Ford County Conservation District Poster Contest ... - Gatehouse Media

Soil Conservation 2017 Ford County Conservation District Poster Contest & Award Winners • Studies Show Good Moisture Retention • NRCS’ - ‘Earth Team’ • Make Your Mark • The Recovery Years

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Dodge City Daily Globe I February 2017

2017 SOIL CONSERVATION A Supplement to the Dodge City Daily Globe

69th annual conservation district meeting held Special to the Globe

CONTACT US 620.225.4151 705 N. Second Avenue Dodge City, KS 67801

ADVERTISING Lloyd Gum Rebecca Gerber Sarah Snow

PUBLISHER Conrad Easterday

ONLINE www.dodgeglobe.com

DESIGN Darren Ramey

For the 69th straight year the Ford County Conservation District meeting has taken place. The annual gathering took place on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Ford County 4-H Fair Exhibit Building in Dodge City. Vincent Burghard of Offerle and Jerry A. Hager of Ford were nominated and elected to serve on the Ford County Conservation District Board for three years. Grand Champion poster winners were announced as Landon Seachris, a first

grader in Spearville; Aubrey Huston, a third grader from Spearville; Ceshen Martinez, a fifth grader in Dodge City; and Lizeth P-Deigo Morales., an eighth grader from Dodge City. All four grand champion posters were forwarded to the 2016 Kansas Association of Conservation Districts Poster Contest. Seachris was awarded a third place award and Morales earned a honorable mention. Emily Slattery was honored as the winner of the Ford County Conservation District’s 2017 Scholarship. Slattery is a freshman at

Dodge City Community College in Dodge City and is the daughter of Wesley and Debby Slattery of Dodge City. The guest speaker for the evening was Dave Webb of Protection, Kansas. He was the assistant director of the Kansas Heritage Center in Dodge City for 24 years. He wrote and designed books and learning materials for the Kansas Heritage Center. His program was entitled, “Kansas Characters” in which he shared stories about some notable people with Kansas connections.

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The Recovery Years Toni Flax, Rangeland Management Specialist Hill City, Kansas Drought has plagued most of Kansas for the last several years forcing farmers and ranchers to make tough choices on the management of their native rangelands. One tough decision is the reduction of cattle herd numbers. ln 2016, normal to above normal precipitation provided the state with lush, beautiful rangelands with more grass than has been seen in several years. On the down side, it has producers wanting to build up herd numbers quickly to use the abundance of grass. Producers should be thinking about the recovery time for grasses. This recovery includes the roots as well as the leaf production and reproductive capabilities of the plants.

The root system makes up three quarters of an entire plant. The root’s job is to take in water and nutrients for the growth and carbohydrate storage. These stored reserves are for plant production as well as for quick restart in the spring. Every time leaf matter is taken from the plant, root production slows so it can focus on regrowing leaves that soak up the light for photosynthesis. When a plant continually has to be making leaf material the roots weaken and die off, leaving the whole plant weak. Native grass plants reproduce as much by roots and rhizomes as they do by seed. Making sure the grass plant gets the rest it needs after the drought will ensure it will be able to spread its rhizomes across the landscape as well produce the seeds it needs.

Research suggests it takes two years of normal to above normal conditions to recover to pre-drought conditions. Looking across the pasture, farmers and ranchers may be tempted to put more head out there. The recovery process is more than the leaf material seen above the ground. Patience for the recovery of the root system will lead to bigger and healthier roots, and that means a healthy plant with more total forage production. For more information, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site www. ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs or your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center. To find a service center near you, check on the Internet at offices.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter @NRCS _Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Metro Creative Connection

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2016 Poster Contest Winners Grades Kindergarten – 1st U.S.D. 381 – Spearville

1st Place Landon Seachris 1st Grade 2nd Place Dawson Seachris Kindergarten

U.S.D. 443 – Dodge City

1st Place Dominic Gael Pena Garcia 1st Grade

GRAND CHAMPION Landon Seachris

Grades 2nd – 3rd

U.S.D. 381 – Spearville

1st Place Aubrey Huston 3rd Grade 2nd Place Bristol Nau 2nd Grade


1st Place Jaslen Sedano 3rd Grade 2nd Place Felicity Pittman 3rd Grade 3rd Place Valeria Hernandez Garcia 3rd Grade

U.S.D. 459 – Bucklin

1st Place Taylor Allen 2nd Grade 2nd Place Jody Varnell 2nd Grade 3rd Place Kahne Cook 2nd Grade

GRAND CHAMPION Aubrey Huston

Grades 4th – 6th

U.S.D. 381 – Spearville

1st Place Lauren Seachris 5th Grade 2nd Place Alaina Kolbeck 6th Grade 3rd Place Addyson Froetschner 5th Grade


