Four North Dakota Drift Prairie farmers and their farm operations participated in the demonstration project which proved that farmers are willing to make changes to protect the environment when those options are economically feasible. Stewards of the Land is their story.

Lessons Learned

Farmers can increase their conservation activities and still maintain or increase their profits. CAP farmers demonstrated that:

• Farmers are willing to set aside less productive and vulnerable lands when they are adequately compensated for the societal benefits produced on those lands.
• Farmers will readily engage in conservation programs if they are voluntary and flexible with adequate compensation. Programs also need to have easy-in and easy-out provisions.
• Farmers' participation in farm management programs improve their profitability and their overall farm management
• When farmers set aside less productive areas an engage in other efficiencies, more time is expended on management and less time is required for tillage.

Locally led groups can deliver effective conservation if given the right tools and opportunities to foster creative thinking. Locally-led groups must have a real budget and the authority to foster more effective, localized programs.

Resource analysis Teams were a very successful element of the CAP and:

• Effectively introduced the concepts of sustainability
• Helped producers make informed decisions
• Provided holistic, multifaceted discussions about the farm and the impcts of decisions on the farm family
• Illuminated the value of a team approach to education and information sharing to team members and farmers

Almost all Team members were willing to serve on such a team again; however, due to the very intensive nature of the teams, most members would only agree to serve on one team at a time.

CAP farmers came to appreciate the importance of annual soil testing as a management tool. All four plan to continue to use this new tool after the conclusion of the CAP. When offered as a grant, farmers are willing to try new farm management practices.

Government payments as a share of farm expenses are an indicator of how essential agricultural government payments are to economic health of the community. On average, CAP payments directed toward farm expenses accounted for 10.5% of the total input expenditure.

Many societal benefits are realized through the set-aside of wetlands, filters, and saline areas including:

• Storage of carbon dioxide
• Habitat for stressed breeding birds
• Improved water quality

Grass buffers, seeded to stop saline creep into the field, perfomed as expected. However, it takes more than five years for established grass production to improve saline affected lands enough to be farmed again.