News

Farmers are part of the climate change solution

Farmers and ranchers are dealing with increasingly variable weather patterns associated with climate change. State agricultural leaders are working together to show that agriculture can be part of the solution.

Maggie Monast, with the Environmental Defense Fund, says agriculture is on the front line of the changing climate, requiring farmers to be more resilient.

“The good news is that agriculture can provide solutions that improve resilience and have many other benefits for farms and communities,” she says.

New Mexico Farmer Luke Woelber says his family is already making adjustments to be able to produce more with less.    

“Agriculture is no different than manufacturing—it’s a game of efficiencies,” he says. “So, we looked for other investments, solar being one of them. It’s a long-term project, but right now those 1400 panels provide a little over 50 percent of our electrical usage.”

Monast, Woelber, Pete Kappelman, senior vice president of member government relations with Land O’Lakes, and Dr. Shefali Mehta, founder of Open Rivers Consulting, participated on a panel that discussed how the industry is increasing resiliency and productivity through climate smart agriculture during the NASDA annual meeting in New Mexico.