Mary Anne Meyers – Sun, 18 Aug 2013 KMTLand (St Louis) —
The combination of last year’s record drought and this year’s heavy spring rains has scientists wondering if efforts to restore Missouri farmland are going to waste. Thirty years ago, Missouri had one of the worst soil-erosion rates in the nation, but conservation practices over the years cut that in half. The Agriculture Department says that in the past five years though, Missouri farmers have taken a half a million acres of land out of conservation programs. As a result, wetlands are disappearing – and so is the soil. Kat Logan-Smith, director of environmental policy, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, blamed rising grain prices. “With corn prices the way they are, the incentives are all stacked against conservation,” Logan-Smith said. According to the USDA, nationwide 10 million acres have been dropped from conservation programs, and scientists are seeing the worst erosion in years. If it continues, food prices and crop-insurance costs will rise. Continue reading
