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By Grace Beck CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER (CARC)- Through the agricultural speakers we've visited in the last few weeks it has become apparent to me that America is facing a large issue in finding young people willing to get involved in agriculture. Darrel, from the central agriculture research center, informed us that the average age of farmers in Montana is around 51 years old. The question that I keep asking myself is how the hell do we get kids interested in agriculture? I'll be the first to admit that the idea of working on a farm doesn't exactly excite me but some of the sites have peaked my interest. Farms like Swanky Roots, Sandy Arrow, and Two Dot Ranch give me hope for the future in agriculture because their practices are largely based on science and engineering. Tons of students, like myself, are interested in saving the environment and fighting climate change so finding ways to incorporate that passion into agriculture could save the withering industry as well as the environment. I think one of the reasons no young people want to get involved in agriculture is because there’s no adventure or creativity and people are so fixated on their old methods that kill the earth. Kathleen McConkey at Two Dot Ranch even joked that they were the weirdos in the area for using an environmentally friendly way of grazing cattle. We got to explore so many unique ways of counteracting climate change through agriculture, but imagine how many more we could have seen if those developments were accepted. By Amy Humphrey HARLOWTON, MT- Climate change. A doom that’s coming for everything. Melting glaciers, frequent forest fires, longer periods of drought, you’ve heard it all. But there’s one, small bright side to this black cloud, and it takes place in agriculture. I know what you’re thinking. Lack of water, hot days, fires, and so on. Where’s the bright side? Well, a leading warming component in the air is too much carbon dioxide, which, as everyone knows, is what plants use to breath and grow. Due to this increase in carbon dioxide, farmers and ranchers across Montana have noticed an increase in plant production. Another “good side” to climate change, is that growing seasons are lasting longer. The MCA says, “These trends [referring to increase in warmer days] have contributed to an overall increase in the growing season length of 12 days between 1951 and 2010” (MCA p. 34). This can be beneficial because more crops can be grown in a longer period of time, meaning potentially we could grow more food, not just for our own country, but to send more to countries across the world where the people are in need of good, nutritious food. About one ninth of the world’s population isn’t getting the food they need*. Wouldn’t it be good to help those people? Now yes, climate change will cause a lot of issues with agriculture, such as drought, crop diseases, insect relation, and more. However, it’s nice to know that there’s a little good that can come from climate change. *http://www.foodaidfoundation.org/world-hunger-statistics.html By Amy Humphrey HELENA, MT - This week, in our final trip, we had the chance to meet with various people on a governmental level. Some of those people, such as Patrick Holmes who is an advisor to governor Steve Bullock, talked about how, on the wide spectrum, they have ideas on policies to help deal with climate change. However, when we talked with two commissioners, those who should be most connected with people and possible solutions, they tended to “beat around the bush” when asked about climate change. One of the commissioners gave us four questions to ask when it came to global warming. The first was, “Is the Earth warming and how much?” That seems to me like a silly question. It’s been proven over and over again that yes, the earth is warming at a rapid pace. That’s why there’s the Montana Climate Assessment, which says, “The MCA found that all three of these sectors [referring to forests, water, and agriculture] have experienced impacts from climate change over the last half century” (MCA p.XL). That’s the whole point of this class, because climate IS changing. The commissioners said that we should base our ideas on facts and be truth seekers, but there aren’t many hard facts regarding the future of climate change, just scenarios. So, what then? It is obvious that even those who are involved with policy implementations related to climate change don’t have all of the answers. BUT, that’s no excuse to not try and solve the problems. Veggies Not Veal ULM, MT--Our trip to Timeless Seeds reminded me how much I dislike lentils. I fully accept the statistic Dave Oien, our tour guide, gave us that Americans on average only eat four ounces of lentils in a year. I don’t think I’ve