By Alexis Dunnum, NFU Intern As discussed in the recent Climate Column post on no-till farming, practicing alternatives to tilling can increase the amount of organic matter in the soil, allowing for water retention even during dry periods. Another tilling alternative that has the many of the same soil benefits is strip-till. Strip-till is a conservation … Read More
By Alexis Dunnum, NFU Intern In the previous Climate Leaders post, we discussed the soil health benefits of no-till farming, and we will soon discuss strip-till, and mulch till. Although these practices vary slightly, something they all have in common is their use of crop residue, which comes from using cover crops. According to the … Read More
By Alexis Dunnum, NFU Intern Previous NFU Climate Column posts have explained that drought and erosion from extreme precipitation are anticipated to become more prevalent if the planet continues to heat up. When tilling is avoided, the organic matter within the soil can attract and retain water. This ensures proper hydration for the plant, even during dry … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education USDA’s report Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation states that “Climate change presents an unprecedented challenge to the adaptive capacity of U.S. agriculture. Current climate change effects are increasing the complexity and uncertainty of agricultural management.” NFU’s blog has highlighted many … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education Through the Climate Column posts to date, NFU has been pointing out the challenges to ensuring food security that farmers face as climate change impacts the natural systems upon which they rely to grow food. Farmers’ dependence on these systems places them among the first … Read More
By Tom Somrack, NFU Government Relations Intern All livestock create manure and waste, and how this waste is managed can influence climate change. According to USDA’s Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture, manure management programs can significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions. When livestock manure is treated and stored in anaerobic conditions, decomposition results in large emissions of … Read More
By Tom Somrack, NFU Government Relations Intern Grazing lands continue to be under pressure by countless factors, including: cropland conversion, wildlife, an increase in forestation, urbanization, and climate change. Grazing and Pasture Lands have been named by Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, as one of the Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture. USDA has set … Read More
By Tom Somrack, NFU Government Relations Intern Climate change affects the rate and spread of pathogen and parasitic diseases. According to the USDA Regional Vulnerability Assessments, warmer temperatures have resulted in insects, weeds, and crop diseases moving north and to higher elevations, or surviving winters that used to keep them in check. Overall, pest, weed, and … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education Prior posts to NFU’s blog on climate change’s impacts on wildfire and temperature increases mention changing and increasing pest and weed pressure as negative consequences of climate change. Changing and increasing pest and weed pressure are concerns in all continental U.S. Climate Hub Regions. Farmers know … Read More
By Tom Somrack, NFU Government Relations Intern It is no surprise that rising sea levels are caused and accelerated by a changing planet and climate. But, an increase in sea levels can affect more than just the coastal lands. For example, according to USDA’s Regional Vulnerability Assessments, “Threats from sea level rise also include the loss of … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education Previous posts to NFU’s blog explained that climate change increases the risk of drought. Drought is an enormous obstruction undermining farmers’ ability to ensure increased global food security. Drought also increases the likelihood of another problem for producers: wildfire. USDA’s Northwest Regional Climate Hubs Assessment … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education For farmers, rain is generally a good thing. Crops don’t grow without water, and other NFU Climate Column posts discuss the problems farmers do and will encounter getting enough rain and water as climate change progresses. But farmers also know that too much rain all at … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education Crops won’t grow without rain, and livestock producers remember the enormous problems experienced with the severe drought in 2012. Drought is frightening for farmers and expensive for consumers. USDA’s Southern Plains Assessment of Vulnerability and Preliminary Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies for Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Land … Read More
By Tom Somrack, NFU Government Relations Intern As the previous Climate Column noted, rising temperatures resulting from climate change can have serious repercussions for both crop growers and livestock producers. According to the National Climate Assessment: Climate Change Impacts in the United States, “Summer temperatures are projected to continue rising, and a reduction of soil moisture, which exacerbates heat waves, … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education According to the USDA-led report Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation, “The entire United States is likely to warm substantially over the next 40 years, with an increase of 1° to 2° C over much of the country.” USDA’s Regional … Read More
By Tom Driscoll, NFU Director of Conservation Policy and Education At the 2016 National Farmers Union (NFU) convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, NFU members established that the organization should “lead efforts to help educate family farmers, ranchers and rural communities about how to adapt to the effects of climate change on their respective operations” and “support efforts … Read More