Welcome!
Please note that the April SCD Board meeting was delayed to 8:30 AM, April 15
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.
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.
Calling all farmers! Interested in boosting your income by adopting farmer-friendly conservation practices? The Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture not only benefits the soil but also puts money back in your pocket. Curious about how you can earn $100 an acre or animal unit and improve soil health? Contact us or go to allianceforcsa.org for more information!
This program was discussed during the free ND Farmers Union "Conversations over Coffee" webinar on Feb. 1. That webinar was recorded and posted on YouTube. Please click this link to watch the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture recording.
A Foster County round table meeting for the Climate-Smart Agriculture program will be held at Carrington Research Extension Center at 10:00 AM on Friday, February 23rd. No registration is necessary.
The current application window for this program is Feb. 21 to March 21, 2024. The roundtable meeting will include information on the program and the application process. If you cannot attend, please contact SCD staff directly at the office. The online application can be reached by clicking on this link to the application page.
Curtiss Klein Acknowledged for 35 Years of Service
Curtiss Klein was among those receiving a length of service award at the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts (NDASCD) annual meeting in November 2023. He has been a member of the Foster County SCD Board of Supervisors for 35 years, since 1988. During that period he has at times served as Chairman, and also served on the NDASCD Board and the ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Thanks to Curt Klein for his service to the District!
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.
"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.
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.
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