Earth Day is always a good time to reflect on how we treat the environment, and the actions and improvements we’re making for the betterment of our planet. Farmers use the land to produce fruits, vegetables, and grains and graze livestock. Because our farmers and ranchers are so closely tied to the earth and its valuable resources, they are continuously looking for new management practices to improve their land, which means so much to them.
We're undergoing the most devastating environmental crisis the human-populated earth may ever see, in the form of climate change. What responsibility do food and especially meat producers have in this crisis, and what should they be doing to mitigate climate change, now and in the future?
When it comes to the environmental impact of our diet, with a few exceptions, what we eat has a far greater influence than where or how it was produced. Yes, local is important, yes, organic production is important, but by far the change that would cause the greatest reduction in the environmental footprint of the average American's diet is to eat less animal-based foods. Ultimately, this should be a choice that the eater makes, but it needs to be a well-informed choice. My question: how is USFRA contributing to this dialogue and helping eaters understand that animal-based foods, almost regardless of how they are produced, have an inherently higher environmental impact than plant-based foods? ps - I am not a vegetarian, but I am a scientist that studies the environmental impact of our food system!
Could we learn from other cultures who have installed monoculture crops for cash at the expense of biodiversity?
In response to the question of useing genetics - shouldn't we consider the ethics of NOT using genetics when its use enables a safe and more environmentally sustainable production system?
How would you respond to criticism that "farmers primary goal is yield- not quality?"
How can we tell the world outside of no till farming about all of the benefits that a no till cropping system adds to the environment and how it greatly improves soil health?
Have we lost sight of the main goal of conservation programs? Seems the farmer/rancher is often the last to have input on developing conservation programs that will truly benefit farming/ranching while protecting resources.
Should farmers have to enact environmentally friendly practices in exchange for taxpayer support for insurance and subsidies?
When I first opened this site, there was a place to make a comment about a question. I really wanted to comment so I registered. Now there is no comment button to be found, only a vote. I don't even know what "vote" on a question means,
Why do none of the large agribusinesses consider building the soil to be a priority? Chemical farming, far from being traditional, is the antithesis of truly traditional farming, which entails great efforts to build the soil each and every year, leading to healthier plants which are far more resistant to pests and disease without the need for chemical amendments. Addicting plants to chemical fertilizers, much as addicting humans to chemical drugs, can only have a deleterious effect in the long run. Building the soil, conversely, leads to healthier plants and a healthier environment in which to grow them.
As an individual about to start a small organic farm, where I am planning on growing a wide variety of crops using primarily aquaponics and permaculture, how can I best ensure that my crops will not be tainted by GMOs from Monsanto and DuPont, among others?
Some people rail against the use of chemical fertilizers. Then, they also criticize the use of manure as fertilizer, claiming that is runs off into water bodies. If farmers can't use synthetic fertilizer, and they can't use manure, how the heck are we going to grow enough food for everyone? It's easy to criticize this practice and that practice, but we shouldn't starve ourselves in the process of trying to shrink agriculture's environmental footprint.
Runoff from commercial fertilizers can endanger our water resources. What standards, if any, does the agricultural industry use for fertilizing commodity and other crops? How does the industry work to offset damages to the environment caused by commercial fertilizer runoff?
The Clean Water Act is almost 40 years old. The EPA regulations generally require confined animal feeding operations to have no discharges unless a 25 year rainfall event occurs and limit land application of wastes to less than required for safe fertilization. A big effort has been made to reduce fertilizer use to only that which will be removed by harvest and shipped off the farm. Has there been a measurable improvement in river quality?
How are members of the USFRA addressing the massive dead zones (in the Gulf Coast and elsewhere) caused by nitrogen runoff?
The press reports that the carbon footprint of animal agriculture is high. What are farmers / ranchers doing to reduce ag carbon footprint?
Are farmers and ranchers really focused on sustainability?
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), a coalition of 49 agriculture groups, says it will begin a $10 million media campaign to reintroduce consumers to the origins of their food. USFRA includes the National
CIUDAD OBREGÓN, Mexico — The dun wheat field spreading out at Ravi P. Singh’s feet offered a possible clue to human destiny. Baked by a desert sun and deliberately starved of water, the plants were parched and nearly dead.
