Kalee Olson, senior policy associate, kaleeo@cfra.org, or Teresa Hoffman, senior communications associate, teresah@cfra.org, 402.687.2100 ext. 1012
LYONS, NEBRASKA – The Center for Rural Affairs is seeking participants for its new Conservation Mentorship Network, a program designed to foster peer-to-peer education among farmers and ranchers and increase the number of conservation practices adopted across Nebraska.
“Producers rely on other producers for information they can trust, particularly when it comes to new farming and ranching methods,” said Kalee Olson, senior policy associate with the Center. “Implementing conservation practices is no exception.”
Participants must be located in Nebraska and currently operate a farm or ranch. Mentors will act as advisors to mentees. Experience with conservation cost-share programs is encouraged but not required. Mentees must demonstrate an interest in and willingness to implement conservation practices; however, producers with any experience level and operation size (rented or owned land) are eligible.
The pairing of mentors and mentees will be based on location, operation type, operation size, and conservation goals. Olson said those considerations are important because geographic conditions, such as soil type and climate, vary across the state. Pairing participants with similar operations will also ensure mentees receive advice appropriate to the scale of their farm or ranch.
“What’s important in the long-run is that producers band together to implement practices that are good for soil health, water quality, and their bottom lines,” she said. “The Conservation Mentorship Network is one step toward that goal.”
For more information, farmers and ranchers should visit cfra.org/conservationmentorshipnetwork or email kaleeo@cfra.org. This project is supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, General Mills, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
