Growing Returns

What was an Ohio corn farmer doing in Abu Dhabi?

By Rebecca Shaw / Bio / Published: March 30, 2015

Fred Yoder, Ernie Shea and A.G. Kawamura representing the North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance at the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture in Abu Dhabi.

Climate smart agriculture is still a new concept – but it won’t be for long. In the past year alone, there have been several key developments that are bringing sustainable farming to scale:

The Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture was launched to bring together government, academics, non-profit organizations and the private sectors to support farmers across the world in responding proactively to changing weather conditions associated with climate change.
A diverse group of 34 organizations and universities launched the regional North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance, which will interface and collaborate with the Global Alliance.
Earlier this month at the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture in Abu Dhabi, over 3,200 attendees from across the globe – including the Global and North American Alliances – gathered to share their plans for implementing climate change mitigation and conservation practices.

I asked Fred Yoder, chair of the North American Alliance and past president of the National Corn Growers Association, about what happened in Abu Dhabi and why the North American plan may be a template for the rest of the globe. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience / Tagged agriculture, Climate, climate change, farmers, food production, food security, GHG mitigation, Partnerships, sustainability, sustainable agriculture | Comments are closed

My hope for the global water crisis: Farmers

By Aaron Citron / Bio / Published: March 20, 2015

Agriculture accounts for more than 80 percent of all water consumed in the U.S.

Some people might read that figure and think, “farmers are using all of our water!” But I see it differently. I see potential.

That’s because farmers and ranchers are the original environmentalists, water conservationists and land stewards. They have been, and continue to be, among the first to develop innovative water efficiency solutions, and they are already implementing a variety of practices to optimize their water use and adapt to drought and climate change.

On World Water Day, it’s important to remember that farmers are our best hope for solving the global water crisis. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience / Tagged agriculture, climate change, drought, ecosystems, efficiency, food security, irrigation, national young farmers coalition, reliable water supply, water crisis, water use, western water | Read 2 Responses

Let’s focus on a farm’s performance, not its size

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: March 17, 2015

Credit: Flickr user Dwight Sipler

What comes to mind when you think of a “family farm?” You’re probably picturing a bucolic spread of less than 100 acres, with a red barn, farmer in overalls, and cows grazing a big pasture. What about the phrase “corporate farm” or “big ag?” Do you see a giant, impersonal and industrial-looking operation?

Unfortunately, these common (mis)perceptions are regularly promoted in everything from TV ads to online chats. But the reality is that “big” does not equate to “bad,” and “small” doesn’t necessarily mean “good” when it comes to sustainable farming. In fact, it’s the wrong debate altogether.

What really matters is performance, not size.

Today is National Agriculture Day, celebrated annually on March 18, and this year’s theme is sustaining future generations. If we’re going to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, we’re going to need large and small farms alike. And no matter their size, they’ll need to minimize their impacts on the natural systems that sustain us all. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Wildlife Protection / Tagged agriculture, climate change, conservation, cover crops, ecosystems, farmers, farms, fertilizer, food production, nutrient efficiency, soil health, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, western water | Read 3 Responses

Meet Christine Hamilton, fourth-generation farmer forging a sustainable path

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: March 13, 2015

Christine Hamilton and her family have been farming and ranching in central South Dakota for more than 120 years – and they hope to still be farming there 120 years from now.

But to be able to ensure the long-term viability of her family’s farm, Christine and her colleagues at Christiansen Land and Cattle (CLC) knew that they would need to take a step back, look closely at their operations, and set a vision for the future.

Tools and certification programs can help farmers like Christine to measure and understand the sustainability of their farm and ranch operations, and to set specific goals. But none of these platforms was a good fit for CLC, which raises crops such as corn, soybeans, and winter wheat, as well as cattle. So Christine led the development of a customized sustainability management plan for CLC that articulates what is important to them now and what they want to improve in the future.

Here, in honor of USDA’s new focus on women in agriculture, I ask Christine about her farm’s visionary plan. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Tagged agriculture, conservation, ecosystems, farmers, farms, food production, food security, measurement, ranching, south dakota, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, water quality, western water | Read 2 Responses

How the private sector can help stem emissions from agriculture

By Rebecca Shaw / Bio / Published: March 12, 2015

Credit: Flickr user Rory MacLeod

Here’s the challenge: we need to feed 9 billion people by 2050, yet if we continue with current farming practices agriculture could be responsible for 70 percent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions by that same year, according to an official at the World Bank.

So what do we do?

We can’t just point the finger at growers and tell them to solve the problem. This is a tall order – and it will require all hands on deck: food companies, suppliers, consumers, and producers. We all need to implement climate-smart agricultural approaches on a global scale to reduce emissions, increase resilience, and protect farmers’ livelihoods.

