FARM CONSTRUCTION THURSDAY, NOV. 2, 2023 | WWW.AGRIVIEW.COM | VOL. 50 NO. 44
Farmers + carbon =
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Farmers can change future HAL CONICK
For University of Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. – In fall 2022 after Midwestern farmers had gathered the last crops of the season, a team of University of Wisconsin-College of Agricultural and Life Sciences agronomy researchers hurried into the fields to collect samples of the soil. They had just received a grant for the Soil Organic Carbon network – or SOCnet. It’s a new decade-long study that could change the way farming affects the earth. To kick-start the project the research group needed to take baseline samples post-harvest – but before farmers began managing the soil for the next batch. Only a rapid response would do. The UW team was led by Gregg Sanford, a senior research scientist in the lab of professor Randy Jackson, who is a grassland ecologist in the UW-Department of Agronomy. With a tractor-mounted Giddings hydraulic soil probe, a gooseneck trailer and a Dodge Ram 5500 truck, they set off from the UW-Arlington Agricultural Research Station near Arlington, Wisconsin. At each farm site they used the Giddings to probe deep into the soil, Sanford taking samples that when analyzed would tell them how much organic carbon the soil stores. With baseline samples secured, they drove back to the Madison campus. It was the first step of a long journey toward answering a vital question – can certain farming practices efficiently pull carbon from the atmosphere and into soil? If the answer is yes, it would bring them one step closer to understanding how farming practices can help quell climate change. Plants garner boyhood fascination When Sanford was a young boy, long before he ever thought about soil carbon, he was spellbound by plants and agriculture. Each summer he traveled to his grandparents’ dairy farm along the Kickapoo River in southwest Wisconsin, where he often wandered its hilly terrain, he said – and loved every minute of it. As Sanford grew, so too did his interest and education in plant life. But he wanted more than knowledge. He said he often wondered how the applied science of plants and agricultural systems could improve the world. He knew poorly managed agricultural systems could have devastating consequences – the Dust Bowl, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico and
GREGG SANFORD, UW
Assistant scientist Adam von Haden and graduate student Mia Keady analyze soil samples for both inorganic and organic carbon in the lab.
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Carbon-soil interest grows But the idea of carbon sequestration, that plants can pull atmospheric carbon into the soil through photosynthesis and store it there, has grown in popularity among researchers until it hit the mainstream. Five years ago Sanford noticed that many organizations were promising to pay farmers who use practices that sequester carbon in their soil. It’s intended to work like carbon credits, he said. “If our agricultural systems could pull carbon into the soil, you could theoretically pay a farmer for the amount of carbon they sequester as an offset,” Sanford said. “If you’re Google, for example, and you want to go carbon-neutral, you might have some areas of your business where it’s not possible to cut down your carbon footprint. But perhaps you can offset your carbon footprint by paying a farmer for however many tons per acre that can be sequestered in soil.” The concept was fascinating but he said he knew research about carbon sequestration had gaps. That meant it also had gaps in practice. He had made that painful discovery in graduate school. Please SEE Climate, Page 4
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even the Madison-area lakes turning green with algae blooms from excess phosphorus. But when managed well, Sanford knew agriculture could feed growing populations, provide clean water and potentially help stabilize the climate. While working on his doctorate from 2008 to 2012 at UW-College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Sanford read scientific studies that made a fascinating connection. He saw farming practices might be able to draw carbon from the atmosphere into plant biomass, which would then become soil carbon, he said. Done correctly, the process called carbon sequestration could reduce carbon in the atmosphere, thereby slowing the effects of climate change and providing important nutrients for farmland soil. That would be vastly different than farming practices such as tillage that tend to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. At that point those were simply ideas on a page. But he felt compelled by the theory that farming could assist in the fight against climate change, he said.
