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Prairie Farmers Reap Conservation's RewardsThis was sent to me, and I =
thought many of you would find it interesting. Suzanne Tuttle
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/27/national/27FARM.html
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August 27, 2001
Prairie Farmers Reap Conservation's Rewards
By ELIZABETH BECKER
=20
(NYT)
Federal subsidies for leaving land as a habitat for =
ducks are helping farmers survive on the Dakota plains.
=20
=20
EDINA, N.D., Aug. 23 - In the tawny summer landscape of the =
Dakota plains, where grasslands interrupt fields of wheat, flax and =
barley, the newest federally subsidized cash crop is fattening up before =
heading south for the winter.=20
Waves of ducks - 45 million mallards, pintails, gadwalls and =
teals - will rise out of ponds and sloughs next month and fly over the =
heads of assembled hunters and birdwatchers who are flocking to the =
state and transforming tourism here.=20
But the most immediate beneficiaries are the farmers who own =
the waterfowl's habitat. In return for dependable annual payments, they =
turn their fields into grasslands that require little upkeep and become =
nesting and breeding grounds for ducks.
The subsidies help families hold onto small farms and allow =
young farmers to establish themselves.
At the same time, they have ensured the revival of a North =
American duck population that a decade ago was in serious decline.
"Protecting these small shallow wetlands with grass cover =
for the wildlife has been critical for the return of the ducks," said =
Ron Reynolds, the biologist who leads the United States Fish and =
Wildlife Service's habitat and population evaluation team that tracks =
the ducks here.
Now, as Congress debates the direction of farm policy over =
the next decade, this Prairie Pothole region, which stretches through =
the Dakotas into eastern Montana, is Exhibit A for lawmakers promoting =
more subsidies for conservation and less for traditional row crops like =
wheat and corn.
While some members of Congress are trying to rein in =
subsidies to large farmers that date to the Depression, North Dakota is =
a prime venue for viewing the unrecognized side of the debate over the =
$171 billion farm bill: spending to conserve the open spaces, fields, =
ranges and pastures, rather than subsidies for traditional crops.=20
Half of the land in the continental United States - 900 =
million acres - is owned by private farmers and ranchers. How that land =
is used in the next decade will affect the survival of wildlife, like =
the ducks here, the quality of drinking water from city taps, the amount =
of pollution in streams, rivers and bays and the extent of urban sprawl.
But many of the large farmers, backed by powerful =
agribusiness lobbies, oppose increases for conservation programs, =
presaging a big fight in coming weeks as the House and Senate debate =
their different approaches.
In the last five years, conservation payments have fallen to =
9 percent of all farm subsidies from 30 percent of the payments.
And the proposed House farm bill dilutes a crucial =
conservation provision, known as the "swampbuster" section, that =
protects wetlands on farms that receive federal subsidies.
Yet even in North Dakota, where farmers are more dependent =
on traditional subsidies than those in any other state are, farms in =
several counties have stunned lawmakers by embracing conservation and =
dedicating one-fourth of their cropland to the conservation reserve =
program.=20
"Cropping wheat is just very risky and expensive, and we =
would have lost our farm if we hadn't signed up for the conservation =
program," said Patty Hofmann, a 35-year-old farmer and a widow with =
three young sons.=20
Mrs. Hofmann and her late husband, Kendall, put most of =
their fields into the conservation reserve program, turning it into =
grassland where ducks and other wildlife could nest and breed near small =
ponds on the property. Two years ago, they moved an old one-room school =
house onto their farm and converted it into a small hunting lodge.
"Now that we've put in the grass cover, we wake up to =
pheasants whistling in the morning and the grouse are all around the =
house," she said.=20
Mrs. Hofmann will never get rich on the $13,000 annual =
conservation subsidy she receives for her 450-acre spread. But the money =
covers most of the mortgage on her land, and the $11,000 she earns each =
fall from the hunters, who shoot duck, pheasant and deer on her =
property, pay for her annual living costs.
