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<br />Georgia's <br />WATER/FAIR <br />Project Features <br />Farmers in Field <br />Sampling <br />(continued) <br /> <br />001G61 <br /> <br />need some modification. Visitors from Ethiopia and Senegal visited recently to see how the Rose <br />Creek and Greenbrier Creek projects could be adapted for participatory projects they are trying to <br />develop. Farmers helped in the demonstrations and were able to find commonalities in each other's <br />work. <br /> <br />Assisted by a student volunteer who is a member of Future Farmers of America, WATER/FAIR is <br />starting to hit full stride now, though dry conditions have slowed progress somewhat. The project <br />was featured in the Southeast Watershed Forum newsletter and is supported by the Conservation <br />Technology Information Center at Purdue University. WATER/FAIR also incorporates research <br />from the workbook Nutrient Cycles in the Southern Piedmont, from the University of Georgia. <br /> <br />Franklin said farmer response to the program has been "very good" and noted that taking time to <br />conduct training was essential since "some people are more comfortable than others" in learning <br />and applying the monitoring methods. "The producers we work with are very interested in finding <br />out exactly what works, how well it works, and why," Franklin added. "They want healthy streams <br />like everyone else." <br /> <br />[For more information, contact Dory Franklin at (706) 769-5631, ext. 215, or e-mail <br />dfrankln@arches.uga.edu. Other information on USDA Agricultural Research Service projects at the J. <br />Phil Campbell, Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Center in Watkinsville, GA can be found at <br />www.spcru.ars.usda.gov.] <br /> <br />Core 4 Conservation: A New Strategy Using Old Tricks <br />to Protect Water Quality <br /> <br /> <br />Core 4 Conservation offers a new way for farmers around the country to reduce NPS pollution <br />from agricultural lands while improving farm profitability. An integrated farm management <br />system, Core 4 Conservation provides a new approach to using existing agriculture conservation <br />practices to achieve the goals of better soil, cleaner water, greater profits, and a brighter future for <br />the nation's agricultural sector. <br /> <br />Following the principles of Core 4 Conservation, producers implement a system of basic land <br />treatment practices to better manage inputs, filter NPS runoff, improve soil quality, and protect <br />water quality. The practices, which include conservation tillage, crop nutrient management, <br />integrated weed and pest management (IPM), and conservation buffers, are not new or <br />revolutionary. What is new, however, is that under the Core 4 Conservation approach appropriate <br />practices are integrated into a management plan that considers local conditions, individual farm <br />size, management capabilities, and the financial conditions of the producer. Other practices may <br />be needed to meet site-specific conditions. In this way, producers voluntarily use conservation <br />practices tailored to their situation to do their job - produce food, fiber, and energy - while <br />protecting the environment. <br /> <br /> <br />MARCH 2000, ISSUE #60 <br /> <br />NONPOINT SOURCE NEWs-NOTES <br /> <br />19 <br />