Posted on Jun 8, 2022
Keeping carbon in the ground: how some farmers grow plants to fight climate change
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Dave Bishop has been farming in Atlanta, Illinois since 1978. His organic farm — PrairiErth — grows wheat and all kinds of vegetables, like kale, beets and tomatoes. Bishop has crops growing every month of the year, but the farms surrounding him, in every direction, don’t.
Bishop gestures toward some of those other farms. “From spring to October, you see something green and growing,” he said. “The other six months of the year, the factory’s doors are shut.”
Meaning, nothing’s growing. The fields are simply dirt, with no plants on them sucking carbon from the air.
“We operate the land for six months and then we just let it sit there, bare naked, and wash away,” said Bishop. “Now tell me how that makes any sense. What other business operates like that?”
The agriculture industry accounts for 10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, a big driver of climate change. Some farmers, like Bishop, are turning to an inexpensive solution to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere: cover crops.
Bishop gestures toward some of those other farms. “From spring to October, you see something green and growing,” he said. “The other six months of the year, the factory’s doors are shut.”
Meaning, nothing’s growing. The fields are simply dirt, with no plants on them sucking carbon from the air.
“We operate the land for six months and then we just let it sit there, bare naked, and wash away,” said Bishop. “Now tell me how that makes any sense. What other business operates like that?”
The agriculture industry accounts for 10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, a big driver of climate change. Some farmers, like Bishop, are turning to an inexpensive solution to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere: cover crops.
Keeping carbon in the ground: how some farmers grow plants to fight climate change
Posted from news.stlpublicradio.org
Farming
Agriculture
Science
Climate Change
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."According to Brownlow, sinking carbon is the best way to offset agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. So he’s experimenting: planting different varieties and regularly testing his soil for carbon content.
Brownlow said his on-pasture trials seek to solve how we can save ourselves from what he calls an "inevitable climate catastrophe."
Because even as he ponders the dark, overarching climate situation, Brownlow’s individual actions are optimistic. He said he’s constantly asking: “What are the positive things we can do to sink carbon into the soil?”
The vast majority of U.S. farmers aren’t like Brownlow and Bishop. They’re not actively trying to sequester carbon. Nationally, only 4% of U.S. cropland has cover crops.
When it comes to trees, it’s not yet clear how many farmers are planting them. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture concluded a survey from 11,000 farmers and ranchers to find out more.
Regardless of what that data shows, Brownlow says he’ll keep experimenting with trees.
“That stuff is exciting for me,” he said. “It’s overwhelming to think how many people would have to do that at what scale to make a dent, but that keeps from being too depressed to think about those possibilities.”"
..."According to Brownlow, sinking carbon is the best way to offset agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. So he’s experimenting: planting different varieties and regularly testing his soil for carbon content.
Brownlow said his on-pasture trials seek to solve how we can save ourselves from what he calls an "inevitable climate catastrophe."
Because even as he ponders the dark, overarching climate situation, Brownlow’s individual actions are optimistic. He said he’s constantly asking: “What are the positive things we can do to sink carbon into the soil?”
The vast majority of U.S. farmers aren’t like Brownlow and Bishop. They’re not actively trying to sequester carbon. Nationally, only 4% of U.S. cropland has cover crops.
When it comes to trees, it’s not yet clear how many farmers are planting them. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture concluded a survey from 11,000 farmers and ranchers to find out more.
Regardless of what that data shows, Brownlow says he’ll keep experimenting with trees.
“That stuff is exciting for me,” he said. “It’s overwhelming to think how many people would have to do that at what scale to make a dent, but that keeps from being too depressed to think about those possibilities.”"
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