Agriculture and Natural Resources
Brett Chedzoy, [email protected]
Many thousands of acres of agricultural land in Schuyler County are currently leased to neighboring farm operations. Done right, leasing can be a win-win situation for both parties and helps support a vibrant farming economy in the region. Most leased farm land is used for grazing, dairy crops (feed for dairy cattle), commodity crops (grains to sell into commodity markets) or hay (usually, passive 1-cut systems). Each has the potential to preserve soil fertility and productivity when done correctly. Additional benefits include: rent income; tax abatement through the Ag Assessment program; and keeping the land open and free from invasive brush. But these agricultural activities also have the potential to reduce fertility and productivity over time when not properly managed. Examples include overgrazed pastures, or extractive crop harvesting that doesn’t replace the nutrients and minerals that are removed from the land.
So how can a landowner lease their land to a farmer without the risks? In recent years, agronomist and conservationists have embraced the concept of soil health as a guiding principal for agricultural activities. Soil health is a reflection of not only the chemical qualities of the soil like pH, nutrients and organic matter, but also the physical properties like structure and porosity. Furthermore, healthy soils are ecosystems that should include a diverse and vibrant fauna like earthworms, insects and microbes. Reduction in any of these elements reduces soil health and consequently the productivity of the land. For a better understanding of soil health, visit: https://vimeo.com/channels/raythesoilguy and http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu
Healthy soils should be the goal of every farmer and farm land owner. But how can soil health be achieved through a lease? To date, there is no easily quantifiable test or indicator for soil health. A more practical way to ensure that the “soil health and productivity savings account” is not being depleted over time would be to lease to a farmer who can ensure that a variety of soil-friendly practices will be used. Examples include: rotational grazing, periodic applications of manure and other soil amendments like lime and compost (per soil test recommendations); crop rotations which include a perennial sod; cover cropping; and reduced or zero tillage. A good “report card” for these practices would be to look at the changes in soil organic matter (%OM) over time. Stable or increasing %OM is a good indication that soil-friendly practices are being used effectively. By contrast, reduced %OM suggests that changes are needed. %OM is part of a standard soil test that usually costs less than $20. For consistency, the same lab and sampling procedures should be used for each test. Periodic testing for %OM every few years as part of an agricultural land lease will give both the farmer and landowner a valuable monitoring tool. For examples of other important considerations in a sound lease for farm land, visit: www.fingerlakeslandlink.org