When unique challenges threaten your livelihood, you can throw up your hands. Or, like a group of Ohio farmers, you can throw your arms around the situation and tackle it head on.
Terry McClure, his father, Darwin, and son, Ryan, farm about 4,000 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans and contract-feed approximately 18,000 hogs a year near Grover Hill, Ohio. Each season brings its own challenges. But several years ago, the McClures and other farmers in northwestern Ohio faced a major, long-term issue, as massive algae blooms in Lake Erie had regulators looking hard at agriculture and potential nutrient-rich runoff as a contributor to the problem.
“It’s pretty scary to farm in a watershed that’s in the crosshairs of various environmental interests,” Terry says.
McClure and other individuals, organizations and agribusinesses in the region decided it was better to help ag become part of the solution rather than the problem. Together, they raised $1.2 million and received a matching government grant to help analyze farm field-water runoff.
“We’re trying to understand what nutrients are leaving the field under different scenarios,” McClure says. “We want any regulations to be based on science and a true understanding of what’s happening.”
Meanwhile, as the McClures learn more about soil health and managing nutrients, they annually adopt new practices, including:
- Implementing no-till
- Planting cover crops behind wheat
- Applying nutrients in several smaller applications, rather than all at once
- Adding and improving drainage tile
Case IH equipment plays an important role in their proactive approach to stewarding the region’s natural resources while, at the same time, improving production. Their Case IH lineup includes:
- Steiger®400 Rowtrac tractor
- Steiger 470 Rowtrac™ tractor
- True-Tandem™ 330 Turbo vertical tillage tool
- AFS AccuGuide™ RTK autoguidance
Learn more about the McClures and their conservation efforts in the latest issues of Farm Forum and Canadian Farming. Then talk to your Case IH dealer about how our equipment solutions can help you manage your own tough challenges.
