Michigan Farmers Incorporate Climate-Smart and Regenerative Practices
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Climate-smart and regenerative agriculture practices are being implemented throughout Michigan. Farmers are adopting these practices in the hopes of leaving the land better than they found it by helping to improve soil health and diversify operations while putting the industry ahead with climate challenges and food security.
“It’s a move toward ensuring the long-term viability of Michigan farms,” says Dr. Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Boring says the practices are becoming increasingly aligned with consumer preferences, too.
“In a state with abundant agricultural diversity and highly capable and adaptable producers and processors, this means opportunity,” Boring says. “Opportunities for farms to capture additional revenue for agribusinesses in supply chain and for increased quality of life for families across rural Michigan.”
Silvopasture Sensation
While climate-smart and regenerative agriculture may be gaining popularity in mainstream American farming, European farmers have been taking part for centuries with a practice called silvopasture, which integrates trees, forage and livestock on the same land where it is mutually beneficial. However, this method can also be labor intensive and require more management.
Molly Muchow, farm manager at Verdant Hollow Farms in Buchanan, says she doesn’t mind the extra effort because all their decisions are based on where the farm will be years from now.
“Our baseline for land management is organic and chemical free with an emphasis on restoring the ecosystem of the farm through multispecies livestock rotation and no-till practices,” Muchow says.
Verdant Hollow Farms raises hogs and goats in the woods to help combat invasive species and rotates chickens and sheep on pastures to support soil systems.
“These practices are not only supportive of a diverse and thriving ecosystem but also produce nutrient-dense products and delicious protein,” Muchow says.
See more: Michigan’s Farmland Preservation Program Benefits the Environment
Cultivating a Future in Regenerative Agriculture
MDARD sees these practices as an investment in the future of farming and is implementing $15 million in research and development.
“Climate-smart agriculture isn’t just about mitigating risk,” Boring says. “It’s also about adding to the value of the products we grow here in Michigan.”
Muchow also adopted climate-smart and regenerative agriculture methods to help preserve the farm and land for generations to come.
“We have three children, and I would really like them to inherit an environment better than we found it,” Muchow says.