New techniques used in farming and ranching prove key this growing season
The growing season of 2012, no matter the geographical location in the United States, is a challenging one. Amidst one of the worst droughts in a century, dry, hot conditions are wreaking havoc across the nation. According to Bloomberg news (Aug. 1, 2012), more than half the counties in the U.S. were considered drought-stressed. Most of the areas that faced this stress were in corn, soybean and livestock-raising country. The weather impacts crops as well as meat and poultry, since corn and soybeans – important staples in the diets of many farm animals – are two of the hardest hit crops.
FROM EATOCRACY ON AUGUST 30, 2012
After a very wet spring in 2011 that delayed planting, the 2012 crop season looked promising as planting conditions were optimal. The outlook was refreshing as it meant few setbacks on the crop. However, the good conditions during planting quickly turned as our family waited and waited for moisture. Unfortunately, when the rains did arrive, they were few and far between.
By Bryan Walsh
When it comes to energy, everyone loves efficiency. Cutting energy waste is one of those goals that both sides of the political divide can agree on, even if they sometimes diverge on how best to get there. Energy efficiency allows us to get more out of our given resources, which is good for the economy and (mostly) good for the environment as well. In an increasingly hot and crowded world, the only sustainable way to live is to get more out of less. Every environmentalist would agree.
By Bryan Walsh
Climate change is the environmental problem that obsesses us, the one that's the focus of high-flying international summits and hardcore national politics. But it's not the only environmental problem — and it's not even the biggest one. That happens to be the crisis in agriculture and land use, the subject of what Jon Foley — the head of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment — calls the "other inconvenient truth."
FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ON DECEMBER 4, 2011
AS CLIMATE-CHANGE negotiators from nearly 200 countries meet this week in South Africa, Carter Roberts, the World Wildlife Fund’s president, argues that the leading environmental challenge of this century won’t be global warming. It will be feeding people.
The WWF reckons that about 70 percent of the world’s land either is used to produce food or is unsuitable for that. Global population is heading from 7 billion toward a possible 10 billion by 2100. Per capita consumption rises as countries develop. Some vacant land may not be all that fertile.
Here today, gone tomorrow. It´s a common sentiment in a fast-changing world. But while most of us won´t be around a century from now, hundreds of millions of people will live in the United States and will need to be fed. If growth trends continue, it´ll be many more millions than the 310 million who live here now. And there will be less farmland and ranchland available to do it with. That´s why sustainability is so crucial to America´s food industry – and America´s future.
Farming and ranching are the most important things that can be done to enable people to live as comfortably as possible. Even city dwellers can raise SOME food, no matter how small their available space...with a little imagination!
I have recently inherited my mother's 80 acre farm and will be moving there to research ways of helping people become self-suffiient.
Just like we have been told that the more ingredients there are in a food product, then less likely that it is good for you, the same goes for meat - the more times the live animal has changed hands, the more times the meat has been processed, the more warehouses it has been stored in and trucks it has been shipped in, the less likely it will be healthy for the end user - the eater of the meat (or for the animal from whom the meat came...). If you can, buy your meat from the farmer who bred and raised the animal and has it processed in a small, local, USDA inspected, humane butcher. So meat goes from farm, to butcher to you.
Stewardship of the land, humane treatment of the animals who provide us with sustenance - these are part of our mission and the same goes for thousands of other small family farms like ours. They go hand in hand! If we don't care for the land, it wouldn't be able to give back to us!
Our family farm was recently honored as Western Nebraska Master Conservationists of the year. Like many of our neighbors, we have planted trees, no till farm with rotations, and take good care of our range and cattle. What sets us apart is the experience our son brought back from Iraq where it rains 36" annually; that is double our rainfall. In Iraq, the dust storms last days and irrigation and fertilization our required to grow crops. The Fertile Crescent is one of the places our civilization based upon tilling the soil started...and it was not climate change, but farming techniques that are "organic" and some would claim "sustainable" that turned an region with the climate of East Texas or Southern Florida into a desert. With the current research in soils, this is a very exciting time to be a farmer. For the first time in history, we have the knowledge and tools to try to build topsoil and control erosion.
