A New Year’s resolution is a tradition in which a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement.
We are into the second week of January and if you made any New Year’s resolutions, are you still working on them?
That’s the hard part for most of us, keeping those resolutions. Experts tell us in order to be successful we need a systematic plan to implement these resolutions.
For your improvement to become a reality, you must develop a series of habits and activities that become second nature that will keep you moving in the right direction.
Quiz
Have you ever thought about making a resolution to improve conservation on your farm? Take this soil and water conservation quiz to give you an idea of where you need to begin.
- Are all the steep or eroding areas on your property protected by grass or trees?
- Does the surface water flow at safe speeds without making a gully or cutting banks?
- Are cropping systems sufficient to reduce erosion within limits?
- Are the fewest trips made over the land for planting the crops?
- Are enough residues left on the soil to stop or control erosion?
- Are animal wastes returned to the soil in proper amounts and during the proper times?
- Are field soils tested to determine the proper kind and amounts of nutrients needed?
- Are the ditches and tile mains checked for flow problems and repairs made?
- Are wildlife needs planned for and carried out on the property?
- Are the woodlots managed for long term yields and thinned as needed?
Results
If you can answer “yes” to all 10 questions, your resolution could be to continue your good work and help your neighbors understand the importance of what you are doing.
If you answered “yes” to seven or more, you are doing great but there is always room for improvement.
Pick one of the items where you could not answer yes and work on improving that during the coming year. Make small, realistic changes to your operation that will make this step as easy as the others.
If you answered “yes” to five or less, you have lots of work to do but the good news is some of these items are easier to accomplish than others.
Rotating your crops, planting cover crops, soil testing, surface water flow, or developing a manure nutrient management plan are all areas where your local soil and water conservation district can assist you.
Our technicians can meet you on your farm and work with you to meet your goals and keep those resolutions.
75 years
The Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2017.
We have been reading through old newsletters and board meeting minutes to gain a better knowledge of our history.
I found this conservation quiz in a 1987 newsletter and couldn’t help but think how relevant it still is today.
We’ve come a long way with technology and machinery used on the farm, but these basic principles should still be addressed to keep conservation a priority on your farm.
If you would like help getting started on your own conservation goals, contact your local soil and water conservation district (SWCD).
There is a SWCD in every county in Ohio and our employees can help you achieve your conservation goals.
Here’s hoping 2017 is good to all of us.
