NORTH DAKOTA AND
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE |
J.C. Gardner
NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center
Carrington, ND 58421
North Dakota has much at stake in the future of agriculture. It is the state most dependent upon agriculture in the nation. Two-thirds of the state's economy is directly linked to agricultural production or processing. Employment opportunities are seasonal and mostly agricultural or energy related. North Dakota is a state among the highest in tillable acres and is also the most rural. It's people are closely tied to the land. Management practices which result in wind or water erosion, and even more subtle changes in the environment, are quickly recognized. While preservation of the environment is certainly one of the principal reasons for initiating study in low-input, or sustainable, agricultural production systems, the most urgent need may be economic. The cost of production has simply increased at a rate which exceeds the rate of return.
While opportunities for a highly diversified agriculture exist, the last 25 years have generated larger farms producing fewer products. Government programs encouraging crop production and an often harsh winter climate have combined to decrease the number of beef cattle operations in North Dakota at a pace of 1,000 per year since the early 1960's. Farm numbers have decreased in this same time period as well, however, two crop/cattle operations have been lost for every crop operation. This decrease in livestock production has placed North Dakota agriculture in a tenuous position of relying upon grain markets and government subsidies for income. Labor requirements fluctuate widely, from the fury of planting and harvest to the slow paced winter months. Diversifying the biology and the economy of North Dakota agriculture could be met by discovering new ways of integrating and re-introducing livestock back into the agroecosystem. Including the ruminant animal opens up opportunities in the development of sustainable or low-input strategy for the production of products which society demands. While North Dakota State university plans on working on crop only agroecosystems, much of our effort will be spent on the exploration of new and efficient means of integrating livestock and crops into a single agricultural production system.
Unlike many Great Plains states, North Dakota is fortunate to have the ability to grow many different species of well-adapted crop plants. Spring, winter and durum wheat, oats, barley, flax, soybeans, drybeans, rye, corn, sunflower, mustard, canola, buckwheat and millet are cropping alternatives that are considered each year. The search for new crops is always appealing. In North Dakota however, much potential exists in exploring new ways to produce the crops which are currently grown.
The research and extension team to work on low input agricultural strategies for North Dakota has been identified. The backbone of our organization is the discipline-based specialist. This multi-disciplinary team is given incentive by the clear objectives of discovering lower cost production techniques which preserve the environment. It is our intent to keep this team within their present setting and to continue some of their previous activities. We see their efforts in low-input technologies serving as a challenge to their colleagues and an aid in the evolutionary process that accompanies change. This process has to occur within our research and extension community as well as the public. We will however, earmark funds and people specifically for sustainable agricultural research. We are seeking state, federal and private funds to strengthen our research and education programs in this area.
Initial work has begun. The agricultural experiment stations located across the state are serving as the first testing ground for new ideas and will later serve as a distribution point for the demonstration and education in applying these new technologies. The Research Extension Center at Carrington will serve as the focal point of project organization and leadership. This particular experiment station in the North Dakota system has the resources of a well-diversified crop ecosystem and a confinement beef cow herd to carry on much of the work of integrating crop and livestock production systems.
North Dakota's extension effort in low-input agricultural production strategies will be spread across all disciplines. An area of particular interest is re-assessing the economics which are hidden in current recommendations. It is our hypothesis that much of the present research and extension effort is based on the presumption of unlimited capital and labor. This is in direct contrast to the development of a recipe for low-input agricultural production. One of the strengths in our extension effort will be the development of tools to allow consideration of multiple yield goals and production strategy. Work has begun using' linear techniques to optimize input utilization. Limited resources can then be allocated according to the contribution towards both sustainability and profitability. Distributing capital and labor resources amongst the entire production enterprise will be one of our primary objectives.
In summary, we have set several short and long term goals for developing new production systems.
Short term goals include:
Long term goals which presently seem feasible are:
In conjunction with all of the above, we are committed to including a ruminant consumer in our agroecosystem. Study has already begun on the development of beef cow/calf herd which will utilize the maximum amounts of residue and other crop by-products. Opportunities to apply the best of our new bio-technologies exist in the development of sustainable agricultural production systems.