Sustainable Farming Practices for Texas Land

Sustainable farming practices aren’t just buzzwords. They could be key to improving your soil fertility, boosting yields, ensuring the longevity of your rural land purchase, and even increasing profitability.

At a high level, sustainable farming practices aim to conserve natural resources like soil or water. This can help improve the overall environment within your community — but also ensure your operation’s ability to produce high yields in the long run.

Deciding which sustainable farming practices are best for your operation will depend on your region, crops, and other management factors. But here are a few common ones to consider implementing:

Cover cropping 

A cover crop is a plant that’s grown primarily for its benefit to the soil — not necessarily for its yields. 

Cultivating extra plants that aren’t considered “cash crops” might seem counterintuitive. But planting cover crops is more of a long-term investment into your acres. They can help mitigate weeds, reduce soil erosion, add organic matter to the soil, and keep away pests and diseases. 

Some common cover crops on Texas land include winter peas, cereal rye, and oats. Consult with your local agronomist to determine the best cover crop options for your acres.

Reduced or no tillage 

Tillage involves mechanically loosening up and overturning soil to prepare it for planting. Although the practice has been around for generations, it increases the potential for soil erosion and harm the underlying soil structure. 

By reducing tillage — or eliminating it altogether — growers can reduce their soil losses, improve soil productivity, and maintain organic matter on their land. This sustainable practice can also protect against crusting. Soil surface crusting can harm water infiltration, which can cause crop germination to stall. 

Crop rotation 

One conservation practice that has stood the test of time is crop rotation. It’s been around for hundreds of years: from Native Americans rotating (and even interplanting) corn, beans, and squash, to farmers in the Roman Empire rotating through “food,” “feed,” and “fallow” fields 

In practice, crop rotation involves intentionally sequencing different crops in the same field. For example, in Texas this might look like alternating between cotton and alfalfa. Your local agronomist can help you decide which crops will best suit your specific acres.

Crop rotation can help improve soil structure, prevent erosion, and reduce pests and diseases. It can also help improve overall farm productivity, maximize your input costs, and boost yields.

Composting  

Another practice that’s been around for generations, composting helps you leverage waste to improve soil health. This practice involves recycling organic matter (like food scraps) into fertilizer. 

Not only does composting help you reduce waste. It also supports better plant growth, adds critical nutrients (like nitrogen or potassium) to the soil, and stimulates organic matter production. 

Rotational or holistic grazing 

If you raise livestock, holistic grazing is one sustainable practice to think about for your ranchland. Similar to crop rotation, this practice involves rotating animals through a specific grazing pattern. This helps prevent overgrazing, protect soil and plant health throughout your operation, and ensure animals always have access to a robust grazing environment. 

What Are Other Benefits to Sustainable Farming Practices? 

Beyond just healthier soil and operational longevity, integrating sustainable farming practices can provide more opportunities to add to your bottom line. 

Crops grown through sustainable farming practices can sometimes earn premium prices on the market. Many consumers who value environmental stewardship are willing to pay a bit extra for products that come from an operation working to conserve natural resources. 

When you incorporate sustainable practices, you may also be eligible for extra grants or credits that can help add to your bottom line. For example, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program offers support to farmers and ranchers who want to incorporate conservation practices into working lands. There are also a variety of carbon credit programs in which you can earn subsidies for reducing your operation’s carbon production.  

You can figure out which programs you’re eligible for by contacting USDA or the Texas ag department. 

Get help from the experts

Whether you’re looking to incorporate sustainable farming practices into your current operation, or you’re preparing to buy new acres, financial support is critical. Texas Farm Credit offers the financial services you need, from rural land loans and operating lines of credit to land refinancing. Get in touch with our team today to get started.