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The Genesee River Demonstration Farms Network focuses on sharing knowledge among producers.

September 3, 2019

2 Min Read
Jay Swede checks crops at Gary Swede Farms LLC in Genesee County
GOOD RESULTS: Jay Swede checks crops at Gary Swede Farms LLC in Genesee County. The farm’s bottom line has improved by $82,257 as a result of adopting strip tillage, cover cropping and nutrient management. Photo courtesy of American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service have announced the launch of the Genesee River Demonstration Farms Network.

“The Genesee River Demonstration Farms Network is a multiyear project using real New York farms to highlight practical and innovative conservation practices that benefit farm viability, water quality and other natural resources,” says Aaron Ristow, agricultural stewardship program manager for American Farmland Trust. “The value of the network is getting farmers together out in the field, sharing knowledge and the lessons learned when trying new practices.”

Blake Glover, state conservationist for NRCS in New York, says: “The Genesee River Demonstration Farm Network supports the effective use of conservation systems that reduce nonpoint source pollution in a critical watershed of Lake Ontario. The opportunities for producers and landowners to share outcomes and experiences of new technologies will multiply sustainable benefits throughout the region.”

Farmers can visit the Genesee River Demonstration Farms Network webpage to find upcoming field days and events hosted by demonstration farms in the network and gain access to farm case studies, resources and more.

There are several goals of the program:

  • Demonstrate conservation systems that support farm viability, build soil health and benefit the environment.

  • Quantify economic and environmental impacts of soil health management systems.

  • Share technology, information and lessons learned with farmers, agribusiness people, conservation agencies, landowners and the public.

  • Create on-farm research opportunities to evaluate and demonstrate conservation practices.

  • Facilitate farmer-to-farmer discussions and learning opportunities.

This partnership, spearheaded by American Farmland Trust and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, is supported by collaboration among researchers, agricultural and conservation organizations, and others within the Genesee River Watershed.

Demonstration farms include:

Gary Swede Farms LLC. Swede Farms is a 4,500-acre crop and vegetable farm with a 2,000-cow dairy. Soil health practices include no-till, strip-till, cover crops and nutrient management.

Har-Go Farms. Har-Go Farms is a 650-acre organic dairy farm. Soil health practices include cover crops and nutrient management.

Notably, the Swede farm was recently featured in a series of soil health case studies conducted by AFT and NRCS. The Swedes reported that they improved their bottom line by $55 per acre and by $82,257 on a 1,500-acre rotation by adopting strip-till, cover crops and nutrient management.

Learn more at farmland.org/geneseeriverdemofarms.

Source: American Farmland Trust, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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