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THE DROP
A monthly e-newsletter from the North Central Region Water Network
September 2024
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Network News
Also - the Watershed Management Research and Outreach Undergraduate Internship Program is entering into it's fourth year of placing undergraduate students with extension mentors across the region for summer internships working in water-related outreach, research, and programming. The application is now open for undergraduates from any institution in the United States. Please share this exciting opportunity with undergraduates in your network!
-The North Central Region Water Network team
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While many of us have been drought-free this spring and early summer, the summer heat and dry conditions have led to the return of drought, particularly across portions of the Ohio River Basin. Parts of Ohio are now seeing the worst drought since 1988 and parts of Great Plains are in multi-year droughts. Tune into this edition of The Current Webinar Series as we hear from land-grant professionals in Kansas, Minnesota and Ohio on how they are propagating and adapting to drought, whether they are currently facing dry conditions or not. Register now
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The process of creating policies and procedures surrounding water and soil management is a bit more complex than one might imagine. Ideas are generated to correct water issues all while wondering about why these problems arise and how these policies affect those in every community. That is what Research and Extension Coordinator, Sarah Roth, looks for in her research as part of her position at the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center (WRC). Read on
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Earlier this month agricultural and conservation educators came together for the Regional Conservation Finance Ag Educator Training in Arlington, Wisconsin. Extension educators and partners from across the Midwest heard from agricultural economic experts about the financial implications of conservation agriculture and how to tackle tough conversations around these topics. Attendees also got to see first-hand some of the research taking place at the US Dairy Forage Research Farm in nearby Prairie du Sac, and see how one farmer is taking a mob grazing approach to his operation on the shores of Lake Wisconsin. Learn more
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In The News
Upcoming Events
Understanding agroecosystem tradeoffs in a changing climate
October 14, 2024 at 8:00 AM CT
How can farmers adapt to changing climate conditions while still supporting agricultural production and protecting critical ecosystem services? Join the Ohio State College of Food Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences via Zoom to hear the results of a multi-year integrated modeling effort of the Eastern Corn Belt Region that sought to answer this question. There will be time for Q&A as we consider how to translate this work into improved policies and programs. Learn more How one educator presents climate change to a room of farmers
October 28, 2024 at 1:00 PM CT
This webinar will highlight how Monica Jean, Field Crops Specialist from Michigan State Extension, developed a presentation with contribution from colleagues and industry partners over the last 7 years to have a conversation with farmers about climate change. Her work is primarily with row crop growers as a cropping system agronomist. She will be sharing several examples of data and slides she uses to inform but not alienate farms. Learn more
Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference
December 17-18, 2024
Join the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension at the 2024 Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference, where on-farm research meets the implementation of soil health practices. Experience engaging keynotes, interactive breakout sessions, and insightful round tables designed to deepen your understanding of agronomy, water quality, and soil health. Gain valuable insights and practical knowledge to apply on your farm or the farms you work with. Learn more
Funding and Opportunities
North Central Region SARE Research and Education Grant Program
The North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Research and Education (R&E) Grant Program is a competitive grant program for researchers and educators involved in projects that explore and promote environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially responsible food and/or fiber systems. Research and Education projects include a strong outreach component and significant farmer/rancher or other end-user involvement from the inception of the idea through the implementation of the project. Deadline is October 10, 2024 at 4pm Central. Learn more
Emerging Contaminants Specialist at Ohio Sea Grant
Ohio Sea Grant Extension’s Lake Erie Emerging Contaminants Specialist will be based in northern Ohio and provide expertise on Lake Erie ecology and critical issues, particularly emerging contaminants including marine debris/plastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, PFAS, and others. Applications are being accepted through October 10, 2024. Learn more
Program Coordinator, Conservation Leadership and Planning Position
North Dakota State University is seeking a The Program Coordinator, Conservation Leadership and Planning will work collaboratively with a team of Extension professionals, Soil Conservation District (SCD) representatives, and state agency staff to provide conservation planning and leadership development support for SCDs in one SCD Area of North Dakota (approximately 20% of the state). This is a full-time, three-year term position (two positions available) based in a mutually agreed-upon NDSU Extension Office or approved remote location (SCD Area supported dependent on location selected). Learn more
Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center's Small Research Projects
Adaptation science proceeds more effectively, and with the greatest chance of implementation, when co-produced by researchers, rightsholders, stakeholders, and practitioners working closely together. However, this kind of collaboration can be challenging, as building the relationships that lead to effective partnerships takes time, and there may be few opportunities for interested parties to interact, build trust, and learn from each other. Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC) Small Research Projects (SRP) are intended to help overcome these barriers to jumpstart the creation of new collaborative teams and enhance their capacity to conduct targeted research and needs assessments related to MW CASC research priorities. SRP funding will provide resources for activities that have high potential to help inspire or promote collaborative, decision-relevant research projects now or in the future. Learn more
News
Eastern Iowa watersheds get $1.2 million farmer-to-farmer conservation grant
Dubuque County Watersheds secured a $1.2 million federal grant to expand a program that bolsters farmer-to-farmer conservation practice groups to also include Iowa farmers in Delaware and Jones counties. The new grant renews an Iowa Partners for Conservation grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has for four years hired a team to gather input from farmers on the accessibility and effectiveness of agricultural practices that improve soil health and water quality. Learn more
How can you tell if soil is healthy? Just listen to it.
Think back to the last concert you went to. Now replace the music that rang through the venue with an erratic series of pops, muffled staccatos, distorted taps, and sudden clicks. Not one sound is quite distinguishable from the other, all blending together in a medley of unsynchronized noise. Except, instead of musicians, what you’re hearing is a mass of underground invertebrates. And they’re putting on an unorthodox show for the handful of humans who know where, and how, to tune in — a complex symphony of vibrations and pulses that relay the state of the very soils these organisms are moving within. Learn more
Drought Expands Across the Midwest and Is Likely to Persist In Many Areas Through the Fall Season
In early June, the entire Midwest region was drought-free. However, severely dry conditions and typical summer heat led to the return of drought, particularly across portions of the Ohio River Basin. According to the September 17 U.S. Drought Monitor, 33.3% of the Midwest region is in drought (D1-D4), with an additional 43.8% Abnormally Dry (D0). Learn more
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