Reliant on the land, farmers are intrinsically tied to their environment, which makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change. For instance, when average temperatures rise, as they have with our changing climate, new pests and diseases emerge. And when summer rains don’t arrive, crops wilt and don’t bear fruit. But farmers are not just impacted by climate change; their direct connection to their environment gives farmers a significant opportunity to be part of the climate solution. Farmers can farm in ways that capture carbon and actually mitigate climate change through practices like cover cropping. They can raise pastured livestock, which also helps to capture carbon from the atmosphere, and improve soil and water management on their properties.
At Farm Aid, we know through first-hand experience that farmers are incredible innovators when it comes to environmental stewardship. From learning cover cropping and composting to helping their communities care for soil and bringing back grassland species, farmers are leading the charge. In celebration of Earth Day, we’re highlighting just a few of the farmers who inspire us with their ingenuity and give us hope that the future of our planet may not be so grim. Below are three of the many Farmer Heroes who demonstrate a strong commitment to regenerative and sustainable practices.
Guardians of the Field Farm in Kewaunee County, WI, is run by environmental stewards Lynn and Nancy Utesch. They have over 150 acres containing more than 100 species of clover, alfalfa and prairie grasses and a herd of short horned cattle that rotationally graze on grass. “With our grazing system, we’re trying to replicate the buffalo herds on the Great Plains. We move the cattle on a daily basis. For climate change, this is one of the best things you can do,” explains Lynn. “The action of these grazing animals has the greatest potential to sequester carbon. With proper management, we can put the carbon back where it belongs: in the soil.”
Read more about Lynn and Nancy’s farm
Alana Henry of Young Family Farm in Kansas City, MO, joined hundreds of farmers and their allies in Washington, DC, in March 2023, for a three-day mobilization called Farmers for Climate Action: A Rally for Resilience. She understands that the climate problem cannot wait: “I think the farming community recognizes that we’re heading on a path towards potential disaster and now is the time to fix the problem, not later.”
Jeremy Smith and Trish Jenkins run Cycle Farm in Spearfish, SD. They grow mixed vegetables for a CSA, a few restaurants, a natural food store and their farm stand. The duo make sure to farm in ways that improve their surrounding environment. “We’re really excited about soil health. A lot of our management decisions are trying to improve soil health to help climate change and carbon sequestration. For the last two winters we have done the carbon budget for the farm and we’re pretty confident that we sequester more carbon in the soil than we produce through our production. The entirety of our vegetables is carbon negative or sequestering carbon,” said Jeremy.
Jeremy and Trish want people to understand the role soil health plays in our food, health and ecology. “Food grown in healthier soil tends to have higher nutritional values, a wider range of vitamins and nutrients. The diversity side, or the ecologic side of soil health provides more habitat for a diverse group of species. There’s water retention and infiltration, so on a large scale better soil health is less runoff from rain storms and less impact from drought,” said Jeremy.
