Glenn Bell, Ag Conservation Technician, BCCD
​Tilling is the process of churning up the top layer of soil, typically with a plow or disc, to prepare the land for the planting of a crop.  This is done to aerate the soil profile, control weeds and to make a nice fluffy seedbed.  This may sound great, but conventional tillage does have its downsides when considering soil health.  Typical plowing and discing disrupts the top 8”-10” of soil, and in the process destroys soil structure and millions of beneficial organisms.  Once the soil has been tilled and most life destroyed within it, there is nothing to hold it together.  This exposed soil is now highly erodible leading to topsoil, nutrient, and money being washed downstream.

Lacy Powers, Conservation Technician, BCCD
After a long winter, it is finally time to come out of our homes and start enjoying nature to its fullest again.  People enjoy the outdoors in many ways, to include hiking, bird watching, planting, and gathering around natural and man-made waterbodies.  With the large amount of pond and wetland areas we have in our county, most of these activities can be done right in our backyards.  These areas give us the ability to connect with nature without having to travel to enjoy all it has to offer.