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ND Chosen for 'Climate Smart' Farming Pilot Project

By  Mike Moen

North Dakota is one of four states chosen for a federally funded pilot program to spur more interest in farmers to reduce their carbon footprint.

Through a USDA grant, the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture will offer farmers and ranchers in the selected states $100 an acre or animal unit to implement conservation practices, such as cover crops and no-till farming. The federal government has longstanding cost-sharing programs for these efforts, but it's not easy for all producers to get approved.

Matt Perdue, government relations director with the North Dakota Farmers Union, said this new approach aims to connect with a diverse pool of applicants.

"It is a more streamlined process, it's a simpler program," he explained. "Producers will be selected through a random algorithm instead of a complex scoring process. And so, there are ways there that we're going to improve access for producers to this program."

Officials say 40% of the project's nationwide enrollment must come from under-served, socially disadvantaged or limited-resource farms. A 2021 report from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy noted there were nearly 900 applications for the federal Conservation Stewardship Program in North Dakota, but only 14% of applicants were awarded funds.

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Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.