COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Farmers are reliant on Mother Nature for rain. However, too much or too little of it can yield negative outcomes.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently got a tour of the Schmitmeyer farm in Darke County, where massive, self-driving equipment called 360 RAIN is being used.
“What an inspiring time we’ve had here today at this beautiful farm to see the regenerative farming that is happening here and what they’re doing with everything produced,” she said. “Even the manure is used in total to fertilize organically or to fertilize naturally, I should say.”
That manure and water are delivered directly to the root line of crops to reduce runoff and nutrient loss into our waterways. According to the Ohio EPA, 48% of Ohio’s watersheds are impacted by nutrient runoff like fertilizers. This can lead to harmful algal blooms and increased costs in water treatment.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said tools like 360 RAIN are under consideration for good practice through H2Ohio.
“Good water quality is just essential to the quality of life,” he said. “There’s nothing more important than good water. So, we have to continue to invest every single year.”
Showing off these innovative techniques to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture is important, as the USDA pushes for more locally-produced and healthier food in the U.S.
“In many ways, it is farms like this and visionaries and pioneers like those standing behind me, they’re going to make that dream a reality, so we will continue to push this forward,” Rollins said. “America’s agriculture will continue to feed and fuel and clothe the world.”
