Stewardship Week April 30-May 7

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The Moody County Soil and Water Conservation District want to remind you of your connection to natural resources. Our District along with the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) kicks off its 62nd year of Stewardship Week, April 30 – May 7, 2017.

This year’s celebration is themed “Healthy Soils Are Full of Life!” NACD provides free materials to churches, school districts, organizations, and individuals on building sound stewardship habits. You are encouraged to continue practicing stewardship of soil, water, plant and wildlife wherever you live; rural, community and urban settings throughout the year.

Landscapes have changed over time and districts have also adapted to safeguard and enhance healthy soils, whether it be grazing land, rangeland, agricultural land, or urban and community land.

When conservation districts were first established in the Dust Bowl era, they mostly worked with farmers, ranchers, and forest owners. Landscapes have changed over time and districts have also adapted to safeguard and enhance healthy soils, whether it be grazing land, rangeland, agricultural land, or urban and community land. Voluntary and landownerled conservation of threatened and endangered species is a critical yet often under-utilized method in protecting endangered animals. Conservation districts improve and protect water quality by providing technical assistance to advise local landowners on nutrient management strategies and erosion prevention practices. One such practice, Seasonal Riparian Area Management (SRAM), is showing promising results in cleaning up surface water as well as resulting in a healthier cow-calf operation. Call 605-997-2949 for more information.

All food that we eat gets its start in soil or water. Some practices to model and teach children may include:

- Go, exercise out among nature to capture the beauty found in the land, water, mountains, birds, insects that has been created.

- View spectacular sunrise and sunsets.

- Start a garden either in a container or a small plot to connect with nature. Use the new USDA guidelines to eat healthy. Eat real foods. Cook using fresh ingredients as often as possible. Visit a family owned farm. Participate in a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Frequent area Farmers’ Markets.

Make choices with your dollar that strengthen markets you want to support and encourage more of. The next time you next sit down to a meal, take a minute to think about where your food came from, and say a blessing for the families, farmers and ranchers who work hard to produce it.

For more information about Stewardship Week and conservation programs to enhance your stewardship practices, you may call 605-997-2949 or go to:http://moodyconservation.org Additional information about the Healthy Soils Are Full of Life! Program is available on the NACD website

at www.nacdnet.org.