And she will be able to rear her sons on the land settled by =
their German forebears.
Originally proposed by mainstream national environmental =
groups, the conservation reserve program has won the support of groups =
like the National Rifle Association and Pheasants Forever.
Last year, Ducks Unlimited, a group that works to preserve =
waterfowl habitat, opened a $2.7 million northern plains headquarters in =
Bismarck, N.D., hoping to protect if not expand this mecca for hunters.
The Prairie Pothole Region is named for the thousands of =
shallow ponds carved into the upper plains by glaciers more than 10,000 =
years ago. From the air their undulating shapes seem to have been =
painted by Salvador Dali. On the ground these homely ponds teeming with =
insects appear randomly, some nestled alongside gullies and roads, =
others tucked in the middle of fields and pastures.
The potholes provide ideal breeding country for shorebirds, =
songbirds and gamebirds that follow the migratory route to Central and =
South America. This time of year the skies are filled with white =
pelicans and blue herons as well as the ubiquitous Canada geese.
But until 1985, farmers freely drained those ponds to expand =
their fields, planted crops and unwittingly removed much of the nesting =
cover of North American ducks, 70 percent of them born and bred in the =
Prairie Pothole Region.
By the 1980's, drought added to the farm-driven calamities, =
and the population of ducks, pheasants, grouse and even deer dwindled. =
Midwesterners who once lived for the first day of hunting season packed =
away their guns.
"It was hard to even find a deer back then, and there were =
years when we didn't have a pheasant to hunt," said Lyle Sjostrom, a =
61-year- old farmer who was early to enroll his land in the voluntary =
conservation program.
Then Congress included the conservation program in the 1985 =
farm bill, and the farmers of North Dakota enrolled more than three =
million acres of cropland; nationwide, more than 36 million acres have =
been put aside for this program. The same farm measure included the =
"swampbusters" provision that withdrew all federal subsidies to farmers =
who drained wetlands.=20
Like in a biblical tale, the rains returned in the early =
1990's, filling the protected potholes. Grass replaced wheat fields. And =
the ducks returned.
Critics, like the big grain companies, predicted that =
American farmers would underproduce wheat and corn by putting aside so =
much acreage, but the opposite has occurred.=20
Thanks to technological advances and the globalization of =
the food market, there is a glut of grain worldwide, and prices have =
remained flat at 1960 levels.=20
And now there is a waiting list of farmers who want to put =
their land in conservation programs.=20
By getting into the program early, Mr. Sjostrom said he was =
able to hold onto the farm and begin passing it on to his 32-year-old =
son, Todd.=20
"If we'd kept our land in wheat the fixed costs for =
equipment, fertilizer would have played havoc with our budget," Mr. =
Sjostrom said.
Instead, the Sjostroms now have 40 percent of their 4,000 =
acre farm in the conservation program. Todd Sjostrom, who has a =
full-time job selling seeds, is one of the few members of his generation =
who can afford to become a farmer.
"This takes the gamble out of farming and makes it =
profitable," he said. "If we stuck to wheat and had to buy all the =
equipment, we'd barely cover our expenses with commodity prices the way =
they are."
This autumn Congress will decide how much to expand =
conservation programs and whether to keep the swampbusters protection in =
tact.=20
The farm bill written by the House Agriculture Committee =
would allow farmers to drain their wetlands again and still be eligible =
for nearly all federal subsidies. While the lawmakers say the current =
provision is too strict, conservationists argue that when farmers ask =
for billions of dollars in subsidies taxpayers have the right to demand =
that wetlands be preserved.
