The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should prioritize regenerative farming methods to promote conservation practices with the greatest climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits, experts at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) advised the department in comments filed today.
CBF’s recommendations respond to a request from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for input on how to maximize the resiliency benefits of conservation practices eligible for cost-share funding under the programs it administers.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 provided $20 billion over five years specifically to fund climate-smart conservation practices. Unless the increase is incorporated into the Farm Bill as mandatory spending, the additional IRA funds will run out at the end of fiscal year 2026.
CBF urged NRCS to prioritize regenerative agriculture practices such as raising livestock on pastures with perennial forage, silvopasture, and relying on organic nutrient sources to improve soil organic matter and microbial activity. By improving soil health, these practices increase farms’ resiliency to extreme weather like heavy rains, flooding, soaring temperatures, and drought accelerated by climate change.
These practices also lead to cleaner rivers and streams and benefit the Chesapeake Bay. They increase water quality, enhance ecosystem biodiversity, and produce more nutrient dense food. Other benefits include saving farmers money on livestock feed, animal antibiotics, and synthetic fertilizers and other chemical treatments.
Silvopasture involves planting trees on land where livestock graze. Trees retain moisture and stabilize the soil while providing shade and shelter to the animals, an increasing and critical need in the face of hotter summers. CBF called on NRCS to fund silvopasture practices in Pennsylvania through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which Maryland and Virigina currently do.
To better support pasture-based livestock operations, CBF said NRCS should make it a higher funding priority and increase payment rates for practices such as silvopasture, rotating the pastures where livestock graze, and planting woody trees and shrubs. CBF also encouraged NRCS to make greater use of monitoring systems to quantify the climate benefits of these practices for farmers in addition to its current modeling tools.
For manure storage, CBF recommended NRCS prioritize funding for composting and facilities that store solid or dry manure. Both are less expensive and produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than uncovered liquid storage systems. These “lagoons” are also more likely to spill and pollute waterways, a problem only exacerbated by the greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather driven by climate change.
CBF also highlighted systems that capture, store, and reuse rainwater, like the one used at Plantation Park Heights urban farm in Baltimore, as innovative and economically viable ways to promote climate change resiliency or adaptation. These systems enable farms to better withstand drought conditions by providing a reliable water source during dry stretches and mitigating flood risks by reducing runoff.
CBF Science and Agriculture Advisor Jenna Schueler issued the following statement:
“Regenerative agriculture practices are the best way for farmers to build resiliency and adaption to a changing climate into their operations. The Natural Resources Conservation Service can help farmers maximize those benefits by promoting conservation practices that improve soil health, like rotational grazing and silvopasture.
“Soil rich in organic matter and microbes is more resilient to extreme weather and temperatures because of its capacity to capture and hold more moisture. It also reduces greenhouse gases by sequestering carbon and improves water quality by reducing runoff.
“Farmers can play an important role fighting climate change and its devasting effects. Preserving Inflation Reduction Act funding for climate-smart conservation practices is critical to ensuring they have the necessary resources to protect their farms, enhance soil and water quality, and reap the cost savings these practices make possible.
