CASA Conference Call February 2010
Conservation Agriculture Systems Alliance
Conference Call
Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. (eastern)
Participants:
Russ Evans
Brian Lindley
Bill Kuenstler
Tim Healey
Karen Scanlon
Peter Gamache
Agenda:
Message Committee report
- Finalize message
Operations Committee report
- Pledge
- Mission/vision
- Proposals - Purdue
Community of Practice in support of Conservation Agriculture
Member updates
Message Committee
Go with Blair’s wording on message and declare it final.
FAO message hits all the right points.
Operations Committee
Karen will finalize and distribute to full group with brochure. Mission/vision will be pulled from
message and brochure. Think about how to tie into FAO message.
Purdue University approached CTIC and CASA to be a partner on a new proposal to CSREES
for a 2-year, $200,000 planning grant. Brian will talk with Chuck Rice to discuss possibility for
nationwide proposal using all of CASA network.
Karen to draft letter of interest for Acgo; get comments from members and then send to Dave
Brandt to present to Acgo.
Still want to work together (Brian and Peter) on working paper of what research should look
like and direction it should take.
Want to work on CASA PowerPoint that each member can use to promote CASA at their
meetings, etc.
Community of Practice in support of Conservation Agriculture – Karen to resend to group.
Member Updates
Reduced Tillage LINKAGES: Finished FarmTech conference; 1,200 attendance. Ross Johns from
Australia talked GRDC and his farm. Wayne Smith and John Phipps also spoke. Projects:
measuring energy uses in different tillage systems; evaluating GHG calculator, HOLOS, which
can be downloaded and used to estimate GHG emissions from farm. Will send link. Will be
closing organization in August 2009; will keep us posted.
PNDSA: Had close to 400 attend conference on Jan 21-22 in Kennewick, WA. Get sense that
lots of interest building in direct seed. Have 6 different breakfast meeting s in 3-state area; 30-40
people at each meeting. Planning spring tours. Rolling out grower-to-grower information
network, funded by small grant.
NTOP: NTOP conference on Jan 27-28 with more than 1,200 attend. More exhibitors than
ever and more first-time attendees. Speakers included Bill K, Jerry L, Moe Russell of Russell
Consulting (Iowa). Invited APPRESID to send person; Jose Moreno came and discussed
protocols of no-till certification program. Looking at certification program and how it can be
used in “put teeth” into NTOP message. Also working to take over one of KSU research farms,
in heart of typical Kansas soil. Preparing for grower meeting in March; Dave Brandt coming back
to attend and speak.
NRCS –Bill: still want effort to get RUSLE 2 databases (which are updated for cover crops and
different management systems) disseminated throughout the region. Want to have training for
state agronomist to understand how to use systems like continuous cover and no-till. Bill
Puckett leaving HQ to be state conservationist in Alabama.
CTIC – Tour planned for July 29, 2009 and invites all CASA to attend. Requested success
stories for information campaign.
Next Steps:
•KS send email: list serve, news release, next call is March 3 at 11am eastern
•KS prepare draft proposal for ACGO
•KS prepare message brochure
•KS finalize pledge
•Brian and Peter to work on research white paper
•Brian to contact Chuck Rice about proposal
•CTIC work on calendar of events to post CASA events and post on web site. Use in
addition to CTIC web site calendar.
•Need to update contact list to include cell phone numbers.