even had four ounces in the last four years. Dave was wrong about how much meat people consume, however. He said it was 195 pounds per year. It’s actually closer to 270 pounds. To produce a quarter-pound burger, it takes 74.5 square feet of land and 52.8 gallons of water for both the animal and the feed crops. Comparatively, 4000 feet is enough to sustain one person on a vegetarian diet for a year, not to mention that plants don’t produce methane like the source of the burger does. I want to be clear that I am not promoting a vegetarian lifestyle. I like steak too much for that. But, simply cutting back on meat intake can reduce carbon footprint from an average 15.8 pounds per day to 10.3, not to mention less meat means less water and land used in the process, as there isn’t that proverbial middle man of feed crops, as the crops in this case are the food. I’m not going vegetarian any time soon, nor do I plan on liking lentils. Still, I think I could give up meat once a week if it shrunk my impact on the planet. In the long run it might not mean much, but it’s better than nothing. -Delaney Photo by Timeless Natural Food
Columbia Gorge Wind Farm: The Columbian JUDITH GAP, MT--Every time I drive to Bozeman, I pass through a wind farm in the Columbia Gorge. I love watching them, especially when two sync up rotations, but there are always at least a handful that refuse to move. When we visited Judith Wind Energy, I counted exactly six moving. That day, they were producing exactly zero megawatts.
This is the obvious problem with wind energy. Sometimes, there isn’t any wind, just like with solar power there sometimes isn’t any sun. Wind energy is a gamble that way. Sure, it’s clean and renewable energy, but it isn’t always there. Fossil fuels, while nonrenewable and bad for the environment, have the benefit of being reliable. Coal won’t just disappear for a day and then come back another. It will produce power as long as there is coal to burn, and that’s a point in coal’s favor. The unreliable nature of wind also plays a part in the issue of cost. While renewables are on track to be cheaper than coal by 2020, a wind farm itself might not be active enough to stay competitive with conventional energy, or even other renewables. I personally love the advantages wind offers as a clean energy source, and that the land around wind farms can still be productive, but I don’t think it’s realistic to expect wind to ever be a large part of our collective energy portfolio, or completely line the Columbia Gorge and make my drive to college that much more interesting. -Delaney Invenergy Wind Farm; Casey Page of Billings Gazette By Ellie Jackson HELENA, Montana -- Now more than ever, our country’s partisanship is preventing us from being able to find common ground, particularly in creating policy regarding the use of efficient energy. “Being skeptical about global warming has become part of Republican or conservative identity.” (New York Times) Roger Koopman, a Republican representative of the Public Service Commission, says that “no source of energy should be ignored;” however, he is an obvious supporter of fossil fuels in supplying long-term energy. A combination of renewable energy sources didn’t even seem worthy of consideration. It was plain to see that he had embraced his “conservative identity.” Koopman’s priorities involve keeping Montana jobs and providing reliable and sustainable energy across the grid. He argues that renewable energy is not economical, but if part of the Commission’s goal is sustainability, then they will have to inch toward an area of common ground to achieve it. But this is coming from someone who questions whether an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is “good or bad.” So if he doubts the facts, and saving the environment is not on his priority list, how will we ever transition to renewable energy if people like Koopman are deciding our policies? The other side firmly believes in anthropogenic climate change and largely supports policies that regulate power plant emissions. However, only about twenty percent of Republicans support renewables generating a portion of their electricity. (New York Times) Their egos and their party loyalty are keeping them from acknowledging the facts and creating necessary policies that will facilitate positive change. Sources:
Popovich, Nadja, and Livia Albeck-ripka. “How Republicans Think About Climate Change.” The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/14/climate/republicans-global-warming-maps.html. “Home.” What We Do, http://psc.mt.gov. By Ellie Jackson SANDY ARROW RANCH, Montana -- When it comes to agricultural practices in Montana, many hold tradition in high regard. Agriculture has built Montana’s foundation and its culture; for many, it’s not just a way to make a living, it’s a way of life.