"We think the farm bill can continue this extraordinary =
partnership between farmers and conservationists," said Joseph Satrom of =
Ducks Unlimited, "but changes in the swampbuster program would have a =
devastating impact."=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This was sent to me, and I thought many =
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<P></P><NYT_DATE><FONT size=3D-1><STRONG>August 27,=20
=
2001</STRONG></FONT><BR></NYT_DATE><NYT_KICKER></NYT_KICKER><NYT_HEADLINE=
=20
type=3D" " version=3D"1.0">
<H2>Prairie Farmers Reap Conservation's=20
Rewards</H2></NYT_HEADLINE><NYT_BYLINE type=3D" " =
version=3D"1.0">
<H5>By ELIZABETH BECKER</H5></NYT_BYLINE><NYT_LINKS_ONSITE=20
type=3D"main" version=3D"1.0">
<SCRIPT language=3Djavascript>
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<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 align=3Dright =
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<TD width=3D9 rowSpan=3D99><IMG height=3D1=20
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<TR>
<TD width=3D184 colSpan=3D5><IMG height=3D132=20
=
src=3D"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/2001/08/26/national/27farm.2.jp=
g"=20
width=3D182 align=3Dcenter border=3D0><BR>
<DIV align=3Dright><FONT face=3D"Times,Times New =
Roman, serif"=20
size=3D-2>(NYT)</FONT></DIV><FONT=20
face=3D"Times,Times New Roman, serif" =
size=3D-1>Federal subsidies=20
for leaving land as a habitat for ducks are helping =
farmers=20
survive on the Dakota =
plains.</FONT><BR><BR></TD></TR><!---->
<TR>
<TD width=3D184=20
=
colSpan=3D5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!----></NYT_LINKS_ONSITE><!--plsfi=
eld:TEXT--><NYT_TEXT>
<P><IMG alt=3DM =
src=3D"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/dropcap/m.gif"=20
align=3Dleft>EDINA, N.D., Aug. 23 — In the tawny =
summer landscape of=20
the Dakota plains, where grasslands interrupt fields of =
wheat, flax=20
and barley, the newest federally subsidized cash crop is =
fattening=20
up before heading south for the winter. </P>
<P>Waves of ducks — 45 million mallards, pintails, =
gadwalls and=20
teals — will rise out of ponds and sloughs next month =
and fly over=20
the heads of assembled hunters and birdwatchers who are =
flocking to=20
the state and transforming tourism here. </P>
<P>But the most immediate beneficiaries are the farmers who =
own the=20
waterfowl's habitat. In return for dependable annual =
payments, they=20
turn their fields into grasslands that require little upkeep =
and=20
become nesting and breeding grounds for ducks.</P>
<P>The subsidies help families hold onto small farms and =
allow young=20
farmers to establish themselves.</P>
<P>At the same time, they have ensured the revival of a =
North=20
American duck population that a decade ago was in serious=20
decline.</P>
<P>"Protecting these small shallow wetlands with grass cover =
for the=20
wildlife has been critical for the return of the ducks," =
said Ron=20
Reynolds, the biologist who leads the United States Fish and =
Wildlife Service's habitat and population evaluation team =
that=20
tracks the ducks here.</P>
<P>Now, as Congress debates the direction of farm policy =
over the=20
next decade, this Prairie Pothole region, which stretches =
through=20
the Dakotas into eastern Montana, is Exhibit A for lawmakers =
promoting more subsidies for conservation and less for =
traditional=20
row crops like wheat and corn.</P>
<P>While some members of Congress are trying to rein in =
subsidies to=20
large farmers that date to the Depression, North Dakota is a =
prime=20
venue for viewing the unrecognized side of the debate over =
the $171=20
billion farm bill: spending to conserve the open spaces, =
fields,=20
ranges and pastures, rather than subsidies for traditional =
crops.=20
</P>
<P>Half of the land in the continental United States — =
900 million=20
acres — is owned by private farmers and ranchers. How =
that land is=20
used in the next decade will affect the survival of =
wildlife, like=20
the ducks here, the quality of drinking water from city =
taps, the=20
amount of pollution in streams, rivers and bays and the =
