5 Ways Farmers Protect the Environment
Farmers play a vital role not only in feeding the world but also in safeguarding the environment. Through sustainable practices, conservation efforts and innovative technologies, many farmers are actively working to reduce their environmental impact.
From planting cover crops and using no-till methods to protecting water quality and more, read on to learn how farmers protect the environment, conserve natural resources and contribute to a healthier planet – proving that agriculture and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.
See more: What Is Regenerative Agriculture?
1. Planting Cover Crops
Even in the middle of winter, you’ll likely notice green crops growing in fields. Often this is winter wheat, which is both a cover crop and a cash crop, planted in the fall and harvested in June to protect the environment. However, many of the other green crops you may see are cover crops that aren’t harvested and sold like wheat, corn and soybeans. Still, they play an important role in helping the farmland remain viable for the long term.
“Our land is our No. 1 asset,” says Brad Cochran, a fourth-generation Tennessee farmer. “Without the land and good soils, we can’t be sustainable for future generations.”
Planting cover crops naturally loosens up the soil and prevents nutrient run-off in between planting cash crops. It also helps the soil retain moisture by acting like a sponge to absorb rainwater. Cochran – who has used cover crops for nearly 30 years – plants cereal rye, black oats, crimson clover, forage turnips and tillage radish as cover crops.
Read the article: How Tennessee Farmers and Landowners Benefit the Environment
2. No-Till Farming
Sean Stanton runs what’s known in the agriculture business as a diversified operation. Instead of just one crop, his North Plain Farm in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, yields a bevy of vegetables, pork, beef, milk, chicken and eggs.
Since 2018, Stanton has been implementing diversification from the literal ground up in the pastures that feed his livestock. Using a $30,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, he purchased a no-till seed drill allowing him to plant different types of forage over the year without tearing up his fields. He also bought an input spreader to apply organic, composted chicken manure on his new seeds and improve their yields.
See more: What Is No-Till Farming?
Stanton says the resulting growth is better for his animals, and since he can harvest more feed with less fuel, it’s better for the planet as well. His grant was awarded through MDAR’s Agricultural Climate Resiliency & Efficiencies program, part of the department’s ongoing efforts to upgrade the state’s farms in response to climate change.
Read the article: Massachusetts Focuses On Climate Smart Farming Efforts
3. Water-Saving Irrigation
Researchers in Florida are always looking for new ways to make ag production more efficient, sustainable and less labor intensive. Drain tile irrigation is an innovative irrigation method with boundless potential for water conservation in Florida’s fields.
The system, which employs perforated pipes buried beneath a field, can reduce the water needed for a crop by roughly half compared to seepage irrigation, the most common practice in Florida crop production.
Because drain tile irrigation doesn’t require furrows for water to enter the field, farmers using it gain 12% more planting space in the same area.
Read the article: University of Florida Researchers Work to Automate Water-Saving Irrigation
4. Prioritizing Soil Heatlh
In the world of agriculture, consumers and producers oftentimes look at what’s happening above ground, focusing on the plant or harvest and yield numbers. In reality, what greatly affects these outcomes is happening beneath the surface – in the soil.
“Simply put, healthier soils produce healthier plants,” says Jennifer Simmelink, coordinator of the Kansas Soil Health Alliance (KSHA). “For plants to utilize sunlight and water most effectively, it’s important for the soil they live in to be healthy.”
KSHA was formed to help improve and protect Kansas soils by allowing farmers and ranchers to teach others about soil health and how improvements can ultimately boost all aspects of their operation.
Simmelink says that the Alliance works to promote the five principles of soil health, which are limited disturbance, soil cover, living roots, diversity and livestock integration.
“These principles work together to protect and feed the soil microbes, which in turn, help feed the plants,” she says. “A healthy, high-functioning soil will increase water filtration and storage capacity, increase nutrient cycling, improve carbon storage, and improve plant health and resistance to disease, which leads to less chemical applications.”
Read the article: Healthy Soil Is the Foundation for Healthy Plants
5. Protecting Water Quality
Healthy soil and clean water are cornerstones of farming. Now that DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative has expanded to farmers across the state, more Ohio farmers than ever are participating in the program focused on improving Ohio’s water quality.
Brian Baldridge, Ohio Department of Agriculture director, highlighted H2Ohio’s recent success, noting over 3,200 farmers are now enrolled in the program, covering more than 2.2 million acres across the state.
“The overall vision is to expand best management practices farmers use to protect water quality in Northwest Ohio across the state,” he explains. “These practices are beneficial no matter where they’re implemented, and we’re proud of the strength and collaboration between agencies, farmers, and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts as our impact grows.”
The Ohio Department of Agriculture initially focused on the 24 Western Lake Erie Basin counties. The voluntary water quality best management practices allow farmers to implement those practices on their cropland, which have been proven to reduce phosphorous runoff. In 2024, the program expanded to include all counties in the state.
Read the article: Ohio Farmers Join H2Ohio Initiative to Improve Water Quality