Southern Plains Perspective: When it comes to Climate Smart Ag, Oklahoma could learn from its neighbor
When it comes to conservation policy I generally like to brag on Oklahoma. Many people don’t realize what a great job the Sooner State does when it comes to protecting natural resources on farm and ranch land.
Whether it’s reducing run-off in streams and rivers, controlling soil erosion or improving wildlife habitat, Oklahoma has a record of being a national leader in addressing these issues. It’s a rare day when I point out how another state is doing a better job of helping farmers and ranchers deal with an environmental challenge.
Well, today is one of those days. While perusing the internet last week for column ideas, I came across a story describing a new program in the State of Missouri that’s focused on helping agriculture producers adopt “climate smart ag practices.” It’s something I think Oklahoma and other Southern Plains States should consider copying.
In September of 2022, The Center for Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Missouri received a $25 million grant from USDA to lead the Missouri Climate-Resilient Crop and Livestock Project (CRCL).
This initiative is designed to assist Missouri producers in adopting a wide range of climate-smart conservation practices in the hope of creating a more resilient crop and livestock system.
Through a series of incentive payments, the CRCL project funds a specific set of practices with rates ranging from $20 an acre for planting and grazing cover crops to $250 an acre for sivolpasture (planting trees in pastures to expand woodland areas and provide shade for livestock).
This initiative is being run by the University of Missouri in partnership with the Missouri Corn Growers Association, the Missouri Soybean Association, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, various state agencies, and several Missouri agribusiness and nonprofit groups.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating that we copy everything that Missouri is doing (sivolpasture as an example isn’t a good fit for large portions of the Southern Plains) and to Oklahoma’s credit there already have been some targeted efforts to fund practices such as cover crops.
The Oklahoma Conservation Commission also has its state-wide cost share program that does provide assistance for some climate smart practices (although these practices also compete with other important conservation measures that might not fall under the climate smart umbrella).
All of these are good efforts and I’m not trying to down-play them.
I think it might be time to consider an additional initiative focused specifically on encouraging climate smart ag.
What would happen if the state did something crazy like provide additional funding for a direct payment to producers who undertook and implemented (at least in part) a whole farm climate action plan?
Instead of just cost-sharing on an individual practice like converting to no-till or clearing ceder trees as we do now, the state would also offer a per acre payment if you did multiple practices on your land to better harden your operation to extreme weather while also helping reduce greenhouse gases over a five-year period.
What kind of buy in could we get if we provided additional direct support (not just cost-share) to ag producers who put in place at least part of a whole farm or ranch plan devoted to protecting their resource base?
The devil would be in the details and obviously the state can’t fund everything, but imagine if we did more in this area (even on a limited basis)?
Not only would we help better prepare our farms and ranches for climate change (while also fighting some of its root causes) we also would get the extra benefits of clean water, reduced wildfire danger, reduced soil erosion and improved wildlife habitat.
It’s worth thinking about—after all, they are doing something like this in Missouri.