extent of=20
urban sprawl.</P>
<P>But many of the large farmers, backed by powerful =
agribusiness=20
lobbies, oppose increases for conservation programs, =
presaging a big=20
fight in coming weeks as the House and Senate debate their =
different=20
approaches.</P>
<P>In the last five years, conservation payments have fallen =
to 9=20
percent of all farm subsidies from 30 percent of the =
payments.</P>
<P>And the proposed House farm bill dilutes a crucial =
conservation=20
provision, known as the "swampbuster" section, that protects =
wetlands on farms that receive federal subsidies.</P>
<P>Yet even in North Dakota, where farmers are more =
dependent on=20
traditional subsidies than those in any other state are, =
farms in=20
several counties have stunned lawmakers by embracing =
conservation=20
and dedicating one-fourth of their cropland to the =
conservation=20
reserve program. </P>
<P>"Cropping wheat is just very risky and expensive, and we =
would=20
have lost our farm if we hadn't signed up for the =
conservation=20
program," said Patty Hofmann, a 35-year-old farmer and a =
widow with=20
three young sons. </P>
<P>Mrs. Hofmann and her late husband, Kendall, put most of =
their=20
fields into the conservation reserve program, turning it =
into=20
grassland where ducks and other wildlife could nest and =
breed near=20
small ponds on the property. Two years ago, they moved an =
old=20
one-room school house onto their farm and converted it into =
a small=20
hunting lodge.</P>
<P>"Now that we've put in the grass cover, we wake up to =
pheasants=20
whistling in the morning and the grouse are all around the =
house,"=20
she said. </P>
<P>Mrs. Hofmann will never get rich on the $13,000 annual=20
conservation subsidy she receives for her 450-acre spread. =
But the=20
money covers most of the mortgage on her land, and the =
$11,000 she=20
earns each fall from the hunters, who shoot duck, pheasant =
and deer=20
on her property, pay for her annual living costs.</P>
<P>And she will be able to rear her sons on the land settled =
by=20
their German forebears.</P>
<P>Originally proposed by mainstream national environmental =
groups,=20
the conservation reserve program has won the support of =
groups like=20
the National Rifle Association and Pheasants Forever.</P>
<P>Last year, Ducks Unlimited, a group that works to =
preserve=20
waterfowl habitat, opened a $2.7 million northern plains=20
headquarters in Bismarck, N.D., hoping to protect if not =
expand this=20
mecca for hunters.</P>
<P>The Prairie Pothole Region is named for the thousands of =
shallow=20
ponds carved into the upper plains by glaciers more than =
10,000=20
years ago. From the air their undulating shapes seem to have =
been=20
painted by Salvador Dali. On the ground these homely ponds =
teeming=20
with insects appear randomly, some nestled alongside gullies =
and=20
roads, others tucked in the middle of fields and =
pastures.</P>
<P>The potholes provide ideal breeding country for =
shorebirds,=20
songbirds and gamebirds that follow the migratory route to =
Central=20
and South America. This time of year the skies are filled =
with white=20
pelicans and blue herons as well as the ubiquitous Canada =
geese.</P>
<P>But until 1985, farmers freely drained those ponds to =
expand=20
their fields, planted crops and unwittingly removed much of =
the=20
nesting cover of North American ducks, 70 percent of them =
born and=20
bred in the Prairie Pothole Region.</P>
<P>By the 1980's, drought added to the farm-driven =
calamities, and=20
the population of ducks, pheasants, grouse and even deer =
dwindled.=20
Midwesterners who once lived for the first day of hunting =
season=20
packed away their guns.</P>
<P>"It was hard to even find a deer back then, and there =
were years=20
when we didn't have a pheasant to hunt," said Lyle Sjostrom, =
a=20
61-year- old farmer who was early to enroll his land in the=20
voluntary conservation program.</P>
<P>Then Congress included the conservation program in the =
1985 farm=20
bill, and the farmers of North Dakota enrolled more than =
three=20