But climate-smart agriculture absolutely cannot become mainstream without more help from the private sector. We need corporations to invest in research and to make tangible changes to their supply chains. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Supply Chain / Tagged agriculture, Climate, climate change, conservation, farmers, fertilizer, food production, food security, GHG mitigation, nutrient efficiency, Partnerships, private sector, supply chain, sustainable agriculture, Walmart | Comments are closed

California governor reappoints EDF working lands director to state food and agriculture board

By Chandler Clay / Published: February 27, 2015

Eric Holst, director of EDF’s working lands program

Eric Holst, senior director of Environmental Defense Fund’s working lands program, has been reappointed to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture by Governor Jerry Brown.

Holst has served on the board – a fifteen-member state board appointed by the governor to represent a range of agricultural commodities, geographic regions and academic systems – since 2012. The board encourages public participation and input in all matters concerning agriculture and food policy within the state, from hunger and malnutrition to climate change and environmental markets. But the dominant focus over the last year has been drought and how to mitigate impacts on California agriculture.

A natural choice

Holst has been a leader in developing innovative partnerships with farmers, ranchers and foresters to improve environmental and economic performance on working lands for more than a decade, both in California and elsewhere across the country. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Habitat Exchange / Tagged california, california state board, craig mcnamara, drought, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, eric holst, food and agriculture, habitat exchange, jerry brown, Partnerships, sierra orchards | Comments are closed

No illusion here. Optical sensors can save farmers money.

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: February 25, 2015

Precision agriculture is on its way to becoming mainstream. First, farmers need tools and technologies that make this kind of smart farming dramatically easier.

Optical sensors are one of the most promising technologies available now. This technology is very exciting because it helps farmers save money on fertilizer – and improve crop yields.

Optical sensors are devices attached to a farmer’s fertilizer applicator. As the farmer travels across the field applying fertilizer, the technology reads how green or healthy the crop is, and it applies the right amount of fertilizer in accordance with each plant’s needs. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged agriculture, corn, ecosystems, farmers, farms, fertilizer, food production, nutrient efficiency, precision agriculture, sustainable agriculture | Comments are closed

Collaborative conservation: A ripe example from America’s farms

By Ann Hayden / Bio / Published: February 19, 2015

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has been working with farmers and ranchers for more than a decade to transform business as usual by providing incentives for conservation. As EDF’s 2014 strategic plan notes, “we’ve seen some encouraging things.”

EDF staff join farmers and other conservation collaborators in the field to track outcomes for habitats and species.

With proven success in the field, we are now looking to take these programs to scale to boost food production while maintaining profitable farms, a safe environment and healthy people. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Tagged birds, california trout, central valley, central valley habitat exchange, Chinook salmon, conservation, ecosystems, farming, floodplain, garter snake, habitat exchange, habitat. california, john brennan, knaggs ranch, sustainable agriculture, waterfowl | Comments are closed

USDA: Helping ranchers is crucial to helping sage-grouse

By Eric Holst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: February 13, 2015

Central Oregon rancher restores sage-grouse habitat with NRCS assistance. Source: nrcs.usda.gov

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just announced new funding to support sage-grouse habitat conservation on working lands.

This is very promising, considering the last round of sage-grouse funding engaged more than 1,000 ranchers to conserve 4.4 million acres of bird habitat – an area twice the size of Yellowstone National Park.

That last round of funding – made available in 2010 through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Sage Grouse Initiative – invested $296.5 million to restore and conserve sage-grouse habitat. Today, NRCS pledged to extend these efforts by $200 million over another for years.

Doubling down on a good investment
Read More »

Posted in Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Tagged bird habitat, central wyoming, conservation, ecosystems, farmers, habitat exchange, NRCS, ranchers, robert bonnie, sage grouse, upper green river, Upper Green River Conservation Exchange, USDA | Comments are closed

Nuts about chocolate and wine? Your favorite Valentine’s Day treats are at risk

By Rebecca Shaw / Bio / Published: February 13, 2015

If you are among the old school Valentines who appreciate a good box of chocolates and a fine cabernet, you’ll be heartbroken to learn that these romantic treats may be much harder to come by in the future because of climate change.

Droughts and rising temperatures pose great risks to agricultural productivity across the globe, from California’s Napa Valley to West Africa’s cocoa fields.
Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Wildlife Protection / Tagged almonds, chocolate, climate change, cocoa, cocoa farmers, drought, ecosystems, farmers, fruit, Napa Valley, nuts, pistachios, sustainable agriculture, Valentine's Day, vintners, warmer temperatures, weather, wine | Read 1 Response