In Minnesota, a local initiative is showing promising results in using taller cover crops to combat water pollution from agriculture, potentially offering a new model for sustainable farming.
Brian DeVore reports for Civil Eats.
In short:
- A Minnesota program incentivizes farmers to use cover crops for soil health and water quality, reducing nitrate pollution.
- By growing cover crops to significant heights, the initiative has already prevented tens of thousands of pounds of nitrates from contaminating local water sources.
- This approach not only benefits the environment but also supports farmers financially, encouraging a shift away from traditional, input-intensive agriculture.
Key quote:
"It’s not in society’s best interest to look the other way. I don’t think it’s fair to the next generation."
— Mark Thein, Olmsted County Commissioner.
Why this matters:
Excessive nitrate levels in soil can lead to nutrient runoff into nearby waterways, contributing to water pollution, algal blooms, and dead zones in aquatic ecosystems where oxygen levels are too low to support marine life. Cover crops, planted during off-seasons when soils might otherwise be bare, offer a sustainable solution to this challenge.
In one Montana agricultural basin, drinking wells test at twice the federal health standard for nitrate pollution.
