

Welcome!
Foster County Soil Conservation District is here to promote soil, water, and resource conservation by offering technical, financial, informational, and educational assistance and opportunities to the people of Foster County.
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Check out our programs and services. Get in touch with us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, or if you are interested in participating in any of our programs.
Carrington Arbor Day
Foster County Soil Conservation District held its 20th annual First Grade Tree Planting on May 13. This event is part of the City of Carrington’s official Arbor Day celebration.
The students learned about Arbor Day and planting trees from District staff, Foster County Extension Agent Jeff Gale, and Mayor Tom Erdmann. The Carrington Tree Board provided two trees for the Class of 2036 to plant. The students all pitched in to plant a “Greenspire” American linden at the grade school grounds and a “Spring Snow” flowering crabapple tree at the city park. The students each received a conservation T-shirt and a bur oak tree seedling to plant at home. The District also provided educational materials for use in the classroom.
The first grade tree planting has been held in Carrington since spring of 2005, making this the 20th class to plant their trees. As always, the SCD hopes that they will return for another photo with their tree when they are seniors about to graduate.
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The District also provided bur oak seedlings and educational materials to the first grade class at Midkota Elementary.
Planting Vegetable Pots at Carrington Elementary
Foster County SCD supplied the materials for Carrington Pre-K and 3rd grade classes to plant vegetable pots to grow in their classrooms. At the end of the school year, they can each take their plants home.
Foster County Extension Agent Jeff Gale led the lessons on tomatoes, plant growth, and vegetable life cycles. SCD District Manager Dionn Schaaf and former NDSU Extension researcher Greg Endres helped the kids plant their pots with tomato seeds.​​​​​​​
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Materials for planting tomato or pumpkin seeds were also provided to several classes at Midkota Elementary.

Not the Dirty Thirties, Spring of 2017!!

Photo: Storm Tracker Weather

Photo: Bev Nessler
These photos were taken spring of 2017, showing that soil erosion is still a threat to our farmland. These sights have been repeated more than once since then. See the "News and Information" page for photos from the dust storm of March 29-30, 2021. Parts of eastern North Dakota have lost over half of their topsoil since 1964.
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"Most of what we call topsoil today is a mixture of the remains of the original higher organic matter topsoil mixed through tillage with some subsurface horizon. Loss of soil in millions of acres can be measured in feet over the past 120 years. Most lost soil...is going high into the air, and only a small amount lands in a roadside ditch." (Dave Franzen, NDSU) For more information, see the video "The History of Soil Erosion in North Dakota" on YouTube.
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There are things we can do to prevent sights like this. Windbreaks that help decrease wind erosion are being removed and not replaced. There are other practices as well that promote soil health and will also help decrease erosion, such as keeping the soil covered with vegetation or residue, minimizing soil disturbance, and keeping live roots in the soil for as long as possible with practices like cover crops.

June 6, 2024
One of the SCD Board members took this photo through his windshield while stopped on the road. Soil erosion continues to be an ongoing problem in Foster County.
Photo: Sam Partlow
When land does well for its owner, and the owner does well by his land; when both end up better by reason of their partnership, we have conservation. -- Aldo Leopold