One Good Idea wins conservation award

By Bonnie Coblentz

MSU Extension Service

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University Extension Service was part of a team that received a national award in July for innovation in conservation efforts.

The Soil and Water Conservation Society gave the Conservation Innovation Award to the One Good Idea online platform, which is a component of a larger project led by Beth Baker, associate Extension professor in the MSU Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and involves five multi-state partners.

“One Good Idea is a collaborative effort between farmers and university Extension specialists to help all farmers share ideas and innovations to advance conservation delivery and adoption in the Mississippi River Basin,” Baker said. “This collaboration joins specialists from across the U.S. Midwest and Midsouth.”

The website is a means for agricultural producers across the region to exchange information and ideas virtually, allowing growers to learn from other farmers outside of their traditional, more local networks. This makes information more readily available on an individual’s time schedule while still feeling like they are on someone’s farm.

“This website curates conservation ideas by farmers, for farmers to advance farmer-to-farmer learning in a digital way rather than always learning at field days or face to face,” Baker said. “It has a peer review structure to it that ensures high-quality information.”

The “One Good Idea” name came from a Mississippi farmer who attended an in-person exchange the project team hosted for growers from across the Mississippi River Basin in Clarksdale in 2020. Visit the website at https://goodideafarm.org .

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