Earth-friendly. Can you dig it?

• Over the past decade and a half, farmers have dramatically increased their use of conservation tillage techniques that keep crop residue such as leaves and stalks in the field. According to the Conservation Technology Information Center, conservation tillage is used on abut 112 million acres, equal to more than 40% of the acres planted to crops in the U.S.

• Conservation tillage systems sequester greenhouse gases, contributing to the fight against global warming. Using conservation tillage also greatly reduces field runoff and keeps crop protectants where they belong – in the field and out of streams. This helps protect water quality.

• The erosion rate by water on U.S. cropland has been reduced by more than 40% since 1982, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. In 1982, 4.1 tons of soil per acre were lost to erosion. Today, soil lost to erosion is down to less than three tons per acre.

• Soil erosion has been decreased by 90% - to less than one ton per acre per year - on 25 million acres of highly erodible land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. Most soils naturally regenerate at rates of two to 12 tons per acre per year, according to the Soil and Water Conservation Society. A generation ago, soil erosion rates of up to 40 tons an acre were recorded during the Dust Bowl. Today's new farming methods and tillage techniques have made erosion almost negligible, while enriching the soil in the process.

• As of January 2009, farmers enrolled 33.6 million acres of their land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to protect the environment and provide habitat for wildlife. (Source: USDA’s Farm Service Agency.)

• Each year, hundreds of thousands of trees are planted on farmland. Since CRP began in 1986, a total of 4.55 million acres have been planted with trees as part of the program.

• Taking cropland out of production and enrolling it in the Conservation Reserve Program benefits the environment due to carbon sequestration.

• Farmers and ranchers produced a net increase of 263,000 acres of wetlands from 1997 to 2003 - a net gain of 44,000 acres per year.
  
  
• Total wetland acreage is 111 million acres, or about 7% of the land area of the lower 48 states.

• More than half of America’s agricultural producers intentionally provide habitat for wildlife. Deer, fowl and other species have shown significant population increases in the past several years.
  
  
• Cooperative conservation efforts already under way by agricultural producers are critical for reducing soil erosion, providing habitat for wildlife and ensuring a clean water supply.

• Farmers and ranchers have a vested interest in protecting endangered species and the habitats in which they live. More than 75% of species listed as endangered or threatened live on private lands and more than one-third live only on private lands.

• Today's farmers and ranchers use precise plant nutrition management plans to increase food production with less waste. This translates into cleaner rivers, lakes and streams across the United States. American farmers and ranchers have a stake in the future of America’s natural resources. With 98 percent of America’s farms and ranches operated by individuals or families, maintaining and improving our nation's natural resources is vital to keeping the business in the family for generations to come. Using precise plant nutrition and crop health practices and tools helps today’s farmers produce more food with less seed and fewer inputs.

• A 2009 informal survey of America’s young farmers and ranchers revealed that 54% use conservation tillage while more than half regularly test the soil or crop tissue prior to the application of nutrients and pesticides.

• Ethanol and biodiesel fuels made from corn, soybeans and other crops are beneficial to the environment because they produce fewer greenhouse gases compared to more traditional carbon-emitting fuels including gasoline. In addition, biofuels promote energy security by making the United States less dependent on foreign oil.

• Consumers and the environment are the end beneficiaries of new advances in biotechnology. Biotechnology benefits the environment by producing crops that protect themselves against insects and disease; require less tillage, thus protecting topsoil; and lessen the frequency of chemical weed control. Biotech advances that come into use on the farm will further ensure that American food and fiber products remain cost-competitive both here and abroad.

Don't let going green bug you.

• American farmers fully support practices that enable us to reduce pesticide use. Farmers have been using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tactics such as field scouting and crop rotation for years and will continue to expand IPM use whenever possible. IPM is a management practice that uses cultural practices and natural pest enemies to reduce the use of crop protectants.

• As business people, American farmers are interested in lowering costs associated with using crop protectants. IPM can help do that. However, using IPM does not mean totally eliminating the use of crop protectants.

• Farmers will continue to work with universities and researchers to develop new techniques that lessen the use and expense of crop protectants.

• Farmers are strongly motivated to use crop protectants responsibly. They have, first, a respect for the laws and regulations governing crop protectant use; second, a personal commitment to protect consumers, their families and the environment from reckless chemical use; and, third, an economic interest in reducing chemical costs.

• Farmers’ foremost goals are to grow safe, nutritious and affordable food. Growers and marketers of fresh food products are especially concerned about produce safety and consumer health.

• Federal and state agencies closely monitor levels of pesticide residues in food. Allowable limits are set hundreds, even thousands, of times lower than levels that would pose any potential health risk. The Food and Drug Administration prosecutes violations of these standards.

• Farmers are responsible pesticide managers. Crop protectants are expensive and farmers don’t benefit from over-applying them or exceeding state and federal application guidelines.

• Farmers work hard to gain the knowledge, training and skill to use chemicals safely and responsibly. Many farmers learned from their parents and have a lot of experience. But like other professionals, farmers also attend college and/or seminars and work with consultants. America's farmers and ranchers are professionals in what they do.

Sources: American Farm Bureau Federation, Conservation Technology Information Center, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation Society, USDA Farm Service Agency