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Research needs new methods While doing research for his doctorate, Sanford dug into the UW-Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial. The trial was launched almost 35 years ago by UW-College of Agricultural and Life Sciences agronomy professor Josh Posner, whom Sanford studied under before Posner’s death in 2012. It was established to see how organic-farming practices compared to non-organic practices for growing food. Researchers collected baseline soil samples, including how much carbon each sample contained. After seeing the array of systems and soils sampled, Sanford said he was excited. That could be it, he thought. If he sampled those same areas 20 years later, he could find what systems best build carbon through time. But when he dug deeper he was disappointed by what he found. “I analyzed the data and was totally shocked to find out that most of the systems had been losing carbon for 20 years,” he said. “The results were contrary to what I expected.” There was a clear signal that what worked best to sequester carbon was grazed pasture as well as native perennial
ADAM VON HADEN, UW
Research specialist Greta Hippensteel divides a Soil Organic Carbon-network soil core for further analysis.
Farm Construction
grasslands – biodiverse plant communities that turn green early in the spring, stay green late into the fall and cling to soil through the winter. But several questions remained about how those findings might apply to carbon sequestration in the region more broadly. To this day little is known about what practices work best to sequester carbon, Sanford said, due in part to the large role soil type and climate play in the equation. What works on one farm or field might not work on another. Inconsistent and historically inadequate scientific methods have also muddied the waters. Companies currently paying for carbon sequestration may be putting ineffective practices to work. In that case minimal carbon is being offset, if any. That annoyed him, he said. What he once saw as applied agriculture that could change the world was turning into greenwashing. He began thinking of a way to make it right. Research looks at three tiers Sanford racked his brain to find a way to verify his observations from the UWWisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial and meaningfully assess the carbonsequestration potential of agricultural practices in the Upper Midwest. Properly gauging changes in soil carbon takes a long time, he said. Carbon changes slowly plus
GRETA HIPPENSTEEL, UW
A side-by-side comparison shows soil particles, left, and gravel after a Soil Organic Carbonnetwork sample was sieved in the lab.
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soils are diverse in character and content, making consistent measurement difficult. But he thought there might be a way to control the process. “If we built out a network to do longterm monitoring, and got farmers to buy in and work with us, we could find the best methods and get really accurate estimates,” he said. “That idea kept bubbling and bubbling.” He thought he and a team from Jackson’s lab could manage a long-term-monitoring process across many landscape types, soil varieties and management styles, he said. By taking time to study the rich prairiederived soils throughout the Midwest’s corn belt – amplified by the 34 years of long-term Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial data and partnerships with other long-term university-led experiments – researchers could better understand what practices work best to sequester carbon. That’s the impetus behind SOCnet. “We decided to evaluate carbon at these different experimental sites in the area where we have complete control of what’s happening,” Sanford said. The project could truly measure the impact of farming practices on soil carbon based on long-term observations, perhaps for the first time in the region, he said.
SOCnet uses baseline or “time zero” carbon measurements and long-term monitoring to understand how management affects soil carbon through time. Many soil-carbon studies take samples from different parts of a landscape at one time point and compare the carbon levels under different management – such as cover crops vs. no cover crops. Cover crops such as rye and winter wheat aren’t meant for harvest. Instead they improve soil, smother weeds and deter pests. The assumption is made that soil-carbon levels in “business as usual” no-covercrop management have remained stable through time so the difference between the two is therefore the result of carbon sequestration. But it’s an imperfect comparison, Sanford said. That’s because as work at the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial has clearly demonstrated, many of the assumptions do not bear out. With baseline measurements and long-term tracking, researchers repeatedly sample from the same piece of land soon after the management style has changed. “That’s a huge piece, tracking these systems over time,” he said. Please SEE Climate, Page 6
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An aerial photo, take with a drone, shows cattle grazing on pasture at the Cates Family Farm near Spring Green, Wisconsin.
Soil Organic Carbon Network map
GREGG SANFORD, UW
Large plots of corn, soybeans, wheat and pasture are part of the UW-Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial.