1st Place Ceshen Martinez 5th Grade 2nd Place Braelyn Mondragon 4th Grade 3rd Place Brekkyn Konecny 6th Grade


1st Place MaKenna Scott 6th Grade

GRAND CHAMPION Ceshen Martinez

Grades 7th – 9th


1st Place Lizeth P-Diego Morales 8th Grade 2nd Place Arizbeth Valdivia 8th Grade 3rd Place Vanessa X. Flores 8th Grade


1st Place Sydney Williamson 7th Grade

GRAND CHAMPION Lizeth P-Diego Morales

The four posters of the grand champion winners were entered in the 2016 Kansas Association of Conservation Districts Poster Contest. The following students received an award in the state contest:

1. Landon Seachris – 1 st Grade Grades Kindergarten – 1st — Third Place Award 2. Lizeth P-Diego Morales – 8th Grade Grades 7th – 9th – Honorable Mention Award

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Herd Size and Carrying Capacity Ted Houser Rangeland Management Specialist Tribune, KS The livestock industry in Kansas has long been one of the most important aspects of the state’s agricultural economy. Kansas ranked third in the nation in cattle numbers in 1890 and is still ranked third in the nation today with 6.3 million cattle on ranches and in feed yards as of January 1, 2016. That’s a little over twice the state’s human population of more than 2.9 million (Kansas Ag Statistics). Range herds vary in size from a few head to several thousand. In general, the single most important criteria for determining the size of the herd is the number of animals the individual range unit (field or pasture) will support each season or year without being detrimental to the health of the plant community. As a general rule of thumb, when overstocking occurs the following results will become evident: animal performance will suffer due

to lack of forage availability and vegetation gels thinner and increases the potential for bare ground, soil erosion, and invasion of less desirable plant species. The key lo a successful longterm rangeland operation depends on a sound inventory of the plant communities in each individual pasture or field. Doing this determines the potential annual forage production and coincides with the number of animal units lo be grazed. Of course the forage production for any given field or pasture may increase or decrease from year lo year depending on weather conditions and other variables. With this in mind, the old adage “take

half-leave half’ applies very well as a general rule of thumb for grazing native rangeland. The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has personnel localed in field offices across the state available to provide technical assistance to producers on range and pasturelands. For more information,

visit the Kansas NRCS Web site www. ks.nrcs.usda.gov or your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center. To find a service center near you, check on the Internet at offices.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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Make Your Mark On America John Drew Soil Conservationist Dodge City, KS The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is unique in the federal government. We are a small agency working in rural America, for the most part. People who come to us with a natural resource concern, do so voluntarily. NRCS helps landowners and operators develop conservation plans and provide technical advice on the design, layout, construction, management operation maintenance, and evaluation of recommended

conservation practices. We work on farmland, rangeland, forestland, etc. There is no fee for our technical assistance and we work with a variety of local, state, and federal financial assistance programs to improve and protect natural resources. Our guiding principles are service, partnership, and technical excellence. I have worked for NRCS for 30 plus years, starting when the agency was called the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). I have done conservation work in 45 counties in Kansas and two counties in Oklahoma. When I started, there were a lot of retirementaged employees in the agency and

there was a push to hire dedicated individuals to continue protecting and improving natural resources on America’s private lands. We are a people agency. Our staff come from very diverse backgrounds. Looking around the agency today, I again see a lot of people nearing retirement. NRCS is always looking for the next generation of dedicated individuals who like to work with people and natural resources. NRCS has positions available nationwide. Some typical NRCS positions include: Rangeland Management Specialist, Soil Conservationist, Soil Conservation Technician,

and numerous others. Applying for a position is done through the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs. gov. Please contact your local NRCS office or conservation district office located at your local county U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center (listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the internet at offices.usda.gov) for assistance. More information is also available on the Kansas Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda. gov. Follow us on Twitter@NRCS_ Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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Understanding Soil Health Indicators Steven P. Graber Resource Soil Scientist Dodge City, KS

All across the country, farmers and ranchers are recognizing the many benefits of improved soil quality, also called soil health. Soil health refers to the ability of the soil to perform functions that are essential to people and the environment. This is not limited to agriculture, but most work and evaluation has occurred on agricultural lands. In order to evaluate soil quality, you must use a set of indicators. These indicators may be qualitative or quantitative. The indicators should integrate physical, chemical, and biological properties, and be accessible to many users. These indicators should be responsive to different management operations, and must be adaptable to differing climates. Most producers are comfortable and knowledgeable with the chemical aspects of this equation, since many utilize soil tests for fertility. The physical and biological aspects are much more elusive and not as easily understood. Examples of physical indicators n include available water capacity, bulk density, and infiltration. These three indicators are often grouped together into one common scenario. Following years of intensive tillage, much of our cropland has developed a hardpan. Hardpans can form after prolonged use of sweep plows operating at depths of 4 to 5 inches where intense pressure has been exerted on the soil

