| | | | | | | | | See For Yourself: Plan A Conservation Ag Windshield Tour | | | If you ever worry about losing touch with the work you're doing in conservation agriculture, plan a road trip.
Nothing can claim to get your heart back in the right place, or your mind reflecting on the benefits of this purpose-driven field, in the same way. At least, that's been my experience. I rediscovered this on a recent two-week roadtrip with my wife and four children along the Oregon Trail from Independence, Mo., to Oregon City, Ore., and back again. We actually made it all the way to the Pacific Coast and drove into the ocean to prove we couldn't travel any further west. (Kidding, only just.) It would be hard to put to words the incredible magnificence and, in many cases fragility, of the western U.S. We watched the Snake River wind its way through Idaho, peered into the sky at unbelievably tall trees near the Blue Mountains of Oregon and lost track of how many wind gusts nearly blew us across wide-open Wyoming rangeland. Along the way, we spotted numerous dairies, irrigation systems, specialty and permanent crops, and many, many rural communities where farming and ranching represents the primary source of income for untold families. The heartbeat of conservation ag is just around the corner. You don't even need to cross state lines. Just hop in your car and find the nearest highway, away from people. Get quiet, and get reacquainted with the people you're helping and the spaces we're helping them steward. Now that's a beautiful thing. Until next week,
Nate Birt
Vice President, Trust In Food™ | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | How Conservation Farming In Southwest Nebraska Makes Sunny Heights Farm Viable | | | | By David Frabotta, manager of climate-smart ag interactive programming, Trust In Food: Tracy Zink builds on the legacy of previous generations to implement climate-smart practices that optimize water and save her soils. “Everything we do is conservation minded for water and soil erosion, and there is no incentive for that except the viability of our farm,” Zink says. “And if we don’t do that, then we won’t be here.” Zink builds on her conservation practices each year on her 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum in southwest Nebraska. | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | How To Balance Dairy Sustainability Investments For Greater ROI | | | | By Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: Integrating animal agriculture with crop production provides myriad opportunities for regenerative practices. Steve and Cheryl Schlangen have adopted more than 30 sustainability practices at SC Dairy in Albany, Minn. The one that has proved most challenging—and the source of their greatest pride—is manure injection. “When you were done with that for the day, you were done,” Steve Schlangen explains in a video interview with Trust In Food. “Everything was in the ground. It was where you put it and it was at the amount you wanted it in most situations." | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | Shared by Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: On Earth Day this year, President Biden stated: “Scientists estimate that the protection and restoration of our natural lands and waters can provide more than one third of the solution to climate change.” With that focus in mind, farmer associations are working to advance sustainable agriculture solutions centered on producers. This week, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) published "Growing A More Sustainable Future," which spotlights corn farmers' sustainability efforts in Politico. "Working together — from the field to the customer — will be key in sustainably providing corn as a safe source of food, feed, fuel and fiber for our growing world population," explains Brooke Appleton, vice president of public policy at NCGA. Here's a look at some of those sustainability investments happening in the field. | | |
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| | | Shared by David Frabotta, manager of climate-smart interactive programming, Trust In Food: The U.S. beef industry is the global leader in sustainable beef production as a result of decades of research, innovation and improvement. That position results from investments such as more precise animal nutrition, increased resilience and efficiency and improved resource use. The country also has had the lowest beef greenhouse gas emissions intensity in the world since 1996—10 to 50 times lower than other regions of the world today. Here's how a focus on continuous improvement will shape the industry into the future. | | |
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| | | Shared by Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: Farmers and bird hunters agree that sorghum paired with conservation practices across sprawling acres plays a critical role for the connection between wildlife populations, soil health, and water quality and quantity. Committed to showcasing this nexus, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever partnered with the United Sorghum Checkoff Program to launch Sorghum for BIRDS (Building Innovative, Resilient, and Diverse agricultural Systems) – an initiative to help achieve mutual goals for landscape-level sustainability and profitability in the heart of America’s sorghum belt. | | |
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