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.