Former NRCS Chief Dave White spoke on the history of conservation districts and the impetus the Dust Bowl had in bringing people together in locally-led land and soil conservation efforts.

Following Chief White’s address there was a panel discussion focusing on conservation today. Panelists included Karl Dalla Rosa, Forest Stewardship Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service; Ellen Gilinsky, Ph.D., Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Water, U.S. EPA; Kristin Thomasgard, Program Director, Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, Department of Defense; and Cynthia Moses-Nedd, Liason to State and Local Government, Bureau of Land Management.

Rounding out the program was current NRCS Chief Jason Weller who spoke about the vision for the future of conservation.

BARN media will also be livecasting tonight’s Appreciation Banquet from 7-9 PM CT. That will also be available on the BARN Media Livestream page or by visiting NACD’s Annual Meeting page.

Among the many unique items that were auctioned off, NACD received a cash donation of $8,000 from John Deere. Additionally, Case I-H donated 100 hours of use on a new Magnum 340 CVT RowTrac which included an additional 100 hours of use for the purchaser’s local conservation district. Case I-H also made a surprise donation doubling its contribution.

The Live Auction is one of the signature events at NACD’s Annual Meeting. NACD thanks the districts, states and corporate sponsors for their donations to this year’s auction. We also extend a special thank you to Johnny Regula who has donated his time and services as a professional auctioneer for many years.

The Stone County CD was recognized as one of the most effective districts in helping with NRCS Earth Team Volunteers. The Stone County district employs 66 volunteers that help with programs and stewardship and education.

The Earth Team is the volunteer workforce of NRCS that helps conservation groups and others to ensure private lands are conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges like climate change. Working side-by-side with farmers and ranchers, the NRCS identifies natural resource concerns, such as soil erosion and water quality issues, and develops unique conservation plans for restoring and protecting resources

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