Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Another Great Article Thanks to John Rogers

Click on this link to see a great Op-Ed piece recently published in the New York Times by Kentucky's own Wendell Berry.

1 comment:

stabor said...

If more farmers would practice no till farming, the problem of soil erosion of would be minimized.

Several years ago a group of farmers in eastern NC participated in an experiment. They decided to revisit the practices of farmers before the tractor was invented in the 1830s.

This meant after harvesting they did not till under the soil. They allowed the roots of the harvested crops to remain intact and rot over the winter. This resulted in:
1) The return of earth worms
2) The return of birds and other fowl which increased fertilization and pollination
3) Loose topsoil was not washed into creeks, streams or rivers therefore reducing pollution
4) Loose topsoil was not blown away by the wind
5) Weeds were reduced

Granted, this practice is not as pretty or neat as the traditional practices, but it's more environmentally friendly.

The results of this practice:
1) Fewer herbicides to poison the soil and it's products, reducing costs to the farmer and toxins in our food
2) Less chemical fertilizer was needed, cutting costs for the farmer
3) Within 5-10 years the production per acre increased 10 fold
4) Reduction in air and water pollution.

So why don't more farmers jump on the bandwagon, so to speak?

Sharon Tabor