The Farm Bill and water resources:
via NRCS
The Farm Bill is a huge piece of legislation that not only influences the food on our plates. It affects the water in our rivers and lakes.
For example, it supports the ‘Conservation Reserve Program,’ which protects up to 24 million acres of sensitive land. The program pays farmers to convert erosion-prone fields from row crops to grasslands, wetlands, or even forests.
Jonathan Coppess of the University of Illinois says the program helps prevent runoff…
Coppess: “…that’s carrying with it not just soil but possibly nutrients and pesticides and other things that may be on the field.”
So the program helps protect water quality and farmers’ livelihoods.
Hear More:
Listen to Jonathan Coppess talk about the Conservation Reserve Program:
Get Schooled:
- Read up on the Farm Bill, from the USDA.
- Learn more about the Conservation Reserve Program, from the USDA.
- Check out this guide to field border buffers, from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
The Fine Print:
- This segment was produced with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.