Last week we had relatives come visit and we had to care for calves in the pasture with pneumonia. The first day, we let them watch while we took to well trained horses and carefully herded the mother and each calf that had to be treated into a small pen where the calf received an injection of a drug not used in human medicine per our veterinary protocol. The next day, we had the advantage of a nearby corral, so we saddled an extra horse for our guest. When we sorted our three pair to be treated, he thought, "now I'm done for; the cattle are going to scatter and what chance to I have when it took two riders per pair yesterday". Instead they stayed as a herd and queitly walked into the corral. Their are lots of urban myths about how to make contented cattle, and many of them are as naive as our guests. Please keep your mind open and ask a rancher about how to treat livestock.
Last week, some of our calves in pasture caught pneumonia and we also had relatives visiting. To treat the calves, we built a small catch pen in one pasture. Then my wife and I on two well trained horses would herd a calf with its mom into the pen. It was challenging. Then we would catch the calf with a halter and restrain it to insert an antibiotic into the ear. The antibiotic family is licensed for veterinary, not human use and we use it after consultation with our veterinarian. Treating several calves took several hours. The next day, we went to a pasture with an adjacent corral and saddled an extra horse for our novice guest. When we gathered up three pairs of cows and calves, he thought, now I am done for....they are going to all go there separate ways and I will lose mine becuase I saw how hard it is for two riders to control one pair. Instead they stayed as a herd and we easily got them into the corral. The press is full of opinions about how cattle think and what is good for animals that have no more accuracy than our guests expectation that the herd animals would all go their own way.
Our family was recently honored on as Nebraska Master Conservationists for 2011. We and the other four nominees are doing many of the same practices as our neighbors. We plant treee breaks, rotation graze, monitor range condition, no till farm to reduce soil erosion and improve the soil quality. We have crop rotations which include forages and legumes, usually fed where they are grown. We do this for the joy of watching the environment improve under our stewardship, and we can document that it truly has improved through improved vigor and diversity of the range plants and improved health of the soil which reduces the need for irrigation and improves the uniformity of seed germination and ultimately crop yield.
Grazing + grasslands = Enhanced Biodiversity Grazing = milk, nutritious food, food security for the Northeast Corridor
Farmers in the Northeast area that I am most familiar with serve as wonderfully rich areas for wildlife, wetlands and watersheds. I wish that I could share with the typical consumer the extent of the wildlife and even threatned bird species that are safe on my land. Studies are indicating in NY that grazing combined with grasslands leads to enhanced biodiversity. Unfortunately, there seems to be little interest by urban environmentalists about the biodiverse life of the typical farms of our part of the country.
Our family is just like theirs in the urban area. We get our food from the same stores they do, we drive the same highways, we want our children to have as good or better education as everyone else, and we want good research, communication and regulations to ensure what we produce is safe and abundant. We are proud of what we do and want to ensure our children, your children and the people around the world will have the food they need that is produced in an environmentally-friendly way.
I wish Americans understood that nobody cares more about the livestock they raise or the land they farm than the farmers themselves. They produce crops in livestock where they live, so they strive to perform their duties in the safest, most environmentally conscious means possible. If there were safety or environmental issues, the farmers and their families would be the first to suffer the consequences. There are many means and methods of producing agricultural products, and none of them is the absolute best option. Each has its own benefits. The important thing is that these various production practices offer consumers a variety of food options at various prices. This provides consumers with choices on how they would like to spend their food dollars, while allowing those with limited incomes to feed their families in the most affordable means possible.
U.S. farmers and ranchers share consumer’s values; we are committed to proper animal care, environmental stewardship and various production models can be used consistently with these values, providing consumers choice Your world and the technology you use has changed dramatically in the past 30 years; so has the technology involved in producing food. This technology brings you consistent high quality, ensures food safety and protects the environment.
Julie Maschoff, a pig farmer, says it’s easier now more than ever to take care of animals because of controlled environments leading to higher survival rates.
