pat-michigan - 1/21/2018 12:54

We had some filter strips Bogtrotter worked with expire over the last couple years. We've been able to get them re enrolled, but the width has usually been modified narrower from the original approved width.

I've tried enrolling some new filter strips into CRP along county drainage ditches. They were planned and submitted as per the instructions provided that day, and then turned down. As I understand it: the Feds felt some offices in the state were too liberal in how they were allowing some CRP enrollments, and have modified their allowable situations to implement CRP plantings. The thing that tossed me from the new programs were that I wanted to seed them on a man made ditch as opposed to a naturally occurring stream. Obviously, I said "Yeah, but the wind blown dirt doesn't care if it gets moved by a naturally occurring stream or a man made ditch on out to the Saginaw Bay, its going to end up there either way!!" . And the local office told me that they were on my side, they understood, they were just as dissapointed as I was. I had to take it up with the State office. Which I did.

The Innovative Farmers of Michigan did a lot of studies on wind blown soil after fall tillage. I was trying to locate the work and results, I recall it as being an eye opening study for many. The soil in the snow was measured from various tillage regiments. The difference was significant.