Conservation Challenge
“I am a soil and water conservationist.” How much of that statement do you practice in your daily life? Consider the vegetable garden as a conservation challenge and join the growing number of Americans in the latest trend. Plant or enlarge a vegetable garden.
According to the New York Times, the growing number of vegetable gardeners has to do with the economy, food safety and taste. “Food prices are to the point where we are seeing a difference,” said Doreen Howard, a writer for The American Gardener.
It takes about $100 worth of investment to produce $1,000-$1700 worth of produce according to the Burpee seed company.
Historically backyard priorities have been lawns, annuals, perennials, and vegetables, followed by trees and shrubs. Vegetables went from 4th place to 2nd place according to a 2008 national consumer survey that asked gardeners what makes up the largest share of their garden budgets.
If you are a veteran or beginning a gardener consider these backyard conservation techniques for your vegetable garden:
MULCH – Use whatever worm food is available to keep the weeds down and the moisture in. Lawn clippings work well for some gardeners. Newspapers anchored with straw works well for other gardeners.
RAIN – Collect roof water to use instead of drinking water. Re-route roof gutter water using a non-perorated tile with holes drilled in it next to landscape plants along buildings.
COVER CROP – Consider planting rows of white clover as foot paths between 4-foot beds in the vegetable garden. It adds free nitrogen to the soil and offers a refuge for earthen worms. Plant other cover crops such as buckwheat or cereal rye to provide weed control and organic matter for the soil.
Have fun with your conservation challenge.
President's Message
Melissa Knipfel
Spring, 2009The passage into spring every year starts when the maple trees get tapped and the sap starts flowing. For those of you that have had the pleasure of making maple syrup, the pleasure is hard to surpass.
Spring is also a time for renewal and looking ahead, this is true as well for our organization. This year I would like to spend some time getting back to the basics. 2009 is about who are we, what are we doing and why are we doing it. Now, more than ever, we need to have an understanding of who our members are and what your expectations are of the WI Chapter of SWCS. We are in strange times, with the stressed global economy, conservation may not be on peoples minds, but where would we be without our natural resources? The pressure to make a dollar here and dollar there is putting more stress on our environment; we as conservation professionals are working hard to help individuals to be productive and yet protect our resources.
In January, that chapter put on an excellent conference entitled “Extreme Conservation: Are You Ready?” Our turnout was down this year, but those that did attend had the opportunity to discuss one-on-one with landowners and presenters about the challenges of conservation. The event wouldn’t have happened without the help of our chapter members. A large part of being a member of SWCS is our vast network of professional and personal contacts that we have built over the years. This year’s conference pulled from that vast knowledge of people, issues and concerns in WI. The highlight of the conference was the landowner panel discussing real life issues surrounding conservation. We can learn so much by just having an open dialog between landowners, producers and conservation professionals.
This year, Jerry Griswold, President Elect, is leading the charge in providing an engaging and educational program for next year’s annual meeting – stay tuned!
The WI chapter has three new regional representatives this year: Christine Bouzek (region 2), Ryan Gerlich (region 4), and Chris Miller (region 6). Additionally, Andy Holschbach (past region 5 representative) stepped up to be our Vice President Elect. We are in the process of finding a replacement for Andy, in Region 5, so if there is anyone interested in making a difference and supporting conservation on the land, I would be happy to hear from you!
I extend my thanks to all of you, for the work that you do to protect and enhance our natural resources, and look forward to a great year ahead.