Americas Conservation Ag Movement
Dick Billings passed away several years ago, but his wife, their son and granddaughters have been able to build upon his vision for the family’s operation, thanks to a team of farmers and a forestry consultant.
“Everything we do is conservation minded for water and soil erosion, and there is no incentive for that except the viability of our farm,” says Tracy Zink. “And if we don’t do that, then we won’t be here.”
Lawrence M. Conyer attributes his conservation practices, including cover crops and minimum till, to his ability to manage his land to be resilient and to grow his operation at scale.
America’s Conservation Ag Movement is hosting a series of farmer-led, in-the-field agronomic events in five states this summer.
Food and agriculture face a time of unparalleled change, both in the heft of the systemic issues they’re working through and in the speed at which seismic shifts will likely occur.
Cover crops, conservation tillage, irrigation optimization, fertilizers and pesticides all have a fit on Rondo Farms, but only when they’re right for the land, the agronomy and the financials.
If a given farming operation can accurately measure its carbon footprint out of the gate, and then seek improvement, the opportunity for greater payments expands in tandem.
Sometimes change stems from major events in our life and our farm that fundamentally shift your mindset.
Aaron Krueger’s conservation practices have created more resiliency on his land and reduced input use. He expects to gain additional rewards during his second phase of management and practice changes.
Producers turn to their peers for insights on new practices and technologies while balancing environmental stewardship with daily priorities such as labor availability and succession planning.
America’s Conservation Ag Movement has a new opportunity for 10 farmers (two each) based in Arkansas, California, Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska.
It’s easy to knock something you know little or nothing about. Farmers who are working to adopt conservation practices on their operations face ridicule routinely. Yet their efforts now could help us all in the future.
Dairy farmers made progress on the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative and the industry advanced multiple partnership projects on many fronts, including research into methane reduction and collaboration with food companies.
As you plan for the New Year, how are you thinking about integrating conservation ag objectives into your list of priorities?
A USDA-National Resources Inventory report shows soil erosion rates on cropland decreased 35% from 1982 to 2017. Even so, some members of the agricultural community say rates are unsustainable for crop production.
Feed additives, metabolic pathways and methane-reducing gene traits all are part of new research efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cows.
A series of extreme rains prompted the Clark family to change the way it operates their farm and begin integrating more regenerative practices.
In most scenarios, companies want to incentivize growers by paying them to use regenerative farming practices, especially no-till and cover crops, on ground where they haven’t used such practices previously.
For Indiana farmer Tom McKinney, adding solar to his farm was a “no brainer.” The output from the installation meets his drying demand for half a million bushels.
The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the world’s largest freshwater resources. In northeastern Nebraska, farmers in the Bazile Groundwater Management Area who rely on this resource know its value—and that it’s at risk.
When the Borg family added chickens to their diversified beef and row-crop farm, they had enough opportunity to bring their daughters back into the business and start building a sustainable future for their operation.
When he came back to the farm 11 years ago, Brian Scott was determined to protect his family legacy, while still trying new practices. Today, he and his father farm about 2,500 acres of diverse crops in Monticello, Ind.
This Indiana farmer says pollinator habitat practices are effective at reducing costs, establishing a year-round cover that protects the soil from erosion, protecting water quality, as well as providing wildlife habitat.
The most important step to making a change on your farm is determining why you are going to do it.
With more eyes on sustainability and conservation, farmers in the Midwest should consider environmentally and pocketbook-friendly options—before it becomes regulated.
When life gives you lemons, water them carefully. At least, that’s what avocado and lemon tree grower Angela Vanoni does. A native of Ventura County, California, she’s no stranger to drought and strict rules.
Good data forms the framework for management decisions Lukas Fricke and his brother make on their Ulysses, Neb., farm operation, including the one they made recently to sign a carbon contract.
Sustainability is being built as a separate pillar of focus within most every agriculture-related organization today.
Soil carbon sequestration can become an important mitigation strategy if there is agreed upon, credible, cost-effective and consistent measurement, reporting and verification behind the credits, according to researchers.
After participating in four carbon market pilot programs in the past two years, Kyle Mehmen has learned a lot about the opportunity, and perhaps even more about what not to do.