The Lower Mississippi Valley, or Mississippi Delta, has long offered its residents the most fertile farmlands. But farming and other improvements in the Delta have also contributed to problems like loss of forested wetlands and impaired water quality.

Farmers are giving back to the Delta by planting buffers to protect the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and restoring wetlands and wildlife habitat. Ferdinand Passbach is one such conservation-minded landowner. His 335-acre Passbach-Maier farm once used to grow cotton, soybeans, and wheat. The property is a quarter-mile from the river and is almost surrounded by a wildlife refuge.

In 2003, Ferdinand and his neighbors enrolled 56 acres of marginal pastureland in CRP, establishing hardwood riparian buffers along streambanks. They also teamed up with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, and other state and federal agencies to plant bottomland hardwoods, install water management units, and create wildlife food plots.

Buffers on the Passbach-Maier farm contribute to the health of the Mississippi Delta.