By Judith Ruiz-Branch
A new five-year study is quantifying the benefits of conservation practices such as cover cropping, using data from farmers across Wisconsin.
Researchers say the project is one of the region’s most comprehensive farmer-led datasets on regenerative agriculture. Spearheaded by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, research scientist Mrill Ingram explained that the data show engaged growers met standards for combating erosion, protecting water quality and building soil health, as well as for producing high-quality forage.
Ingram said she hopes the findings can address the slow adoption of the practice by showing how farmers are successfully using cover crops.
"When you look at the supremely efficient, very structured corn and soybean production, making changes in that context is very hard," she said. "And yet, people are making it. And they're making it because of climate change, because of the cost of fertilizer, because they can see the water running off their fields and they care what it looks like."
Participating farmers ranged from newcomers to those with decades of experience. The data cover more than 200 agriculturally-diverse fields across 45 counties.
Click here to see more...