million acres of cropland; nationwide, more than 36 million =
acres=20
have been put aside for this program. The same farm measure =
included=20
the "swampbusters" provision that withdrew all federal =
subsidies to=20
farmers who drained wetlands. </P>
<P>Like in a biblical tale, the rains returned in the early =
1990's,=20
filling the protected potholes. Grass replaced wheat fields. =
And the=20
ducks returned.</P>
<P>Critics, like the big grain companies, predicted that =
American=20
farmers would underproduce wheat and corn by putting aside =
so much=20
acreage, but the opposite has occurred. </P>
<P>Thanks to technological advances and the globalization of =
the=20
food market, there is a glut of grain worldwide, and prices =
have=20
remained flat at 1960 levels. </P>
<P>And now there is a waiting list of farmers who want to =
put their=20
land in conservation programs. </P>
<P>By getting into the program early, Mr. Sjostrom said he =
was able=20
to hold onto the farm and begin passing it on to his =
32-year-old=20
son, Todd. </P>
<P>"If we'd kept our land in wheat the fixed costs for =
equipment,=20
fertilizer would have played havoc with our budget," Mr. =
Sjostrom=20
said.</P>
<P>Instead, the Sjostroms now have 40 percent of their 4,000 =
acre=20
farm in the conservation program. Todd Sjostrom, who has a =
full-time=20
job selling seeds, is one of the few members of his =
generation who=20
can afford to become a farmer.</P>
<P>"This takes the gamble out of farming and makes it =
profitable,"=20
he said. "If we stuck to wheat and had to buy all the =
equipment,=20
we'd barely cover our expenses with commodity prices the way =
they=20
are."</P>
<P>This autumn Congress will decide how much to expand =
conservation=20
programs and whether to keep the swampbusters protection in =
tact.=20
</P>
<P>The farm bill written by the House Agriculture Committee =
would=20
allow farmers to drain their wetlands again and still be =
eligible=20
for nearly all federal subsidies. While the lawmakers say =
the=20
current provision is too strict, conservationists argue that =
when=20
farmers ask for billions of dollars in subsidies taxpayers =
have the=20
right to demand that wetlands be preserved.</P>
<P>"We think the farm bill can continue this extraordinary=20
partnership between farmers and conservationists," said =
Joseph=20
Satrom of Ducks Unlimited, "but changes in the swampbuster =
program=20
would have a devastating impact." </P></NYT_TEXT></TD></TR>
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<p></p> <p></p> <NYT_DATE><font size=3D"-1"><strong>August 27, =
2001</strong></font><br></NYT_DATE><NYT_KICKER></NYT_KICKER><NYT_HEADLINE=
version=3D"1.0" type=3D" "><h2>Prairie Farmers Reap Conservation's =
Rewards</h2></NYT_HEADLINE><NYT_BYLINE version=3D"1.0" type=3D" =
"><h5>By ELIZABETH BECKER</h5></NYT_BYLINE><NYT_LINKS_ONSITE =
version=3D"1.0" type=3D"main">
<script language=3D"javascript">
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<tr><td width=3D"184" colspan=3D"5"> <img =
src=3D"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/2001/08/26/national/27farm.2.jp=
g" width=3D"182" height=3D"132" border=3D"0" align=3D"center"/><br><div =
align=3D"right"><font face=3D"Times,Times New Roman, serif" =
size=3D"-2">(NYT)</font></div><font face=3D"Times,Times New Roman, =
serif" size=3D"-1">Federal subsidies for leaving land as a habitat for =
ducks are helping farmers survive on the Dakota =
plains.</font><br><br></td></tr><!---->
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<NYT_TEXT >
<P><IMG SRC=3D"http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/dropcap/m.gif" =
ALIGN=3D"left" ALT=3D"M">EDINA, N.D., Aug. 23 — In the tawny =
summer landscape of the Dakota plains, where grasslands interrupt fields =
of wheat, flax and barley, the newest federally subsidized cash crop is =
fattening up before heading south for the winter. </P> <P> Waves of =
ducks — 45 million mallards, pintails, gadwalls and teals — =
will rise out of ponds and sloughs next month and fly over the heads of =
assembled hunters and birdwatchers who are flocking to the state and =
