There’s a
groundswell rising up in the world of agriculture, and Southeastern Idaho is
ripe for the new “technology.” It’s actually an old practice that’s come back around
in new ways – cover crops, defined as those grown for the protection and
enrichment of the soil. And it’s not just farmers who will benefit, but
everyone who’s concerned with soil health and making the best use of our
precious water resources. In other words, all of us.
I’ve been
reading Dirt, The Erosion of
Civilizations, by David R. Montgomery, which chronicles the demise of societies
throughout history due to a loss of soil fertility. It’s a disturbing treatise
knowing that we rely on fertilizer which is a finite resource and considering
the direct link between healthy soil, full of organic material, and the
capacity of the earth to capture and hold moisture. Droughts and floods happen
naturally, but their severity is directly tied to how well the ground holds
water.
Besides
capturing water, cover crops anchor soil. Wind erosion in our area is a serious
problem. We consider it a natural consequence of wind on exposed, bare soil. But
must the ground be bare? For our ranch, sand drifting in to our fence lines and
irrigation ditches means constant maintenance. What if road closures due to
blowing dirt were a thing of the past? Some events you can see and feel with
your own eyes. But for the most part erosion is a silent marauder. Montgomery’s
line “It seems that the slower the emergency, the less motivated we are to do
anything about it” is haunting.
My husband’s
grandfather planted cover crops in our sandy soil, which he would then plow under
to enhance soil fertility. This was a good start, but now we know to use
no-till methods so as not to disturb the millions of microorganisms that live
in the soil providing a web of life so critical to soil health. We know to
leave plant litter on the soil to act as armor, and to leave living roots in
the soil for as many days as possible throughout the year. To jump start the
process, we’re relearning the old practice of using grazing animals to cycle
plants and return 85% - 95% of the nutrients back to the soil through manure
and urine. The savviest cover-crop farmers also know to sow a seed mix of
different species, grasses and grains, root crops and leafy crops, etc. each
with a specific attribute for increasing soil enrichment.
This winter, Soil
Conservation Districts throughout Southern Idaho have hosted workshops to learn
more about cover crops and no-till. These events are eagerly attended by young
farmers ready to look at soil with fresh perspectives. The Natural Resources
Conservation Service has funding help and good information to share. It’s not a
quick fix for sure, but long term, regenerative actions rarely are.
It will take foresight,
new knowledge and willing growers, but the future is bright for innovative
farmers to make a positive difference in our community.
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| We visited a neighbor's beautiful cover crop on Halloween 2017 - ready for grazing |
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