In the 1950s, the agriculture industry went through a technological revolution. At the time, that tripled its production, but today, farmers are feeling the environmental cost. With climate change on the rise and monoculture fields eroding away, more and more farmers are shifting to regenerative agriculture.
This method works with nature to restore some of the biodiversity and soil health that existed before the industrialization of farming.
Jana Rose Schleis is a reporter at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri, and producer for the podcast The Next Harvest, which highlights farmers adopting regenerative practices. Now in its second season, Schleis is focused on the tools and policies that surround sustainable farming.
“Farming communities are really tight-knit, and it can be ostracizing or intense to go against the grain,” Schleis told KCUR’s Up to Date. “On the cultural front, farming is often a multi-generational family business. So there's a lot of pressure in trying something new.”
One method that Schleis said is gaining popularity is planting cover crops. These crops are not harvested but rather take root over a field, reducing erosion, increasing water infiltration, and providing nutrients.
While cover crops increase the biodiversity and health of the soil, it can take years to see the benefits. They also limit the productivity of increasingly expensive land.
To combat that land competition, some farmers are practicing agrivoltaics, producing renewable energy on the same land that is farmed. Schleis said this could be a win-win situation as farmers can plant between rows of solar panels, sometimes for free, and solar companies do not have to manage the land.
Along with regenerative practices, farmers are investing in precision agriculture. By using data collected by advanced equipment, farmers can analyze their resources allocation to minimize use and maximize profit. The upfront cost for the tools can be thousands of dollars, and farmers often feel pressure to keep up with the newest technology.
“Precision agriculture allows farmers to see exactly where in their field there's a weed infestation or a pest,” Schleis said. “They can apply chemicals on just those areas, instead of blanket spraying it over the entire field, saving them money and ideally, using less chemicals.”
Farmers are also cutting labor costs, Schleis said, with the use of drones that can precisely plant and weed crops.
The Biden administration allocated $3 billion to “climate smart farming.” After canceling that funding, the Trump Administration recently announced it would invest $700 million towards regenerative farming to “Make Our Children Healthy Again.”
- Jana Rose Schleis, KBIA producer, The Next Harvest