transforming tourism here. </P> <P> But the most immediate beneficiaries =
are the farmers who own the waterfowl's habitat. In return for =
dependable annual payments, they turn their fields into grasslands that =
require little upkeep and become nesting and breeding grounds for =
ducks.</P> <P> The subsidies help families hold onto small farms and =
allow young farmers to establish themselves.</P> <P> At the same time, =
they have ensured the revival of a North American duck population that a =
decade ago was in serious decline.</P> <P> "Protecting these small =
shallow wetlands with grass cover for the wildlife has been critical for =
the return of the ducks," said Ron Reynolds, the biologist who leads the =
United States Fish and Wildlife Service's habitat and population =
evaluation team that tracks the ducks here.</P> <P> Now, as Congress =
debates the direction of farm policy over the next decade, this Prairie =
Pothole region, which stretches through the Dakotas into eastern =
Montana, is Exhibit A for lawmakers promoting more subsidies for =
conservation and less for traditional row crops like wheat and corn.</P> =
<P> While some members of Congress are trying to rein in subsidies to =
large farmers that date to the Depression, North Dakota is a prime venue =
for viewing the unrecognized side of the debate over the $171 billion =
farm bill: spending to conserve the open spaces, fields, ranges and =
pastures, rather than subsidies for traditional crops. </P> <P> Half of =
the land in the continental United States — 900 million acres =
— is owned by private farmers and ranchers. How that land is used =
in the next decade will affect the survival of wildlife, like the ducks =
here, the quality of drinking water from city taps, the amount of =
pollution in streams, rivers and bays and the extent of urban =
sprawl.</P> <P> But many of the large farmers, backed by powerful =
agribusiness lobbies, oppose increases for conservation programs, =
presaging a big fight in coming weeks as the House and Senate debate =
their different approaches.</P> <P> In the last five years, conservation =
payments have fallen to 9 percent of all farm subsidies from 30 percent =
of the payments.</P> <P> And the proposed House farm bill dilutes a =
crucial conservation provision, known as the "swampbuster" section, that =
protects wetlands on farms that receive federal subsidies.</P> <P> Yet =
even in North Dakota, where farmers are more dependent on traditional =
subsidies than those in any other state are, farms in several counties =
have stunned lawmakers by embracing conservation and dedicating =
one-fourth of their cropland to the conservation reserve program. </P> =
<P> "Cropping wheat is just very risky and expensive, and we would have =
lost our farm if we hadn't signed up for the conservation program," said =
Patty Hofmann, a 35-year-old farmer and a widow with three young sons. =
</P> <P> Mrs. Hofmann and her late husband, Kendall, put most of their =
fields into the conservation reserve program, turning it into grassland =
where ducks and other wildlife could nest and breed near small ponds on =
the property. Two years ago, they moved an old one-room school house =
onto their farm and converted it into a small hunting lodge.</P> <P> =
"Now that we've put in the grass cover, we wake up to pheasants =
whistling in the morning and the grouse are all around the house," she =
said. </P> <P> Mrs. Hofmann will never get rich on the $13,000 annual =
conservation subsidy she receives for her 450-acre spread. But the money =
covers most of the mortgage on her land, and the $11,000 she earns each =
fall from the hunters, who shoot duck, pheasant and deer on her =
property, pay for her annual living costs.</P> <P> And she will be able =
to rear her sons on the land settled by their German forebears.</P> <P> =
Originally proposed by mainstream national environmental groups, the =
conservation reserve program has won the support of groups like the =
National Rifle Association and Pheasants Forever.</P> <P> Last year, =
Ducks Unlimited, a group that works to preserve waterfowl habitat, =
