USDA cuts could cause long-term damage, reverse hard-won progress
by Georgina Gustin, Inside Climate News from Ars Technica - All content on (#6WDA7)
For two decades, farmer John Burk has been working to improve the soil on his farm in Michigan, taking a few extra steps to make it more resilient and productive. His efforts have paid off.
When we have the dry, hot summers or lack of rainfall, our crops can sustain the dry spells better. We don't have huge yield decreases," Burk said. And when it rains and we have the freak storms, like it seems to do so much now, we don't have the ponding and all the runoff."
An added bonus: He needs less fertilizer, a major operating expense.