Tennessee soybean grower Alex Forsbach knows land stewardship and conservation practices are making a positive difference in his operation. He’s witnessed firsthand a more than 1% increase in organic matter alone in the last 10 years and attributes that directly to his use of no-till and cover crops.
“No-till and cover crops are a big part of the farm,” Forsbach says. “We farm what I would call marginal ground that needs a lot of tender, loving care.”
Changing course
Forsbach grew up working on a family farm in Savannah, Tennessee, raising corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and wheat. He says that early experience helped shape his passion for agriculture and laid the foundation for his own farming journey.
While attending college at Mississippi State University, an opportunity arose in mid-2008 for Forsbach to come back to the family farm to assist with installing four center pivots. Then in 2009 after graduating college, Forsbach started his own operation by renting 163 acres and purchasing a self-propelled sprayer.
Today, Forsbach’s Growing Acres farm grows soybeans, grain sorghum, winter wheat and occasionally corn along the Tennessee River, just below the Pickwick Dam.
Since inception, Forsbach has been committed to continuous improvement and sustainable farming practices. In fact, the young farmer began integrating cereal ryegrass as a cover crop by 2010, which helped rebuild soil health and improve field conditions.
Farmers like Forsbach must constantly navigate weather challenges. From drought to floods, the extremes call for growers to be proactive.
“The drought of 2012 proved to be a turning point,” Forsbach explains. “I witnessed firsthand how the ryegrass created a protective mat that retained moisture and suppressed weed pressure. That experience solidified my commitment to soil conservation practices.”
The narrowness of the river in the region also makes it prone to flooding, especially when heavy rains occur in the eastern Tennessee Valley.
Forsbach says the location of his farm has greatly influenced his approach to conservation. He cites one major event as having shaped his farming philosophy: a July 2013 flood that caused the Tennessee River to rise more than 20 feet, destroying about 60% of the crop.
“At the time, soybeans had just been laid, and the floodwaters stayed for two weeks,” Forsbach recalls. “When the water finally receded, all that was left was bare soil — no standing crop and previous year’s crop residue — just the remnants of months of hard work washed away. That loss reinforced the importance of my conservation focus on retaining crop residue and improving water retention.”
As devastating as the flood was, it has armed Forsbach with an even greater belief in his conservation efforts. Today, the operation continues to evolve with a focus on resilient cropping systems, soil health and sustainable land stewardship.
Clearing hurdles
While facing flooded farmland is an on-going challenge for Forsbach, maintaining soil quality is a persistent obstacle for farmers in his region. Flooding during the winter months brings challenges to the full season crop, according to Forsbach, as soil biology, residue loss and soil structure all are affected. As a result, growers must constantly adapt and plan long-term.
“Many of the fields I work with need significant attention and care to become consistently productive,” Forsbach says. “Drainage is the number one limiting factor. To address this, I’ve invested in precision-controlled surface waterways to help manage water flow and reduce erosion.”
The move has proved to be an essential step toward improving soil health and overall field performance.
Forsbach is focused on improving soil fertility in his operation. According to him, the land is the identity of a farm as it cannot be traded in or retired. It needs to be cared for and maintained to ensure successful future years of use, he adds.
“Building a productive farm starts with balancing soil pH, followed by addressing the major macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium,” Forsbach says. “As I continue to manage the same fields over multiple years, I’ve been able to begin fine-tuning fertility by incorporating micronutrient management into my nutrient program, particularly on farms where I’ve seen long-term gains from earlier improvements.”
The Tennessee River provides beautiful scenery, yet Forsbach says the landscape comes with irregular field sizes and complex topography when compared to more open farmland in other areas. The result limits equipment efficiency and increases management complexity.
“One of the most unpredictable and impactful challenges is the flood risk, especially below Pickwick Dam,” Forsbach notes. “The river can rise rapidly when there is heavy rainfall in the eastern Tennessee Valley, often with little warning. These flood events can have a severe impact on crop yields, nutrient loss and soil structure.”
While all those factors are out of Forsbach’s control, each is critical to the success of his operation. Despite the challenges, the Tennessee grower remains committed to continuously improving his land through conservation, innovation and long-term soil health strategies.
Conservation practices like terracing help the soybean farmer manage water flow and minimize erosion on sloped ground.
“I’m also exploring the use of strip-till as a conservation tillage method,” Forsbach says. “While I haven’t fully implemented fall fertilizer placement with strip-till yet, I’m interested in the potential benefits it offers for nutrient efficiency and soil structure preservation.”
Looking ahead
Given the ups and downs of today’s agricultural economy, Alex Forsbach believes diversification is a key link for him to afford taking on the risks that come with unconventional farming methods. With that, Forsbach and wife, Katherine, opened a rural primary care medical clinic in 2019 and a seed dealership in 2014. The couple also invested in and helped found AgLaunch, which allows farmers to trial new technologies and gain an equity stake in the companies, offering a service for local farmers to bring grain sorghum into their crop rotation.
Forsbach’s stewardship goal is to continue expanding the use of cover crops across more acres and refine how those are managed. He conducted a trial during the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons, planting soybeans directly into a green annual rye blend without terminating the cover crop beforehand.
As part of the experiment, Forsbach skipped the pre-plant herbicide application on 40 acres and allowed the rye to mature and die down naturally in late May.
“The soybeans established a strong stand, and I only needed a single, post-emergence herbicide pass, which was sufficient for minimal weed pressure,” Forsbach explains. “The experience showed promising potential for planting green as a way to reduce inputs, suppress weeds and improve soil cover longer into the season.”
On the horizon, Forsbach hopes to expand the use of “planting green” into covers as a standard practice across more of his acreage. The stewardship proponent also wants to explore the possibility of cover crop self-reseeding, especially with annual rye, to lower seeding costs and create a more self-sustaining system.
Reduced tillage through no-till or minimum till are also top of mind for the Tennessee farmer as he realizes the direct impact those practices have on protecting soil structure and improving organic matter. Controlling erosion, especially in flood-prone areas, as well as maximizing soil cover further outline Forsbach’s management plans.
“Conservation has a significant role in creating and carrying out my farming legacy,” Forsbach says. “My children and farm visitors see conservation in action, setting a foundation for the future. I love talking to people who are not directly involved in agriculture because you get the best questions on why we do things a certain way. It is a way for me to challenge conventional thinking.”
While the future is filled with unknowns, Forsbach knows conservation helps him think long-term.
“Taking care of the ground, through conservation, ensures we are ready to face future challenges,” he says.
With sights on leaving what he has better for the next generation, Forsbach says his farming legacy is truly what he lives for.
With two daughters, Forsbach says he and his wife, Katie, are hopeful their children will have the same passion for agriculture and conservation they do. Yet, he shares the vision of his own parents in that farming will not be pushed on the next generation.
“You have to have a deep passion for growing crops to endure the challenges farming along the Tennessee River provides,” he says. “We have to take care of the ground while we are stewards of it and leave it healthy and productive for the next generation.”
