NACD Stewardship Week topic is watersheds, and the theme is “One Water.”

2023 Stewardship Week conservation education materials are already available on the NACD Conservation Education Hub. This includes the SW23 Curriculum Guide, which is a single, compiled teaching tool that takes the place of the multiple grade level modules and the educators guide. This lets districts print one conservation education tool that covers K-8 grades. The guide has all the student activity sheets, teacher’s guidelines, background information and evaluation strategies that the previous materials had and includes connections to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

New materials include watershed themed program covers and inserts that districts can provide to community centers, churches, and other gatherings; additional bookmarks showing scenes from across the US and US Territories emphasizing the importance of watersheds and how it is all “One Water;" and additional placemat/ activity sheets designed for intermediate grade levels. Districts can also use the 2023 Stewardship Week Proclamation and News Release templates to promote Stewardship Week and their activities.

All these materials are free to download from the NACD Conservation Education Hub. Questions and comments can be directed to stewardship@nacdnet.org.

MONTANA TAKES NEW APPROACH TO PROMOTING CONSERVATION

The Montana Conservation Districts Bureau, in partnership with the Montana Association of Conservation Districts, is taking a new approach to raising conservation district awareness. In January 2023, the partnership launched a digital and print ad campaign that uses clever taglines and eye-catching imagery to capture Montanans' attention.

Montana is a large state with diverse needs. The state’s 58 conservation districts cover more than 70 municipalities across 147,000 square miles. The Montana conservation districts accomplish a great deal with limited funds but making residents and lawmakers more aware of their work could open doors to additional funding.

The awareness campaign focused on various aspects of conservation work and was designed to target diverse audiences. Taglines like “Conservation Districts, we’re outstanding in our field,” appealed to the agricultural community while vivid images of lakes and rivers with taglines like “Live Streaming Montana Style” were designed for an outdoor recreation audience. 

Each of the ads directed viewers to a destination webpage with information about conservation district work, an interactive map to help residents find their district, and information about how to get involved.

The campaign reached residents across the state, garnering millions of impressions on social media and thousands of unique visitors to the destination webpage. With the potential for additional funding through legislation, this campaign brings the work of conservation districts into public conversation at a critical moment.

FAIRBANKS SWCD SUPPORTS COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECTS WITH UAC FUNDING

The Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District (FSWCD), Alaska, supported by the NACD Urban Agriculture Conservation grant, has been working to connect community gardeners throughout the district’s urban and surrounding rural areas. With a focus on soil health and food production, FSWCD partnered with a number of community garden projects and hosted several workshops about soil health and fertility. With UAC funds, FSWCD collected 53 soil samples and provided nutrient management recommendations for 14 different gardens in the region. A simple, and easy-to-read guide to Understanding Soil Test Results was also developed. This project culminated with a Community Garden Conservation guide that highlights regional resources available to community gardens.

In various capacities, the district partnered with a total of 15 gardens: three community gardens, four church gardens, and eight nonprofit organizations. These partners included the grassroots Goldstream Community Garden, the Borough’s Parks and Recreation Adaptive Rec program, and the Corinthians Baptist Church garden – which was originally started in a previous 2016 NACD UAC grant initiative. FSWCD hosted seven workshops, with a total attendance of sixty-eight gardeners. The district assisted in the creation of two new gardens and thirteen raised beds in new locations. Through this community gardens network project, we assisted in producing and donating a total of 1,822 lbs of produce to the Fairbanks Community Food Bank.

To connect with gardeners, they also hosted a virtual Community Garden Showcase and presented profiles of all their partner garden projects. They invited all community gardeners to join the recurring monthly Interior Alaska Food Network meetings. Continuing this monthly meeting format, the district hopes to foster ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing amongst the community gardens of the district in Interior Alaska. Through outreach and education, this project has enhanced the district’s Soil Testing Program and has fostered collaboration amongst gardens in the region to co-purchase regional soil amendments and co-create garden compost piles.