opened a $2.7 million northern plains headquarters in Bismarck, N.D., =
hoping to protect if not expand this mecca for hunters.</P> <P> The =
Prairie Pothole Region is named for the thousands of shallow ponds =
carved into the upper plains by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. =
>From the air their undulating shapes seem to have been painted by =
Salvador Dali. On the ground these homely ponds teeming with insects =
appear randomly, some nestled alongside gullies and roads, others tucked =
in the middle of fields and pastures.</P> <P> The potholes provide ideal =
breeding country for shorebirds, songbirds and gamebirds that follow the =
migratory route to Central and South America. This time of year the =
skies are filled with white pelicans and blue herons as well as the =
ubiquitous Canada geese.</P> <P> But until 1985, farmers freely drained =
those ponds to expand their fields, planted crops and unwittingly =
removed much of the nesting cover of North American ducks, 70 percent of =
them born and bred in the Prairie Pothole Region.</P> <P> By the 1980's, =
drought added to the farm-driven calamities, and the population of =
ducks, pheasants, grouse and even deer dwindled. Midwesterners who once =
lived for the first day of hunting season packed away their guns.</P> =
<P> "It was hard to even find a deer back then, and there were years =
when we didn't have a pheasant to hunt," said Lyle Sjostrom, a 61-year- =
old farmer who was early to enroll his land in the voluntary =
conservation program.</P> <P> Then Congress included the conservation =
program in the 1985 farm bill, and the farmers of North Dakota enrolled =
more than three million acres of cropland; nationwide, more than 36 =
million acres have been put aside for this program. The same farm =
measure included the "swampbusters" provision that withdrew all federal =
subsidies to farmers who drained wetlands. </P> <P> Like in a biblical =
tale, the rains returned in the early 1990's, filling the protected =
potholes. Grass replaced wheat fields. And the ducks returned.</P> <P> =
Critics, like the big grain companies, predicted that American farmers =
would underproduce wheat and corn by putting aside so much acreage, but =
the opposite has occurred. </P> <P> Thanks to technological advances and =
the globalization of the food market, there is a glut of grain =
worldwide, and prices have remained flat at 1960 levels. </P> <P> And =
now there is a waiting list of farmers who want to put their land in =
conservation programs. </P> <P> By getting into the program early, Mr. =
Sjostrom said he was able to hold onto the farm and begin passing it on =
to his 32-year-old son, Todd. </P> <P> "If we'd kept our land in wheat =
the fixed costs for equipment, fertilizer would have played havoc with =
our budget," Mr. Sjostrom said.</P> <P> Instead, the Sjostroms now have =
40 percent of their 4,000 acre farm in the conservation program. Todd =
Sjostrom, who has a full-time job selling seeds, is one of the few =
members of his generation who can afford to become a farmer.</P> <P> =
"This takes the gamble out of farming and makes it profitable," he said. =
"If we stuck to wheat and had to buy all the equipment, we'd barely =
cover our expenses with commodity prices the way they are."</P> <P> This =
autumn Congress will decide how much to expand conservation programs and =
whether to keep the swampbusters protection in tact. </P> <P> The farm =
bill written by the House Agriculture Committee would allow farmers to =
drain their wetlands again and still be eligible for nearly all federal =
subsidies. While the lawmakers say the current provision is too strict, =
conservationists argue that when farmers ask for billions of dollars in =
subsidies taxpayers have the right to demand that wetlands be =
preserved.</P> <P> "We think the farm bill can continue this =
extraordinary partnership between farmers and conservationists," said =
Joseph Satrom of Ducks Unlimited, "but changes in the swampbuster =
program would have a devastating impact." </P>
</NYT_TEXT></td></tr><tr><td>=20
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