These principles are not for farmers alone
- col-conservation-corner
- July 11, 2024
- 501
Stewards of the land and water, that is what we all should be. Everyone is tied to the soil and water more than we might realize. Everything we eat and drink comes from these.
Merriam Webster explains it as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.” As dairy farmers we are given the opportunity to do this in multiple ways, from the fields, creeks and pastures to even the manure we apply as fertilizer.
We soil test our fields every three years. This allows us to determine what the soil actually needs so that it can be amended appropriately without over-applying. Overloading the soil with fertilizer or manure heightens the risk of it leeching out into the nearby waters. It also is important to take into consideration the soil type because it affects the soil's ability to retain nutrients and determines the performance of the crop.
These principles are not for farmers alone, but also should be applied by gardeners and landscapers.
Farming in the hills, we also face the challenge of surface erosion. Although it is beautiful and many travel to see it, we should not try to recreate the Grand Canyon on the eastern side of the U.S.
It is estimated 550 million tons of dirt end up in the Gulf of Mexico each year. Unfortunately, that sediment is loaded with a lot of nutrients that create other problems when they reach the Gulf.
Cover crops play a big role in keeping the soil where it needs to be. They also use any leftover fertilizer from the previous crop, and they keep living plants in the ground throughout the late fall and winter, which can reduce weed pressure the next year.
Grass waterways also can limit the risk of erosion. By leaving the natural low areas of a hillside in grass, it allows the water to flow and the earth to stay. Even grass buffer strips along creeks can help to filter the runoff.
Everyone likes to see cattle grazing in knee-high grass on a hillside, but sometimes it doesn't happen that way. Whether it is overstocking or weather-related, things quickly become a mess. This often happens around the water source.
Creeks and natural springs are great for water, but cattle are rough on the banks, turning them into mud holes and usually leaving the water quality downstream in poor condition. Muskingum Watershed Conservation District will pay 100% to fence the creeks off, and the Tuscarawas County Soil and Water Conservation District also can assist in developing springs and heavy-use pads to help keep the soil where it should be and the water clean, which in return helps in keeping cattle healthy.
The mission of the Tuscarawas SWCD is to provide assistance for the wise use of our natural resources for present and future generations. As producers, we can all look at some area of our operations where we can be better stewards. Whether it is the soil or the water, the better we treat it, the better it will treat us.