Climate From 5
SOCnet has three tiers. The first tier brings together ongoing long-term research by UW-College of Agricultural and Life Sciences scientists, including the UW-Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial, with multiyear experiments by Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota. “Because these studies are on research sites, we can ask and answer questions more manipulatively than we can on farms,” Sanford said. “And within each one of those associated states we have a network of on-farm sites where we’re cocreating experiments with the farmers and collecting carbon data.” That network of on-farm sites constitutes tier two. Those are the sites SOCnet teams rushed to sample with the hydraulic soil probe immediately following the 2022 harvest. As soon as SOCnet received funding – about $250,000 every three years for the duration of the study from the grassroots Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education program – Sanford and his team began visiting potential tier-two farms. Farmers agreed to make changes in management such as adding cover crops and reducing tillage on a section of their land, and allow researchers to sample from those locations. Every three years researchers will return to see how much soil carbon has been gained or lost. SOCnet’s third tier includes a larger network of farmers who won’t be making any changes. Farmers in those locations have simply chosen a preferred system, and will allow researchers to sample and track their soil through time. Taken together the three tiers will give researchers a multifaceted view of what practices best build soil carbon in Midwestern soils that were built through millennia by the tallgrass prairie. “If all goes well this will be a 10-year project,” Sanford said. “Long-term research might not be the most exciting thing for a funding agency, eager landowners or private investors hoping to see carbon accumulate quickly. But our point is to get the most accurate data possible on whether carbon is truly accumulating, and the only way to do that is by tracking it over time.”
Slow process goes deep Most soil researchers take cylindrical samples of about 12 inches long. But Sanford said he wanted SOCnet to go deeper. At each farm the hydraulic probe samples down at least 3 feet for each sample – at least three times deeper than most other studies, he said. The soil surface is the easiest to sample from and where most of the “action” occurs. But prior UW research has found that much of the carbon is gained and lost in a lower layer. “We realized that the information, especially on the deeper soils, is limited,” said Adam von Haden, an assistant scientist in the UW-Department of Agronomy and a SOCnet collaborator. Von Haden mapped the areas they’d be sampling and accompanied Sanford with the probe across the Midwest. Now Von Haden von Haden runs the processing of the soil samples, a time-consuming affair. The first step is sieving the soil down to particles that are 2 millimeters in diameter or less, the cutoff for what is considered soil versus a larger particle such as gravel. “Some of these soils are very challenging,” he said. “The deeper soils tend to have higher clay content and less organic matter, which makes it a little stickier, and it’s a
The Soil Organic Carbon Network is a farmer-scientist collaboration monitoring long-term effects of farming practices on soil carbon and other soilhealth metrics in the Upper Midwest. SOCnet is a network for accurately monitoring soilcarbon change and helping farmers evaluate carbon-market opportunities. SOCnet links producer-driven on-farm research with long-term cropping-systems experiments in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
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real pain to get through the sieve.” Under the guidance of Greta Hippensteel, a research specialist in the lab, the SOCnet team recruited several UW undergraduate students to muscle through the sieving process. The sieving takes months because it must be done entirely by hand each time samples are taken. After the soil is sieved, samples are dried for analysis. Researchers take a small sample of dry soil, grind it and load it into an elemental analyzer. The analyzer combusts the sample and measures how much carbon dioxide it releases. Rather than working by hand, researchers can load dozens of soil samples at a time to allow the analyzer to run all day. SOCnet researchers will also examine the soil’s texture, acidity and what kind of organic matter it contains, von Haden said. There’s a theory that soil containing more mineral-associated organic matter will likely hold nutrients such as nitrogen and carbon for longer. SOCnet researchers intend to study that further. The probe will visit twice as many sites in 2023 as it did the previous year, von Haden said, as SOCnet takes its first samples of tier-three farms. Under his management all data will be compiled into a database and then compared through
