Since then, the ranch has been transformed. The plants, such as sensitive briar and dwarf indigo, add nutritious forage and save money in feed costs. Moreover, prairie plants help guard against erosion, trap valuable moisture, provide seed for wild birds and produce aesthetically pleasing flowers. Some even fix nitrogen in the soil. Mortenson's outreach efforts have been captured by local, as well as national, media.
Crop rotations bring profits, stem erosion.
Armed with a Northeast Region SARE producer grant, Allen Matthews devised a rotation to save soil and dollars on his southwestern Pennsylvania vegetable farm. He devised his project after federal regulations designed primarily for large corn and grain producers dictated a seven-year rotation to receive Conservation Reserve Program benefits. The four-year rotation, which included cover crops and conservation tillage, preserved soil. But the big revelation was the boon to his pocketbook when he grew pumpkins and peppers and sold them at local farmers markets. We ve also learned we re making more money on the sustainable projects because we re spending less.