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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:15 PM CDT
Farmers do their part by practicing land conservation

Mary Cox, Coles County Farm Bureau

With Earth Day being celebrated last week, many people shared ways on how to keep our planet beautiful by helping reducing pollution. Farmers do their part by properly taking care of the land.

Over the past decade and a half, farmers have dramatically increased their use of conservation tillage techniques that keep crop residue such as leaves and stalks in the field. The Conservation Technology Information Center reports that conservation tillage is used on about 112 million acres, equal to more than 40 percent of the acres planted to crops in the U.S.

Conservation tillage systems sequester greenhouse gases, contributing to the fight against global warming. Using conservation tillage also greatly reduces field runoff and keeps crop protectants where they belong — in the field and out of streams. This helps protect water quality.

The erosion rate by water on U.S. cropland has been reduced by more than 40 percent since 1982, according to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. Today, soil lost to erosion is down to less than 3 tons per acre.

Farmers have and continue to take part in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to protect the environment and provide habitat for wildlife. As of January 2009, farmers enrolled 33.6 million acres of their land in this program.

Since CRP began in 1986, farmers have participated in planting 4.55 million acres of trees, taking crop land out of production to reduce carbon sequestration, putting more acres into wetland areas, and providing habitat for wildlife.

Today’s farmers use precise plant nutrition management plants to increase food production with less waste. This translated into leaner rivers, lakes, and streams across the United Sates. American farmers and ranchers have a stake in the future of America’s natural resources. With 98 percent of America’s farms and ranches operated by individuals or families, maintaining and improving our nation’s natural resources is vital to keeping the business in the family for generations to come. Using precise plant nutrition and crop health practices and tools, helps today’s farmers produce more food with less seed and fewer inputs.

Farmers respect the land and better understand the delicate balance between what the earth can give and take away. They realize that the conservation practices they follow today will lead to better land tomorrow.

Mary Cox is the manager of the Coles County Farm Bureau.

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Rohn Gordon wrote on Apr 29, 2009 12:19 PM:

" Oh yeah they do their part ok. What a joke. They are the ones that has caused most of the land erosions. Drive around in the country side and look at all the fence rows they are taking down or have took down. Every year they get closer to ditches with their crops. There is some that even plant as far over as the downward edge of the ditch. They are removing all of the natural wind and runoff barriers. All of this is the name of the almighty dollar.
The worst snow drifting main road around here is North 45 north of Mattoon. Just drive out there and count how many fence rows you find on the west side of 45 between Mattoon and Humbolt. "

123 wrote on May 4, 2009 6:39 AM:

" You got it Rohn! Maybe the reason for them signing up for CRP is the $$$ per acre they get to sign up for it! I can assure you that if those $$$ were not there, they would not sign up!! "

soybeanpod wrote on May 5, 2009 7:16 AM:

" I suppose one can throw stones at any occupation. And agriculture is no exception. Yes, there are guys that farm to the edge and over along the road ditch. Those farmers are like any example, a few make the whole look bad. Yes, snow does blow because there are no fences. But if there were money in livestock (hogs are around 35 cents a pound right now) those fences would be up and used. As the writer said, if the $$ are there, the farmer (like any businessman) will be there. "