time. “I believe it’s a unique study, having this aspect where we’re working with farmers across three states and actually doing the research on their farms,” von Haden said. “I can’t think of another study like that offhand.” Farmers critical as partners Farmers are true collaborators in SOCnet. Researchers rely on them to manage their land in specific ways, report back on activity and changes, and grant access for soil-sampling. Von Haden said a big part of the SOCnet team’s job is to educate farmers on what data they’re finding. The team will readily share data and insights to inform farmers about agricultural practices that sequester carbon. That education component is why Eric Heins, owner of Minnesota-family-farm Hoosier Ridge Ranch, decided to become part of SOCnet. “The carbon piece piqued my interest,” Heins said. But he said he wanted to learn more. In the past he had reached out to carbon markets about sequestration methods but none were interested in working with small farms. Most seemed like fly-by-night
Thursday, November 2, 2023
operations, he said; he never quite trusted them. “I think that those who are signing up right now are going to get the short end of the stick as more people jump into that market,” he said. Heins and his family bought Hoosier Ridge Ranch in 2015. They converted tillable land into rotational grazing land, which moves livestock through different areas of the property, and started their own grass-fed-beef herd. Their plan now is to grow cover crops over everything, Heins said. But SOCnet researchers asked Heins to keep a few acres of land free of cover crops so they can compare that land’s soil carbon to other areas of the land with cover crops. “If we can prove that these practices where you’re not disturbing the soil – cover cropping, no-till planting and minimal tillage – help sequester more carbon, that really gives proof to the world to say, ‘Everybody should be doing this,’” Heins said. Jason Gruenenfelder, owner of Greenfield Farm in southwest Wisconsin, is also part of SOCnet’s second tier. His 400-acre farm, which he runs with his wife and five children, has everything in permanent pasture – land used for growing grasses or
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herbaceous fodder for five years or more. They have dairy cattle grazing rotationally. For SOCnet, Greenfield Farm will grow a double crop with sorghum silage harvested in the fall, and winter wheat or rye grown across the year as a cover crop. Gruenenfelder will allow cattle to graze in this area more frequently than usual, which is a method used to prep soil for planting without tillage. “We’re going to really get a lot of hoof action on it here this spring when it gets a little mucky, but not tear it up completely,” Gruenenfelder said. For his part, he said he’ll record what days cattle graze as well as whether he does any other forms of tillage or spraying in those areas. Sanford said he’s glad to have more control regarding management practices through tier one. But he believes that collaboration with farmers in tiers two and three is the most important part of SOCnet. Farmers will give researchers a deeper level of understanding, just as the hardwon data of SOCnet will empower farmers to know what works best to sequester carbon in soil. “Farmers are bombarded with information
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Climate From 7
and data, including a lot of kind of ‘snake oil’ sales, for lack of a better term,” he said. “It’s hard for anybody to sort through what’s true and what isn’t true. By getting data in the hands of the farmers and helping them understand what the data means, they can then critically filter and sort the wheat from the chaff regarding carbon sequestration.” Agriculture can be climate answer Heins said he hopes SOCnet shows that certain farming practices can indeed pull carbon into the soil – and with efficiency. “Agriculture really can be an answer,” he said. Carbon markets, and thus the farmers who work with them, will only be truly successful after accurate measurements are taken, he said. “They’re going to be able to prove that they did it rather than just saying it on paper,” he said. Members of Congress in 2022 showed their enthusiasm for the idea when they introduced legislation to fund research to better understand and implement carbon-sequestration practices. For von Haden the end results of SOCnet will be fascinating, no matter the findings, he said. Few if any studies have tracked changes for as long and as deep into the soil. “The data will be extremely informative for both the farmers and for the broader science community,” he said. “The only issue is that we have to wait 10 years to get the results.” The wait will be worth it, Sanford believes, because it will clear up misconceptions and inform farmers of the best practices in sequestering carbon. That will reduce the chances of greenwashing, improve clarity in how farming can thwart climate change and improve soil quality for agriculture, he said. And it will demonstrate that the applied science of plants and agriculture can change the world. “We have really carbon-rich soils and this huge carbon resource,” Sanford said. “If we’re working with bad data, we will continue to degrade it. Or we can use the right data to protect it and make it better.” Visit wicst.wisc.edu/socnet for more information. Hal Conick is a freelance journalist.
