thephotosocietyさんのインスタグラム写真 - (thephotosocietyInstagram)「Photo by @RobertClarkphoto // A portrait of a calf on the #KinnardFarms Casco, Wisconsin. Traditional dairy farming practices have had a negative impact on water quality—soil and fertilizer run into streams after heavy rains and seep into the groundwater. So Kinnard takes a progressive approach to managing the 11,429-acre farm that feeds his cattle. He introduced winter cover crops like triticale and barley to hold the soil in place. And he is using notillage farming, which eschews mechanical tilling for a “direct drilling” method that inserts seeds into the soil, leaving the top layer of earth intact to reduce erosion. It’s a massive effort to negate the farm’s impact on local water sources and increase the soil’s organic matter, decomposing plant tissue that helps soil grow healthier crops and retain water. The Nature Conservancy (@nature_org) shares Kinnard’s practices and research from his farm with the Dairy Business Association and farmers managing 160,000 acres in Wisconsin. “We’ve already seen a difference in our land,” Kinnard says. “Little creeks that used to run red with clay after a heavy rain are clear now. … We’re even regenerating organic matter [in our soil]. We’re looking at regenerative agriculture now, not just sustainable.”」5月29日 21時10分