Growing Returns

Cover crops are most effective when approached as a long-term investment that can provide sustained benefits from soil health and soil function over time.

Nitrogen balance is a robust and practical way to measure agriculture's climate and water quality impacts using variables that are within a farmer’s control.

New report from EDF and Soil Health Partnership helps farmers better understand the benefits, opportunities and limiting factors associated with common conservation practices.

Researchers found that counties with higher soil organic matter are associated with greater yields, lower yield losses and lower rates of crop insurance payouts under drought conditions.

Here are three key takeaways from how the Hays Trinity district is proactively managing groundwater to protect its long-term viability and landowners’ rights to groundwater.

By proactively investing in natural infrastructure and conservation priorities, Congress can begin to build protections for the coastal ecosystems that help protect communities, while creating jobs and reducing the costs of future disasters.

New report details how California orchard growers can harness the power of nature to build a more resilient agricultural system.

The N-Visible framework represents a significant advancement in the science of quantifying environmental outcomes from agriculture.

New report details how soil health practices like cover crops and no-till affect farm budgets.

Three groundwater bills Arizona lawmakers should pass to ensure a secure future for rural communities.

A new report released this week by AECOM, the world’s premiere infrastructure firm, and Rebuild by Design, a community-focused organization advocating for resilient infrastructure, offers hope for recovery for the Empire State as it demonstrates how investments in the environment can help New York not only build lasting climate resilience but also create jobs at a time when they are desperately needed.

These steps toward more sustainable groundwater management would go a long way to ensuring Texas’ economy, natural resources and livelihoods will continue to thrive as our population increases and droughts intensify in years to come.

A case study of MFA Inc. shows how conservation can support the bottom line.

In Arizona and much of the West, climate leadership is water leadership, and we need to see more of it, fast.

Investments in resilience building and flood risk reduction must prioritize investments in low-income communities and communities of color. Not only will doing so reduce risk, but it will also create jobs and economic growth in areas that have the greatest need for these investments.

Here are the top three actions Arizona state lawmakers should take for water security in 2021.

The post Top 3 water priorities in the 2021 Arizona legislative session first appeared on Growing Returns.

The passage of AB 252 is an important step towards transforming the San Joaquin Valley into a model agricultural region that feeds our nation and supports supports wildlife, outdoor recreation, soil health, groundwater recharge and flood control.

The post Dusty barren fields or thriving farmland and habitat? This bill creates a better vision for California’s future first appeared on Growing Returns.

As farmers face unprecedented weather and economic challenges, the agricultural finance sector must address climate risk and invest in solutions that make crop and livestock production more resilient.

The post Federal Reserve warns of financial risks from climate change. Agricultural banks must act fast. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Rural communities have long been ignored in water and land-use decisions in the San Joaquin Valley. Vicky Espinoza aims to change that.

The post After decades of inequity, this woman is bringing long-overlooked voices to California’s land and water decisions first appeared on Growing Returns.

Three ways to help farmers overcome barriers to participating in conservation programs.

The post Farmer interest in conservation is growing, but barriers remain high. Here’s how we can overcome them. first appeared on Growing Returns.