CONTRIBUTED
The farm owner – the landlord – and the farmer – the tenant – must agree on various elements when developing a rental agreement for crop or livestock buildings, or farm land.
Know farm-asset responsibilities
KATIE L. WANTOCH
University of Wisconsin
Farm buildings and land often last longer than the owner has a need for them, but may still be usable by other farmers. Those farmers, especially beginning farmers, may not be in a position to invest in new or to upgrade existing facilities. Both parties may benefit by entering into a landlord-tenant relationship. The owner may receive a return on property that might otherwise remain idle or be underWantoch utilized. The farmer may use the property without making a large fixed investment. However, the owner – the landlord – and the farmer – the tenant – must agree on various elements when developing a rental agreement for crop or livestock buildings, or farm land. The landlord and tenant need to discuss improvements and repairs of the
property before the lease begins. There is no correct answer as to who should pay for what. A written lease detailing the responsibility of each party and agreeing to those items ahead of time will make the landlord-tenant relationship less troublesome. Consider maintenance, repairs Most farm buildings will need maintenance and repairs at some point in time. At the beginning of the lease the landlord and tenant should jointly inspect the rental property to be sure both parties are on the same page regarding the condition and working order of the buildings. In
general it’s the owner’s responsibility to have the property in good condition when the lease begins. A lease may contain a trial period or a certain amount of time at the beginning, in which the owner agrees to repair any part of the property that’s not in working order. That’s especially important when equipment or property has not been used recently. In addition, before entering into a lease, the owner and farmer need to agree on how future maintenance and repair costs will be handled. The lease should specify who is responsible for maintaining and making repairs to the property that’s included in the lease. And the lease should state who is responsible for maintenance, or keeping the property and all its fixtures in working condition. The landlord and tenant should specify the types of repairs the landlord will be required to make, and the level of maintenance required of the tenant. The lease agreement should also specify how the tenant may be reimbursed for necessary repairs – such as whether the
Farm Construction
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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
tenant receives a rent deduction for making repairs, or whether the landlord is required to provide supplies for repairs and the tenant contributes the labor. Some leases allow the tenant to charge repairs to a maximum dollar amount without prior approval, but amounts that are more than that limit must be approved by the owner before the repairs are performed. A m a i n te n a n ce sch edule may be included with a lease agreement that provides details as to how and when repairs and maintenance should be performed, whose responsibility it is to pay for the costs, and whose responsibility it is to perform the task. •Major problems might include watersupply systems such as a well pump; structural components such as siding or roofing of a barn, or fences; waste-treatment systems; and heating and ventilation systems. •M i n o r p ro b l e m s m i g h t i n c l u d e
routine maintenance of equipment; upkeep to prevent deterioration of buildings and other facilities; and repairs of fences, terraces, ditches, etc. The Internal Revenue Service has information to determine whether an expense is a deductible repair for incometax purposes or a capital improvement. •Generally a repair is an expense that keeps the property in its ordinary, efficient and operating condition, or restores the property to its original operating condition. •A capital improvement materially enhances the value of the property or substantially prolongs its useful life. Adapting a property to a new or different use is also considered a capital improvement. •The tenant may be able to deduct the cost of repairs from income for incometax purposes. •In contrast, the owner’s expense for capital improvements may add to his or
her tax basis in the property. •Owners may be able to allocate costs across several years as depreciation for income-tax purposes. The owner and tenant should consult with an accountant or tax preparer regarding those tax implications.
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Consider fixtures, improvements Before entering into a lease, the owner and farmer need to agree on the process for which future alterations or improvements will be approved. The lease should specify what capital improvements the owner will allow on the property and who will pay for those improvements. Tenants may be interested in investing in long-term projects, but may be concerned about losing the investment if a lease is terminated early. A lease may contain a section regarding capital improvements, or a supplement to a lease agreement may be entered to record the long-term investment. This article is intended to provide general information about legal issues in agricultural leasing and should not be construed as providing legal advice. It should not be cited or relied upon as legal authority. For advice about how the issues discussed here might apply to an individual situation, consult an attorney. Katie Wantoch is a farm-management outreach specialist and professor of practice with the University of WisconsinDivision of Extension. She focuses on farmbusiness financial and risk management. Visit farms.extension.wisc.edu/author/ kwantoch/ for more information.
