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Ohio farmer takes a whole-farm approach to conservation During heavy spring rains, Allen Dean watched a 60-foot tree float down the creek that crosses through one of his farms in Williams County, Ohio. Dean doesn’t usually see such immense objects float by, but he is accustomed to finding large wood chunks in his fields after … Read more

We crouched down, watching the little owls from a couple feet away. They seemed slightly perturbed but made no move to fly away or disappear down a hole. Burrowing owls. I suffered a bit of that disorientation that can come when you’re traveling and witness the familiar in the wrong place. I have spent some … Read more

Like many of the places where The Nature Conservancy works, Chiapas, Mexico, is a biodiversity hotspot under threat: as the fertility of existing agricultural lands decreases, the agricultural sector expands into bordering forests. TNC’s program in Chiapas, led by Alejandro Hernandez, runs on the belief that improving soil health through “ecological intensification” is key to … Read more

A new global study finds that the benefits of diversified agriculture are abundantly clear, whether for food security, biodiversity or the bottom line.  The Gist Agricultural diversification—those that intentionally diversify crop and noncrop, and livestock species—is often presented as being good for biodiversity. But it’s also commonly perceived as having negative consequences like reduced yields. … Read more

A new book from TNC and partners offers lessons and a vision for restoring – rewilding – retired agricultural lands in the San Joaquin Valley in ways that could recover an entire community of endangered plants and animals as well as benefit local communities through sustainable agriculture, improved water supply, water quality, air quality and … Read more

I love birds and bird watching – from the aerial twists and turns of the agile barn swallow, to the sally and hover of a flycatcher catching a moth, to the adorable top knot of the rotund California quail. Birds bring me great personal enjoyment and define a part of my being. The technical scientific … Read more

Tree cover restoration provides an opportunity to combine climate change mitigation with the pursuit of other sustainable development goals. Unfortunately, most forest restoration studies at global or tropical scales have not distinguished and evaluated the potential importance of restoration by small land holders. The Gist Restoring tree cover in tropical countries could impact millions of small … Read more

When someone asks me that most routine of questions – “Where are you from?” – I can predict what comes next. “Idaho potatoes!” I’ve experienced this automatic reaction to my Idaho residency all around the world. It’s reflective of some incredibly effective and enduring agricultural brand marketing. It’s also true: Idaho is the leading potato-producing … Read more

A spider monkey swings between leafy branches with a mouthful of ripe fruit. Nearby, cows graze in a pasture shaded by caimito de montaña (Chrysophyllum sp) and other broadleaf trees and separated from food crops by a living green fence of mainly madrecacao (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth) and piñon (Jatropha curcas L.) trees. Somewhere in … Read more

There is wealth in dirt, but only if we collectively recognize and treat our soils as the capital assets that they are.  Regenerative agriculture is a set of farming practices that enriches soils, increases resilience to climate change and offers other ecological benefits. Such practices include green cover crops, no-till farming, agroforestry, and terracing for … Read more