Driving through central Montana, I thought about Montana’s roots as well as my family’s. The farming opportunities lead both sides of my family to settle in the central part of the state. For decades people have used a two-field crop rotation method for wheat, which has lead to a decrease in soil quality, as has tilling as a means of controlling weeds. Such traditional practices have been successful in producing crop yields, but at a cost. Many traditionalists would disregard the consequences that result from their practices because financial stability is of higher concern. Not until recently did we start to question these practices’ environmental impacts, and since, regenerative agriculture has been gaining popularity. The Sandy Arrow Ranch refuses to “farm conventionally” because they want to “prove there is a better agricultural model for the planet.” (Sandy Arrow Ranch) Similar to traditionalists, their end-goal is to run a farm that will produce money-making crops efficiently, but by being environmentally conscious. Essentially, they are sacrificing tradition for sustainability. What would my grandparents think of their compost tea, and the claim that their ways are better and “lead to higher traditional values?” We’re battling a changing climate and trying to keep people fed, but at what cost do we sacrifice the values that we’re rooted in? By Zach Archambault MOCCASIN, Montana—by the year 2055 the earth will have 10 billion mouths to feed—2.4 billion more than there are now; how will we feed them? Darryl Grove, the Farm Operations Manager at the Central Montana Agricultural Research Center, told us “that's what you're going to college to figure out,” but I think the solution to this problem doesn't require a college education. A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization stated that across the globe we waste: “about a third of the planet's [food] production,” and an article published by National Geographic—which cited the same report—stated that much of this food is wasted due to “aesthetic reasons,” and is “enough to feed 2 billion people.” At the Laurel Famer’s Market in Laurel, Montana, a wheelbarrow full of slightly discolored, deformed, or damaged yellow and green zucchini, peppers, and cabbage sits untouched, waiting to be thrown out or given away. “Nobody’ll buy them,” an employee of the farm said, “even though they taste just as good [as aestheticly pleasing vegetables].” Now the question of feeding a growing population seems less daunting. Again, how will we feed another billion people? Ugly food is the answer. Another green revolution isn't imperative in solving this impending global crisis (although it's still something to strive for). Will people make the switch to eating so-called ugly foods? I believe so. It took around ten years for Timeless Seeds' worst selling lentil, Black Beluga Lentils, to become their most popular. If people are willing to make a change to eat ugly black legumes, then they should also be willing to eat shorter bananas, discolored oranges, hail-damaged zucchinis, and deformed peppers. In the face of a growing population, we cannot afford to waste anything that we produce. We cannot afford to squander resources and time in a changing and volatile climate. So let’s not. Let’s eat ugly food. By Erin Bjorklund
SNOWY MOUNTAINS, Montana— Amy and I had fallen behind the rest of the group. As we struggled to make our way up to the Snowy Mountain Ice Cave, we came into a clearing. It was eerily quiet. Then, whoosh! The sound of a truck was headed straight for us. A patch of roughly 10 trees to our left began to intensely sway, with sticks and rocks flying everywhere. We waited for the commotion to end, then hurriedly continued along the path. Once we calmed down, we discussed what could have caused that outbreak. It was too large an area for it to have been a startled animal, but too small to be a micro-surge. After describing our experience to the others, we guessed it was a wind devil. However, we’ll never know for sure. Could this mysterious, almost supernatural, burst of wind be a consequence of climate change? Intense weather is one of the most obvious effects of climate change. From wildfires all along the west coast, to intense winters in the south, to increased tornados in the central part of the United States. Even Montana has faced changes, it’s “snowpack has declined over the observational record (i.e., since the 1930s)” and “since 1950, average statewide temperatures have increased” (Montana Climate Assessment, XXXII and XXIX). Like climate change, this outburst could’ve been caused by many things but it is unclear what exactly caused it. The future of the climate is unknown, but it is likely that strange events like this will occur more frequently if nothing is done to combat global warming. |
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