TIME Magazine recently ran an article on how to feed a growing population without destroying the planet. Too often we see articles that point the finger at farmers and ranchers and their management practices as the reasoning behind the end of the planet as we know it. This article, however, provides a balanced overview of various approaches to ensuring that we not only feed the population but do it with the planet in mind. And at the end of the day, it will take different types of farming, both organic and conventional, coming together to solve these problems and continue moving forward. As the article says, "there is no silver bullet solution. But there is silver buckshot."
Focus on Improvement
Reducing water use and improving water quality are critical goals for all farmers and ranchers in raising food. Over the past few decades, farmers and ranchers have greatly improved their impact on water – and they continue to find innovative solutions. USFRA farmer and rancher affiliates – and our industry partners – work to reduce agriculture’s impact on water.
An increasing number of farmers and ranchers are working to make their operations more recyclable and self-sustaining. This means doing more to reuse materials on the farm, minimize waste and reduce the need to bring in energy from outside sources.
Water Use
Water is vital because all living things – plants and animals – need water to grow and thrive. In the United States, approximately 39 percent of fresh water is used for irrigating crops. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/irmethods.html
Seeds and Seed Breeding
Seed innovations have reduced the amount of water needed over time. Both conventional breeding and genetic modification have made crops less water dependent. While seed-supply companies are still striving to find even greater drought tolerance, many have released products that perform well in water-limited environments.
According to the University of Minnesota, comparing hybrids used today with those planted 10-to-20 years ago, more crops are doing better with less water. They tend to have more extensive root systems and can tolerate drought-like conditions.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/cropenews/2006/pdfs/06MNCN56.pdf
More Precise Use of Water
Farmers are getting more precise with the water they use. Extensive research has helped farmers who irrigate reduce water usage by customizing application to soil and seed needs, resulting in less wasted water. Also, the way crops are watered has changed with tools like drip tape irrigation for vegetable and fruit farmers in which irrigation pipes with holes are laid along the ground reducing evaporation and using less water than flood irrigation.
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/irmethods.html
Additionally, a great deal of agronomic research has gone into the timing of irrigation for each crop. Through new research and technologies, farmers now apply water at the precise time that the plant best utilizes moisture, thus avoiding overwatering. http://elkhorn.unl.edu/epublic/live/ec732/build/ec732.pdf
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, farmers have become 28 percent more efficient with water use over the last decade and 49 percent more efficient over the last five years. (Note that 2003 was a drought year therefore, on average, more water was applied.) Water use efficiency shows that farmers are getting more bushels from the same – or less – amount of water.
http://www.nebraskacorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/cornstalk_may_2010.pdf
Water Quality:
There’s a great deal of discussion about the impact agriculture has on water quality. On the farm animal side, the question is about manure management while on the crop side, it’s about application of protection products and fertilizers.
Farm Animals
Many farms today are capturing and reusing the water used in raising animals and growing crops. They’re creating closed loop systems by using animal manure as fertilizer on crops. On some farms this is a self-contained cycle while on others it represents an arrangement between crop farmers and animal ranchers.
Farm animal manure is contained in a number of ways, including lined lagoons, above ground storage, anaerobic digesters (a system that holds manure to create electricity), composting piles and other storage methods, which are outlined and mandated according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state health agencies in which the farm or ranch is located. Farmers and ranchers invest a great deal of money into their manure management systems to stay compliant with their state and EPA regulations.
