Agriculture: Growing a climate for tomorrow

Damarys Mortenson (Photo/USDA-Natural Resources Conservation) It’s nothing you haven’t already heard. Climate change is altering our agricultural landscape as we know it. Indiana’s farmers and forestland owners are experiencing impacts like increased and more intense droughts and floods, as well as shifting weather patterns and growing seasons. These impacts threaten production as well as conservation efforts. More than ever, planning and decision-making need to account for the impacts of climate change.  The Agriculture Council of America estimates that each American farmer feeds 166 people worldwide, a number that is growing each year as the population increases. As demand increases and factors such as a changing climate impact production, now is a key time for farmers to start looking ahead and planning for the future. That’s why this year’s Ag Day theme is “Agriculture: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” This theme is a reminder for farmers, rural communities and agencies such as USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to continue working together to make a positive impact on food security, farm profitability and the environment in the face of extreme and changing weather. NRCS recognizes the urgency of the climate crisis and has made it one of the agency’s top priorities.&...