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Conservation should boost the bottom line

The former chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) says the best form of conservation helps the farmer’s bottom line.

Jason Weller, now with Land O’Lakes, tells Brownfield during his eight years at NRCS he saw the farm economy flourish and then stagnate.

Through good times and bad, Weller says efficiency pays off.

“Reducing the loss of your core asset, which is your soil.  Optimizing your use of fertilizers so you’re using just the right amount to maximize yield, but nothing more.  So you’re not losing your cash at the edge of the field as it runs off in the form of fertilizer loss into waterways or leaching into the groundwater table.”

He calls optimal pesticide usage another solid business concept that provides great conservation benefits.

“Ultimately, the most effective farmers, the ones that are going to be in business the longest, are the ones trying to wring out the excess loss (and) inefficient use of their operation (like) fuel and equipment.  And ultimately that’s going to have a real positive impact for the health of our natural resources.”

Weller says an ag technology explosion has spawned new tools and ideas that allow farmers to make better informed decisions, and he looks forward to furthering that movement in his new role with Land O’Lakes.