Star Tribune

Letters from readers

Sunday, February 27, 2005

Farms vs. wildlife

In his Feb. 20 interview with Star Tribune outdoors writer Dennis Anderson, Prof. Richard Levins quite succinctly defined the issue with most farmers and our federal farm policies. The ultimate option is rewarding people for doing something constructive and positive. The other sectors of our society that enjoy the benefits of a healthy environment have a role to play here as well, namely to assist in creating and promoting farm policies that reward the environmental spirit of the farmer. In the end all parties benefit. Carmen Fernholz, Madison, Minn.

Dennis Anderson's interview with economist Dick Levins paints a troubling and all too accurate picture: Farms have become larger and less diverse, causing the loss of wetlands and other wildlife habitats.

When putting together the book "The Farm as Natural Habitat" (Island Press 2002), I came across numerous Minnesota farmers using creative, innovative farming systems to produce food while protecting wildlife habitat and the environment in general. "Multiple Benefits of Agriculture," a study of two Minnesota watersheds published in the January issue of BioScience, found that farming systems that utilize more grasses, hay and other year-round plant cover can significantly improve fish habitat while reducing water pollution. Such sustainable farming systems are profitable, but transitioning from the traditional corn-soybean row crop system to wildlife friendly farming can be difficult under current farm policy.

Levins says Minnesota should be a leader in bringing about conservation policy reforms. He's right. Minnesotans should push Congress to fully fund programs such as the Conservation Security Program, which rewards farmers for producing real conservation benefits. But we can also lead every time we buy locally produced food raised by growers who use farming methods that are good for the land.

Dana Jackson, associate director,
Land Stewardship Project,
White Bear Lake.

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