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The article discusses the benefits and barriers of well-managed grazing-based farming system and promotes adoption of this conservation tool in the eastern U.S. It informs that this system provides society-wide environment services, productivity and profit to individual producers. It proposes the local, state and federal programs to support grazing system and encourages development of policy options for adoption of pasture-based livestock production as one of several agroecological approaches.

Information about several papers discussed at the Farming with Grass conference is presented. It discussed the benefits of using sustainable agriculture in grassland environments particularly to people, profit, production and protection. Gale Buchanan, Department of Agriculture Under Secretary identified four major challenges that agriculture must address during coming decades.

The article reports on the necessity of management systems to improve soil quality and regenerate ecological processes. It is indicated that conserving and restoring soil can supply soil productivity and sustain environmental quality. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture created the Greenhouse Gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network (GRACEnet) to study soil C sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions.

Summarizes a report on ecosystem analysis at a watershed level, as presented during a conference sponsored by the Soil and Water Conservation Society in Athens, Georgia in April 1997. Education, research and policy needs; Development of the direction for integrated natural resource systems management; Interagency cooperation and communication.