Tips On Sustainable Agriculture Omaha

By Henry Thomas


For farmers to continually produce food enough to feed the ever growing human population, they must devise ways that preserve the fertility of farmlands. In order attain sustainable agriculture Omaha farmers must be committed to best practices that protect the environment. This will enable them continually grow crops on the same fields without affecting farm yields.

As a farmer, you will need to have a clear plan on what you want to do. Research on what crops to grow and how to get quality seeds. If you do not have land to farm make arrangements to lease or buy a fertile field. You will also need laborers in your farm and professional advice on disease management. Have a ready market in mind that will consume your farm produce otherwise your work will be meaningless. Decide where to get these services from before you start your venture.

As you begin your venture, you must strive to protect your farm land. You must make sure that your land is fertile enough to grow crops for years. Use farming methods that replenish the soil after every season. Embrace practices like crop rotation that ensure that the soil remains enriched. For example rotating cereals and legumes is a good practice. Cereals utilize Nitrogen nutrients in the soil while legumes release the same to the earth.

Another way to utilize this symbiotic relationship between legumes and cereals is intercropping. This is grow two or more varieties of crops on the same piece of land at the same time. Besides maintaining the fertility of the farm, this method of farming maximizes the farm yield as it prevents wastage of space.It also helps farmers save on fertilizers.

Runoff water, when not controlled, often spells doom to soil fertility. With heavy rainfall, the top soil rich in humus is easily washed away leaving behind barren earth. To avoid this, you must have a way to control runoff water. You can dig terraces to check the flow of water. Also, plant trees around your farm to make sure that the soil is compactly held together. At given intervals, plant cover crops that will hold surface water and avoid soil erosion.

For a farmer to continually produce crops for years, they need money. This means that the farming venture should continually generate income. To maximize profits, the agriculturist can consider adding value to their products. This can be done by processing raw farm produce to final products for sale. Such products will fetch better prices in the market and thus ensure that the farmer has enough capital to support farming.

Minimize the use of pesticides by using natural predators. This may not be an easy thing to achieve as it requires deploying organisms on your farm to feed on the pests and not breed. There are firms that provide such services so you will need to find out whether they operate in your area.

Take your time and do adequate research on what other farmer are doing to keep their farms productive. Find out also what they are not doing right and be wise to avoid. Embrace technology and consult widely with research institutes in your area to find out the best practices to maximize your crop yield.




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