Building trust in food begins with empowering farmers through one of the largest and most diverse conservation- and sustainability-focused public-private partnerships in our nation’s history: America’s Conservation Ag Movement. To find the latest news and resources related to the Movement, visit AgWeb.com/ACAM.
Shifting particular farm acres out of standard production and into conservation practices often provides a path to more long-term profitability.
Breaking down the options and nuances, Keith Scoggins, northeast Arkansas grower and state cropland agronomist for NRCS, along with Ryan Heiniger, director of agriculture for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, offers an assessment of key considerations.
Avoid High Risk
Plainly stated, not all acreage on a farm is necessarily suited for row crop production, Scoggins says.
“I’ve farmed some river bottomland like that myself, and planted it back into trees,” he says. “For example, CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) payments provided stable income, and long-term profitability is the real target.”
Further, Scoggins says despite the fluctuations of timber prices, the return across a decades-long span is significant. “Trees can be a cash crop with a 30-year season. You can still grow a crop. You may not harvest it, but your children will.”
Decisions can also be influenced by recreation factors, Scoggins says. In 2020, he bought a 40-acre farm with 10 acres of trees and leased out the hunting rights to make a dent in the land payment.
“Never underestimate what hunting leases can do for your conservation ground,” he says.
Tapping into decades of accrued producer knowledge about a field is the starting point. However, precision data and software technologies make an acreage evaluation more accurate, along with cost of production and bushel break-even numbers.
“Our perspective is every acre of the farm can and does produce something important for society,” Heiniger says, “and technology enables the farmer to make their farm even more productive.”
Assess Your Options
Ryan Heiniger with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, suggests a detailed look at an individual piece of ground when evaluating potential conservation practices.
- How many years of data exist for the field? Three years or more of data can assure you the revenue-negative zones are consistently poor.
- Is the ground owned or rented? If rented, is the landlord willing to consider alternatives?
- Are there livestock in the operation? If so, this opens the door to options with forage and cover crops.
- Do you like to hunt? If so, certain options will fit.