The manure collected by farmers and ranchers that is applied at the appropriate rate is a great organic fertilizer, which has reduced some dependence on synthetic fertilizers, helping to offset greenhouse emissions contributed by synthetic fertilizers. In addition to providing valuable nutrients to help crops grow, animal manure helps to build the organic content of the soil and improves the moisture-holding capacity of soil.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/ghgemissions/US-GHG-Inventory-2012-Main-Text.pdf
Additionally, any farmer or rancher who raises more than 1,000 animals is subject to the federal Clean Water Act, meaning they must submit an annual report, develop and follow a plan for handling manure and wastewater, and must not discharge any pollutants into the waters of the United States. Those who do not abide by these regulations are subject to steep fines. http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/lcwa.html
The 2004 Water Quality Assessment Database compiled by state environmental regulatory agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists sources of surface-water impairments of the nation’s rivers, streams and lakes. It showed that farm animal agriculture ranks low as a potential source of impact. In Iowa, the state that raises the most hogs, farm animal production ranks last as a probable source of impairment for streams and rivers and is not a source for contamination of lakes, ponds and reservoirs. http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3189#.T8j_HrBfF1F
Crop Protection
With the help from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and improved genetic traits within crops, the use of pesticides and fertilizers has been greatly refined and managed with excellent precision. Today, these tools are applied at the right time, right place and right amount, thus producing more with less.
Additionally, use of pesticides peaked in 1999, with 956 million pounds used compared to 2007 when only 877 million pounds were used. Reductions in inputs have greatly reduced the environmental impact, especially for water quality.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/chemical-inputs/pesticide-use-markets.aspx
Despite all these advances, farmers and ranchers and their partners need to keep striving to improve water use and quality – 2012’s drought has made this very clear. Innovation and research is essential to continue improving practices and protecting the environment.
Wholly or partially funded by one or more Checkoff programs.
For example, in 2007, roughly 877 million pounds of active ingredients were applied to US cropland. In comparison, in 1980, roughly 1.1 billion pounds of active ingredients were applied. So usage went down while yields went up.
Additionally, pesticides peaked in 1999, with 956 million pounds used compared to 2007 when only 877 million pounds were used. Reductions in inputs have greatly reduced the environmental impact, especially for water quality.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/chemical-inputs/pesticide-use-markets.aspx
With advancements in technologies like GPS and genetic advancements in crops, there has actually been a reduction in some crop inputs, like pesticides. While fertilizer use overall has not decreased, the use per acre has; fertilizer is applied more precisely and efficiently. Another example of farmers doing more with less.
These techniques reflect a change in management where farmers are able to use their inputs more efficiently by applying according to soil and crop needs. Farmers look to follow the 4R nutrient stewardship when it comes to management – use of the right fertilizer product at the right rate at the right time and in the right place.
http://www.nutrientstewardship.org
Farmers and ranchers need to keep improving how their inputs are released into the environment – but the trend seems to be improving water quality. Likewise, it’s important to continue improving other areas of indirect water pollution like oil, grease and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production. Continuous improvement – whether on the farm or in the city – is key to preserving healthy water sources.
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatis.cfm
In a recent study, 1,225 wells were tested in 56 networks (a geographic location containing several wells) across the United States. Thirteen of the 56 networks reflected increases in concentrations of nitrates. Five wells statistically had decreases in nitrates. The others remained the same.
http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/gwtrends/map.php?map=NO3
Additionally, in many rural locations, farmers and their families drink water from wells on their own property, making it a personal responsibility to be judicious with farm management tools like fertilizer for their own health.
Raising farm animals indoors, like many of today’s poultry, dairy cows and pig farms, means farmers and ranchers can capture and contain animal manure, much of which is repurposed as fertilizer for crops in a highly managed process.
Farmers who raise more than 1,000 animals in one area must carefully plan and design manure management systems to protect natural resources including water. Manure storage structures can be constructed from concrete, metal or earthen materials. If earthen structures are used, they are generally lined with compacted clay or synthetic materials to ensure protection of ground water. Management of waste is much stricter than most municipal wastewater policies for humans. By law, farmers cannot release any waste into the environment.
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/5bb6aa6d#/5bb6aa6d/64
For farm animals raised outdoors on the range, while waste goes directly into the soil, farmers and ranchers are equally as mindful of environmental impact. Farmers and ranchers fence off areas next to wetlands and water sources to reduce erosion and water contamination and they rotate livestock to new pastures.
