Project Search

Since its inception in 2004, CIG has funded hundreds of projects, boosting natural resource conservation while helping producers improve the health of their operations for the future. Use this tool to search for CIG projects based on any of the criteria listed below.

CIG projects from 2004-2009 may be missing information in the following categories: Resource Concern (specific), Conservation Practice, Production/Use.

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Showing 1761 - 1770 of 1802 projects

Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion Process

TMF Biogas, LLC | OR | 2004

There are a number of environmental challenges inherent in the operation of a large dairy concern. These challenges include: air pollution (including greenhouse gas emissions), odor emissions, and groundwater contamination due to nutrient leaching. This project aims to mitigate these issues and further sustainable farming practices on a large dairy operation. Grant funds will be used to test and evaluate an innovative anaerobic digester system that will produce renewable Energy, return concentrated nutrients back to the farm, and substantially reduce the environmental impacts of concentrated animal agriculture operations.

Designing, Evaluating and Implementing a Market-Based System for Delivery of Conservation Practice Funding

Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Inc | PA | 2004

Meeting water quality goals in watersheds negatively impacted by nutrients will require significant reductions in loadings of nitrogen and phosphorous. Market-based systems have been extensively studied and have demonstrated the ability to reduce the costs associated with meeting environmental and conservation goals. The purpose of this project is to pursue market-based approaches that address nutrient-loading reductions in the Conestoga River (Pennsylvania) watershed through a “reverse auction” approach. The grantee will design, test, and evaluate the effectiveness of using a reverse auction system for trading nutrient reduction credits.

Enhancing the irrigation management in vegetable farms in Southeast US by developing root zone soil moisture maps in both high spatial and high temporal resolutions

University of Florida | FL, GA |

The University of Florida will work with producers to institute a rapid, efficient, and near real-time method of estimating root zone soil moisture in vegetable farms, with a long-term goal of helping agricultural producers and stakeholders achieve balance between water resource conservation and farming profitability through improved irrigation accuracy and planning.

Treasure Valley Soil Health Connections

Ada Soil and Water Conservation District | ID |

This project consists of demonstrating and quantifying the effectiveness of bundling conservation measures to avoid, control and trap nutrient losses from farm fields. It will also evaluate and demonstrate energy savings through adaptive management cropping systems that utilize cropping rotations that include legumes and grasses in long term no-till systems that will increase nutrient cycling through enhanced soil biological activity.

Using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Variable Rate Technology (VRT) for Precise Implement Guidance and Fertilizer Application to Reduce Nutrient Loading in the Environment

Anderson and Sons | ID |

The use of precision agriculture, like variable rate technology (VRT) enables producers to vary the rate of crop inputs. VRT combines a variable rate control system with application equipment to apply inputs a precise time and/or location to achieve site specific results.

Anderson &amp, Sons farm 4,400 acres in Latah (Genesee area) and Nez Perce (Tammany area SE of Lewiston) counties under a direct seed/no till system. Their specific objectives in the implementation of VRT in their production system are to:

Reduce total nutrients applied, thus reducing the potential for off-site transport

Customize site-specific fertilizer prescription rates to maximize efficiency

Demonstrate the latest control and guidance technology and its application on typical north Idaho cropland

Anderson and Sons will cooperate with the local Latah Soil and Water Conservation District, Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District, the Clearwater Direct Seeders, and USDA-ARS to provide outreach to the Palouse Region on this technology. Investing in precision technologies is a win-win situation for both the individual farm and for the public at large – by increasing efficiency and profitability, while improving environmental stewardship and environmental quality.

No Till and Cover Crop Demonstration

Balanced Rock Soil Conservation District | ID |

The project will be used to demonstrate using no-till drills to benefit and improve soil health and reduce wind erosion. The no-till drill will be used to plant cover crops over a broad crop rotation by demonstrating that no-till practices can be used to successfully plant both grain crops and multi-species cover crops in the Magic Valley. At least one tour will be conducted to show the results of this project.

Turbo-Fladry Experimental Project

Defenders of Wildlife (DOW) | ID |

The project goal is to reduce conflict between livestock and wildlife. Participating Idaho sheep producers will be supplies with the tools and training so they can construct night corrals using turbo-fladry (electric wire with red flagging). Use of GPS will allow DOW to determine effectiveness of the turbo-fladry by comparing locations of wolves with night corral locations. An Idaho-specific fact sheet on non-lethal tools and methods to reduce conflict will be developed.

Utilizing Cover Crops to Provide Nitrogen and Weed Suppression in Mint

Hamanishi Farms | ID |

The overall goal of the project is to demonstrate the potential for using a cover crop to address nutrient and weed problems in both conventional and organic mint production. The project will determine which of the annual legume cover crop mixtures to be trialed can provide enough weed suppression to reduce or eliminate the need for herbicide treatments. The project will also evaluate how much available nitrogen can be supplied by each of the cover crop mixtures. This would lead to reduction in the need to use soluble sources of nitrogen. Successful use of cover crops could make raising mint for oil under organic farming systems economically viable, reducing the ecological footprint for the production of mint oil. The mint oil industry is very interested in effective ways of reducing inputs to make the production of mint oil more sustainable.

Smart Rate Technology: Improving Fertilizer Use Efficiency

Helena Chemical Company, Agronomy Services | ID |

The main objective of this project is to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizer applications in various cropping systems by using Smart Rate Technology. Electrical conductivity (EC) of the soil is measured across the field, and EC maps are then used to improve soil sampling decisions. Variable rate application of fertilizers, especially phosphorus fertilizers, will be performed with cooperating landowners and demonstrated in the 5 county area surrounding Hazelton (south central Idaho) . Blanket applications based on traditional sampling can over and or under fertilize fields. Applying fertilizers where the soil test for a given nutrient is low and skipping where the soil test is high can reduce the amount of fertilizers applied without sacrificing crop yields. In these days of high fertilizer prices and shortages, this “Smart Rate Technology” can be beneficial to both the farmers and the environment. A 25% reduction in the use of fertilizers is expected with this technology, which has applicability to much of the cropland in Idaho.

Developing and Implementing a Market-Based Approach for Oilseed and Biofuel Production in Southern and Southwest Idaho

Idagold Nurseries | ID |

Much research has been done on oilseed crops and farmers have even adopted their own production and use of 100% biodiesel throughout much of the Midwest and other areas of the country. This project will demonstrate that fuels can be grown while still providing a feed crop and thus not taking the land out of food production. Outreach activities will bring information to as many agricultural producers in Southern Idaho as possible to help them understand these new crops, how they could fit into their rotation, and how a consistent price and supply of farm fuel can benefit them.

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