Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Showcase
Monday, August 7
10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in conjunction with SWCS, will host the CIG Showcase at the SWCS Annual Conference. Since 2004, CIG has supported the development of innovative natural resource conservation approaches and technologies on working lands.
This year’s showcase includes an overview of the CIG program and three themed panels. The first panel is an introduction and highlights the variability of the CIG program, the second panel explores water quality and nutrient management, and the last panel covers soil health and cover crops.
This showcase runs from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM on Monday, August 7. Following the showcase, CIG project posters will be included in the poster presentation session held in the poster display area of the exhibit hall from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Association of Retired Conservation Service Employees (ARCSE) Annual Meeting
Monday, August 7
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
This year the Association of Retired Conservation Service Employees (ARCSE) conducts a session at the conference for association members, conservation retirees, and interested non-retiree SWCS registrants. The session features agency and association leadership speaking about the new ARCSE/NRCS Memorandum of Understanding for mentoring new agency employees as they engage to provide technical assistance and program support to climate-smart initiatives and the new farm bill. The agenda also includes a brief rollout of the new ARCSE strategic plan and presentation of annual ARCSE awards for community service and exceptional contributions to the association. The session culminates with an accounting of farming, cropping, and conservation system history in Iowa, from the perspective of long-time conservation employees. ARCSE hopes to make this a regular topic at SWCS as knowledge about the land’s history continues to be vital for making conservation progress today. Those attending the session, but not registered for the entire conference, have the option to purchase a ticket to the Exhibit and Poster Reception immediately following, one of the primary networking opportunities of the week.
USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) Showcase
Tuesday, August 8
10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
The Conservation Effects Assessment Project–Watershed Assessment Studies (CEAP–WAS) was initiated in 2003 to quantify the measurable environmental effects of conservation practices and develop the science base for managing agricultural landscapes for environmental quality. CEAP has grown to include 24 watershed studies and several special projects that include legacy nutrients, ephemeral gully erosion, as well as the development and assessment of conservation tools and models. Please join USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university CEAP scientists to celebrate 20 years of CEAP and learn about and discuss the many CEAP–WAS assessments conducted across the United States. This year’s meeting will take place as a CEAP Showcase within the SWCS annual meeting on Tuesday, August 8, and feature three oral sessions and a poster session on Monday, August 7, and Tuesday, August 8, with presentations ranging in topics from quantifying the impacts of individual conservation practices to approaches, techniques, and processes for assessing conservation practices to the development and assessment of conservation tools and modeling. Please join us in celebrating 20 years of CEAP!
Women in NRCS (WiN) Annual Meeting
Tuesday, August 8
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
The National Organization of Professional Women in NRCS (WiN) will be hosting their Annual Business Meeting to discuss their 2023 accomplishments, celebrate our members and plan for the fall elections and the upcoming year. Everyone is welcome to attend and learn more about the organization and the opportunities that are available to our members. WiN’s membership is open to anyone who supports our mission and is not limited to women or NRCS employees.