Agriculture This Week: Climate change will be ongoing ag issue

Sep 23, 2022

There are topics columnists tend to touch upon with some regularity.

For example, for years the battle to either save, or dismantle, the Canadian Wheat Board, depending on who was talking, led to regular columns for many who wrote about the issues of the farm sector.

Moving forward there is little doubt climate change will be an oft written of topic.

There is little likelihood that climate change is some great hoax perpetrated by some cabal with an agenda known only to themselves and a few conspiracy theorists. It would be nice if it actually was just a story seeded to create fear, but the evidence of change is mounting.

You might still want to argue it’s a natural occurrence, but that is a somewhat hollow argument to make, because in the end it’s the impact of the changes we should be fearful of.

Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.