Editor’s note: Prairie Farmer is proud to bring readers a new column from Ivan Dozier, state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Look for future monthly contributions from Dozier in Prairie Farmer.

I am honored to offer my thoughts and insights on natural resource issues in this new NRCS Notes column. My ultimate goal is simple: to provide information and ideas to secure your farm’s most valuable asset — soil.

I was born and raised on a grain and cattle farm outside Mill Shoals in White County. My past work experience includes: soil conservation aide with the Wayne County Soil Conservation Service; soil conservationist in Brown, Pike and Sangamon counties; and NRCS district conservationist in Gallatin and Macoupin counties. In 2003, I moved to Ivesdale and served as the NRCS assistant state conservationist for programs until 2012, when I was named the state conservationist.

My daily life as state conservationist is filled with acronyms like NRCS, EQIP, ACEP, CNMP, HEL and CSP. It’s sometimes difficult for even me to keep up with all of them. I intend to offer you information, observations and stories over the next 12 months that will bring several subjects into clearer focus.

Maybe it’s embedded in my culture or my family, but I hold a great affection for our natural resources. It’s important to me that we treat them well, use but always restore them, and leave a place better than we found it.

There are hundreds of ways to do that, and just as many ways to degrade our precious and unique soil and water resources. To readers who already consider themselves stewards of the land, I applaud you and hope to offer a few new ideas. To those who are not yet fully engaged in the new and different approaches to planting or tilling, I truly hope to give you some things to think about or motivate you to try out on a small section of your land.

To me, conservation is the best way to secure our future and long-term survival. There is nothing wrong with starting small to make a change and learn something new. I hope I can have even a small impact with you.

For more than 80 years, SCS/NRCS voluntary programs have helped farmers successfully solve problems and restore the land. NRCS has technical, well-educated staff in our field offices in almost every Illinois county. That means we are where you are, and we are ready to help.

NRCS’ main products and services are equally simple:

• Conservation planning. We help landowners identify and propose options to fix their site-specific problems and develop a plan for the whole farm. It’s what NRCS does best.

• Conservation technical assistance. We provide hands-on, out-in-the-field discussions with you to see precisely what you need on your ground. Plus, we design practices to ensure they are correctly installed and implemented.

• Financial assistance programs. We help offset costs to put solutions on the land, including federal government programs to help you invest in saving your resources — because it’s that important.

There is so much going on right now with farm bill talks, soil health and nutrient loss reduction, I doubt we’ll run out of issues to discuss. I look forward to our conservation conversations in the months to come.

Dozier is the Illinois state conservationist. Direct comments or questions to [email protected].