at and below this depth. This results category. Soil organisms are in a severe degree of compaction at responsible for the decomposition the 4- to 6-inch layer, increasing the of organic matter, and cycling of bulk density of the soil in this zone. nutrients. An easily recognizable The higher biological the bulk indicator is density, the worm often activity in expressed the soil. in grams Healthy per cubic soils should centimeter, be filled the greater with many the density earthworms. of the soil. Earthworms When play a key soil has an role in increased modifying bulk the physical Metro Creative Connection density in structure the hardpan layer, water infiltration of soils by is severely limited. If rainfall is unable producing new to penetrate into the soil, it runs off. aggregates and pores, which improves The more rainfall that runs off, the soil tilth, aeration, infiltration, and less available water there is for plant drainage. They improve soil porosity by use. This is a good example of a basic burrowing and mixing soil, and roots problem that can have significant impacts on soil health and future crop productivity. Another problem caused by high bulk density is the inability of plant roots to penetrate the compacted zone. This has been evident in many fields during the past few years of drought. I have seen fields with failing crops where moisture is present below the hardpan, but the roots arc unable to reach it and the crops are unable to utilize the water. Another important set of indicators of soil health fall in the biological

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often follow earthworm burrows and use available nutrients associated with the worm casts. One of the best tools to observe some physical and biological indicators in your soil is a basic shovel. Dig a hole in your field and observe what the soil looks like. Can you recognize the hardpan? Are the crop roots affected by the hardpan? Arc there earthworms? If you do this, a whole new subterranean world of soil health indicators will be opened up to you. For more information, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site www.ks.nrcs. usda.gov/programs or your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center. To find a service center near you, check on the Internet at offices.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter@ NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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Local NRCS Studies Show Good Moisture Retention with Cover Crops Bill Schroter Civil Engineer Technician Hays, KS It is always interesting to listen to farmers and their individual perspective on cover crops and why they do or don’t have a place in their rotation. The one biggest factor that farmers cannot control is rainfall. So controlling moisture becomes even a bigger concern on whether the cover crop will use all the available moisture that is being stored for the cash crop. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been doing moisture studies throughout the area where there is cover planted in a field with a strip in the middle not planted to cover to see the difference in available moisture. One study in Trego County over a 3 year period shows how cover crops don’t impact soil moisture. Below are the results from one such study. The columns labeled ‘non’ arc check strips where no cover crop was planted. Readings are taken once a month at one foot intervals from 0.5’ to 4.5’ in depth. The readings that are being given are expressed in percentage of plant available water in the soil. A reading of below zero can be given which would indicate that there is moisture in the soil but the plant is not capable of extracting this moisture. This would be considered the permanent wilting point of the plant. A reading of over 100 percent can also be given which would indicate the soil is fully saturated and cannot absorb any more moisture. According to a 2009 article written for the Central Plains Irrigation Conference, plants will start to show stress with 50 percent available moisture.

The tables below represent the study completed in southern Trego County in the years 2014, 2015, and 2016. The soil on the study was Carlson Silt Loam. A cover was planted in the spring of 2014 and was terminated on June 18, 2014. Wheat was then planted into the cover in the fall of 2014. After wheat harvest in 2015 the wheat stubble was sprayed

and kept clean and milo was planted in June of 2016 and harvested in October. As you can see, it appears there was adequate moisture at both sites. If you would like to have one of these studies take place on your farm and see the results first hand, please contact your local NRCS office. For more information, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site www.ks.nrcs.

usda,gov/programs or your local U.S, Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center. To find a service center near you, check on the Internet at offices.usda.gov, Follow us on Twitter@NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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eNRCS’ Volunteer Program-‘Earth Team’ Karri Honaker Area Resource Conservationist and Earth Team Coordinator Hays, KS “Helping People Help the Land,” is the mission of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Did you know that the NRCS has a volunteer program that allows you to be part of that mission? Aptly named the “Earth Team,” this program actively recruits volunteers. Volunteers not only help the agency accomplish daily work, they get a behind-the-scenes view and valuable experience in the field of conservation. Whether you are a young adult trying to get a foot in the door, a retired professional, or a senior looking to learn new skills, we have a job for you. As a volunteer, you will gain hands-on experience by working

closely with NRCS employees. These tasks include administrative work such as filing, labeling, and organizing to technical and field work such as staking terraces and working with producers to improve grazing lands. Other activities include helping with educational events, outreach within the community, and much more. Anyone over the age of 14 (parental consent required for those under 18) is eligible to become a volunteer. Working alongside an NRCS employee, a volunteer can gain a direct awareness of conservation. Developing a connection with the land and people in the community is a very rewarding experience. NRCS’ Earth Team Volunteer program is a way to do just that. If you are looking for an opportunity to learn a new skill, get some experience, or if you just enjoy giving back, the Earth Team is

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