Farmers are working harder than ever to use less water. In many ways, they have introduced the greatest innovations to conserve water. Over-irrigating or irrigating at the wrong time during the growth of a plant can reduce yields. Additionally, irrigation is expensive – whether that’s electricity or fuel to power the water pumps or funds to maintain water rights, using water is costly so farmers are incentivized to use less. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, farmers have increased water use efficiency by 28 percent over the last decade and 49 percent over the last five years. (Note that 2003 was a drought year, therefore, on average, more water was applied.) Farmers are getting more bushels from the same – or less – amount of water.
http://www.nebraskacorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/cornstalk_may_2010.pdf
Use the links in the table below to view or download state and national fact sheets listing structural, economic, environmental, health and social indicators for the years 1997, 2002, and 2007. The fact sheets are in PDF format. They can be incorporated into documents or presentations without modification, or sections of the fact sheets can be extracted using the "crop" tool in Adobe® Acrobat®.
This report presents summary results from the 2007 National Resources Inventory (NRI). The 2007 NRI is the latest in a series of natural resource inventories conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It provides updated information on the status, condition, and trends of land, soil, water, and related resources on the Nation’s non-Federal lands. Non-Federal lands include privately owned lands, tribal and trust lands, and lands controlled by State and local governments.
National Summary
August 2010
Stewart Ramsey
IHS Global Insight
for The Rice Foundation
The United States' biggest source of watershed pollution is agricultural runoff from farms and ranches, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When soil gets washed into streams and creeks, contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers also end up in the water, eventually polluting wildlife and fish habitats and contaminating water.
Pork Checkoff - Environmental Stewardship
Farmers in the Bay Farms program made substantial changes to their pre-plant N management by using the results of the PSNT, the CSNT and discussions about the results with the Bay Farms team and other farmers.
The Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network is made up of farmers who work together to study and improve nitrogen management and increase crop production profits. They compare current nitrogen management practices with alternatives in replicated strip trials across their fields, using precision technology such as GPS. They pool and share their data in local and statewide groups to learn what works – and what doesn’t – to minimize nitrogen losses. Most growers involved have learned ways to reduce nitrogen use by 50 lbs. per acre or more without reducing profits.
Many popular press articles about the project were published in such publications as: Successful Farming, Progressive Farmer, Farm Journal, Wallace’s Farmer, Iowa Soybean Review, Farm Bureau Spokesman, High Plains Journal, Farm News, Iowa Farmer Today, and the Des Moines Register. More in‐depth information, including data summaries, was presented at ISA’s 2006 On‐Farm Network Conference. The 45 page poster summary can be viewed at http://isafarmnet.com/agronstudies/05nconf.html. Parts of this summary have been presented at more than 20 meetings connecting with more than 2,000 growers in direct oral presentations. Additionally, more than 3,000 copies of the poster summaries from the conference have been distributed by request. Materials were developed
explaining how to use GPS equipment to collect the stalk samples for guided stalk sampling. Protocols for strip testing and guided stalk sampling were updated and distributed to participants and other interested parties from other states.
The National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) provides an understanding of water-quality conditions; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions. Regional and national assessments are possible because of a consistent study design and uniform methods of data collection and analysis. Monitoring data are integrated with geographic information on hydrological characteristics, land use, and other landscape features in models to extend water-quality understanding to unmonitored areas. Local, State, Tribal, and national stakeholders use NAWQA information to design and implement strategies for managing, protecting, and monitoring water resources in many different hydrologic and land-use settings across the Nation.
New research published by Dr. Jude Capper in the Journal of Animal Science shows that beef ’s environmental footprint is shrinking.
Changes of nitrate concentrations were evaluated in groundwater samples collected from 1,225 wells in 56 well networks across the United States (Lindsey and Rupert, 2012). Of the 56 well networks that were analyzed for changes in nitrate concentrations using the Wilcoxon-Pratt signed-rank test (1959), 13 had statistically significant increases in concentrations of nitrate. Five well networks had statistically significant decreases in concentrations of nitrate.
This report, as well as a series of interactive maps showing long-term groundwater trends, can be found online.
There was no change in concentrations of chloride, dissolved solids, or nitrate in groundwater for more than 50 percent of well networks sampled in a new analysis by the USGS that compared samples from 1988-2000 to samples from 2001-2010. For those networks that did have a change, seven times more networks saw increases as opposed to decreases.