Farmers Caring About the Enviornment
Farmers have a long track record of decreasing their environmental impact per bushel produced. They have taken a number of steps in the last 30 yearsincluding reducing tillage and land use, slashing soil erosion, using less energy and protecting air quality. Even with these changes, They have still managed to increase yields about 50 percent. There also taking many other steps to keep improving. They are making changes in the way we work — not because of outside demands but because it’s the right thing to do. Protecting the environment connects with my bottom line. Farming has become a business where inches matter, so putting just the right amount of seed, fertilizer or pest control exactly where needed is farming healthier, smarter and more efficiently. Farmers work together to accomplish there sustainability goals. They share the knowledge They have gained through trial and error. Her is 40 Ways farmers care for the enviornment
Farmers have a long track record of decreasing their environmental impact per bushel produced. They have taken a number of steps in the last 30 yearsincluding reducing tillage and land use, slashing soil erosion, using less energy and protecting air quality. Even with these changes, They have still managed to increase yields about 50 percent. There also taking many other steps to keep improving. They are making changes in the way we work — not because of outside demands but because it’s the right thing to do. Protecting the environment connects with my bottom line. Farming has become a business where inches matter, so putting just the right amount of seed, fertilizer or pest control exactly where needed is farming healthier, smarter and more efficiently. Farmers work together to accomplish there sustainability goals. They share the knowledge They have gained through trial and error. Her is 40 Ways farmers care for the enviornment
- Utilize innovative practices to raise more beef with fewer natural resources.
- Partner with state, local and National Environmental agencies to monitor land, water and wildlife and make improvements to the environment.
- Operate methane digesters, which capture methane from manure and utilize it to generate electricity for the farm.
- Allow livestock to graze andConsume natural and organic Forages that convert to healthy, nutritious beef.
- Adopt a “locavore” diet for cattle by using feed grown locally to reduce fuel needed for transportation.
- UtilizeRotational Grazing in which livestock are moved to different pastures every few days to prevent overgrazing.
- Participate in university research projects that aim to improve farmer environmental practices.
- Protect open spaces from development through programs Like conversation easements.
- Compost cattle manure into fertilizer products that can be used by golf courses, athletic fields, gardens, etc.
- Utilize biofuel additives in gasoline to power beef production operations.
- Recognize those in the industry who have made long-standing contributions to the preservation of the country’s natural resources through the Environmental Stewardship award.
- Recycle materials such as feed bags and plastic containers (mineral tubs), batteries, used motor oil, tires, and scrap metal.
- Maintain open space as cattle grazing pastures, allowing land to remain natural, free of trash, debris and invasive weeds and trees.
- Fertilize fields with manure from cattle feeding operations to reduce fuel needed to manufacturer synthetic fertilizer.
- Maintain and introduce habitats as homes for numerous endangered species.
Quote From Chef Alex Young
"A farm includes the passion of the farmer's heart, the interest of the farm's customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm -- it's everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism. The tragedy of our time is that cultural philosophies and market realities are squeezing life's vitality out of most farms. And that is why the average farmer is now 60 years old. Serfdom just doesn't attract the best and brightest.”
Quote From Farm Bureau
"Farming is a work of life you cant get what you don't deserve farmers are a work of art only the Environment can change that."
"A farm includes the passion of the farmer's heart, the interest of the farm's customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm -- it's everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism. The tragedy of our time is that cultural philosophies and market realities are squeezing life's vitality out of most farms. And that is why the average farmer is now 60 years old. Serfdom just doesn't attract the best and brightest.”
Quote From Farm Bureau
"Farming is a work of life you cant get what you don't deserve farmers are a work of art only the Environment can change that."
Sources Cited
- www.ncfb.org
- www.zingermansroadhouse.com/about-us/chef-alex-young/
- Google Images
- http://markmaynard.com/2014/07/chef-alex-young-of-the-roadhouse-on-his-work-at-cornman-farms-and-the-importance-of-preserving-foodways/