Sustainable practices meet present and future needs
Farming for the Future Foundation | Malorie Paine
Farmers and processors have been voluntarily implementing sustainable agriculture practices for decades.
“Sustainability is definitely a buzzword today, but farmers have been sustainability trailblazers from the very beginning,” Rachel Gerbitz, Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Director of Sustainability Communications and Partnerships, said. “It’s always been a concern for Wisconsin farmers.”
The United States Department of Agriculture defines sustainable agriculture practices as those intended to protect the environment, expand the Earth’s natural resource base and maintain and improve soil fertility. Sustainable agriculture is an integrated system of practices with a site-specific application to satisfy human food and fiber needs over a long period of time.
“When you talk about agriculture and sustainability, you really need to look at the three pillars of sustainability: environment, economics and social,” Gerbitz said. “Farmers are conserving the land that they farm, they are being good stewards of their communities, and they are being financially viable for the next generation of production and profit.”
Sustainable agriculture is the ability to meet the needs today without comprising the ability for future generations to also meet their needs. Growers are environmentally conscious. Environmental sustainability includes soil, water and energy conservation, increasing biodiversity, integrated pest management, utilizing nutrients efficiently and increasing productivity efficiency. Processors are also concerned with sustainable practices.
“I was fortunate to visit a potato grower in Central Wisconsin earlier this fall, and I learned about how advanced technology helps potato growers be sustainable,” Gerbitz said. “They are able to control some of their different equipment from their phones, which is saving time, fuel, energy and water depending on the equipment. Potato and vegetable growers are using advanced technology to help them be sustainable.”
Tamas Houlihan, Executive Director of Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, said there are a range of sustainable practices that Wisconsin growers participate in. Common practices in Wisconsin are integrated pest management, irrigation management, applying water in precise amounts at optimal times for crop growth, cover cropping, windbreaks, grassed waterways, minimum-till and no-till operations and nutrient management planning, Houlihan said.
Cover crops are planted with the intention of giving back to the soil. Roots of the cover crops help prevent erosion by holding soil in place. Cover crops can also increase organic matter in the soil. Cover crops are not intended to be harvested but rather are grown between traditional growing periods. For example, some Wisconsin potato growers follow potato harvest by planting winter wheat or rye as a cover crop.
“The simple practice of planting a cover crop has multi-faceted benefits: reducing erosion and runoff, increasing soil organic matter which leads to improvement in soil structure, stability and increased nutrient holding capacity, reduced leaching suppression of soil diseases, weeds and other pests and reduced soil compaction,” Houlihan said.
Trees and shrubs help minimize wind blowing through fields by serving as windbreaks. Growers will also rotate crops within fields to help ensure that optimal soil health is maintained.
Houlihan said that while understanding the environmental and social pillars is necessary, economics is a key area of sustainable agriculture. Growers must be able to continue producing food for the growing population. Without financial sustainability, feeding the world for generations to come would be impossible.
“Farms must have economic viability to sustain operations, so farmers and food production continue to survive,” Houlihan said.
This is the first article in the National Learning & Development Month series. Throughout October, we will be posting articles to help you gain a better understanding of the topics above in relation to your food. Be sure to follow us on social media channels to stay up-to-date with all published content.
