Land coming out of CRP offers opportunities

By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press

Maintaining healthy soil will be the main topic for those who get up early on the last day of the Spokane Ag Expo.

The Spokane County Conservation District and the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association are sponsoring a breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 4.

The district and association have offered a breakfast for direct-seeders the last four years.

A big focus during the meal will be the acreage currently under the Natural Resource Conservation Service's Conservation Reserve Program that is reentering production.

"Those are whole, healthy soils now," said Jim Armstrong, director of communications and special projects for the Spokane County Conservation District. "They've been out of production for 10, 15, 20 years. As soon as they put the plow to it, all the research has shown it's going to destroy that."

The program will include presentations from growers who have taken their land out of the program without plowing.