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Saturday is Earth Day, but for farmers, everyday is Earth Day. Each day farmers strive to use practices that protect our environment and leave the land in better condition for the next generation.
Thomas Capps: Highlighting Sustainable Agriculture on Earth Day. Hello and welcome to Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Thomas Capps.
Steve Hargrove: You will find nobody that will take care of the land like a farmer because I mean that’s our lifeblood.
Thomas Capps: Saturday is Earth Day, but for farmers, every day is Earth Day. Protecting our planet is of the utmost importance for farmers because it’s as Benton County Farm Bureau President Steve Hargrove points out, without a clean, healthy environment, farmers can’t do what they do.
Steve Hargrove: Everything, whether you’re a cattle farmer, row crop or what have you, without the land being taken care of, you’re not gonna be able to continue to do your job and do what you want to do for a living.
Thomas Capps: Derek Giffin and his wife, Micayla, of Obion County are firm believers in regenerative agriculture, which focuses on soil health and protecting the environment.
Derek Giffin: I am optimistic because you know of different practices we can incorporate like the regeneration practices. Those things are going to help mitigate the weather. They are going to help hopefully reduce input costs and that’s the goal anyway. They’re supposed to build your soil and I think we’ve seen benefits from that.
Thomas Capps: Other practices farmers use to help protect our beautiful planet include no-till when planting and growing cover crops in the winter that puts good nutrients back into the ground. All things Cocke County farmer Corbin Neas practices.
Corbin Neas: I’m big in the soil health. I really, really enjoy it. We have started doing some cover crops, but as far as you know, keeping the land clean and you know, we try to take care of it because it’s all we got. You know, they’re not making any more of it.
Thomas Capps: Rhodes Platt of McNairy County says it just boils down to being a good steward of the land and being responsible for the amount of products used.
Rhodes Platt: Conservation is the wise use of a resource and that being soil, that the timber, that being, you know, water. I’m a true conservationist. I believe in wisely using what we have, what the good Lord gave us.
Thomas Capps: For Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Thomas Capps.