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Farm Construction
Grain-bin designs see safety changes AARON VINER
Illinois Farmer Today
Windstorms have often been a problem for farm buildings but extreme events in the past three years have sparked demand for more-durable structures. Storms such as the 2020 derecho that caused more than $1 billion worth of damage mostly across Iowa have opened people’s eyes, said John Hanig, bin-sales director with Sukup Manufacturing. “People are asking for a bin that is more resistant to wind or can deal with a higher wind load,” he said. “The (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers) changed their ratings for 95 to 105 miles per hour that you have to meet now, but we offer additional wind rings for bins and we’ve seen a real uptick in those parts as well as demand for bins that already have those on it.” Tony Mensing, Iowa State UniversityExtension agricultural engineer, said safety has also been part of recent advancements in newer grain bins. Bin entrapments are a constant threat for farmers. Through
AARON VINER, ILLINOIS FARMER TODAY
Manufacturers are designing grain bins that can deal with extreme wind loads.
equipment and processes like lock-out and tag-out, manufacturers are always looking for a way to make bins safer. “Code states now you have to supply an anchor point on the bin, which is usually
for the rescue person who puts on a harness and fastens to it,” he said. Mensing also referred to a new common practice in grain bins regarding entry doors. Tie bars, which previously crossed
doorways and needed to be removed to move into and out of the bin, are not required due to stronger door frames. But that’s led to other complications because a slightly open door could lead to grain leaks or grain spilling out. That could cause a burial, requiring another door for safety. “They’ve designed a safety door that doesn’t allow that to happen,” he said. “The inner-door panels have the part the outer doors latch onto. If they aren’t shut and locked in place, there’s nothing to latch or close that door. That’s been very well-accepted from the farmers.” Hanig said safety often comes down to producers. They need to follow proper procedures to limit any risk of entrapment and injury. “When the grain is managed properly, there’s very little risk,” he said. “When they let it get out of condition, either with frozen chunks or spoiled chunks, that’s when people try to go in and bust those up and get pulled into the grain. If you keep your grain in good condition, there’s nothing to plug the sumps and no reason to get into the bin.”
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FARM AND HOME STRUCTURES
Gingerich Structures is buying Farm and Home Structures, a privately held post-frame builder headquartered in Missouri Valley, Iowa.
as a community had received from Farm and Home Structures.” They said they believe the transaction allows the company to be successful well into the future. They are dedicated to the ongoing success of Farm and Home Structures, and its customers and employees. Gorman said,“Operationally
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AFTER
Our repair services team will refresh most brands of building.
From Minor Repairs to Major Renovations, We Can Help Your Building Look New Again. Do you have a Morton or non-Morton brand of building that needs some TLC? Is it time to finally tackle that renovation project? Our repair services team consists of local Morton construction experts that use quality Morton materials on your existing structure to make it look new again. The team will handle a wide variety of minor or major repairs for most buildings on your property, plus any renovations to siding, wainscot, doors, windows, or roof steel. Our repair specialists can offer solutions that enhance the life and usability of your existing building(s).
To get started on your next project, contact us today!
800-447-7436
mortonbuildings.com/repairs
Rotted posts can weaken any post-frame building; putting livestock and equipment at risk. The Morton Buildings Repair Services Team repairs other post-frame structures and has experience and a proven method to get your building structure as good as new. Extend the life of your post-frame building with Morton.
Popular Repair Requests Include Repairing, Adjusting or Converting: • Sliding Doors: Add, repair, or replace • Windows: Add, repair, or replace • Post Repairs • Gutter Services: Add or replace • Trim Repairs • Skylight Installation • Roof Replacement
Types of Damages We Repair or Causes of Damage That We Serve: • Steel Chalking • Door Damage • Steel Damage
• Faded or Rusted Steel • Hail Damage