WAWG
Residue left in a field of winter wheat.
In early December, Governor Inslee told business leaders in Washington state that our state has done nothing about Carbon since 2008. This is untrue for many business industries, from manufacturing to transportation and agriculture. Farmers sequester carbon in the soil every day by:
• Looking for and finding ways to leave more plant residue on the field without losing vital moisture. Overall carbon emissions from fossil fuel are decreased.
• Implementing no-till farming practices, which have proven to be economically viable in many parts of our state, creating an opportunity to leave unprecedented amounts of residue on the field.
• Practicing conservation tillage to reduce passes through a field.
• Investing in soil erosion management practices by reducing the disturbance of soil with conservation tillage or no tillage.
• Improving the efficiency of fertilizer and water inputs and improve soil fertility management. By improving the holding capacity of soil, plants are able to do more with less.
• Utilizing the Conservation Reserve Program as a conservation tool on part of many working farms, especially for highly erodible land.
• Improving pasture and rangeland through more proactive, responsible grazing and fire management.