Farmers' efforts to protect Mother Nature

WEBSITE, 3 NEWS NOW DOT COM.APRIL IS EARTH MONTH.IT GIVES US A TIME TOREFLECT ON PRESERVING MOTHERNATURE.WE THOUGHT A GREAT WAY TOREFLECT WOULD BE TALKING TOPEOPLE WHO WORK WITH THE EARTHEVERY DAY.3 NEWS NOW WESTERN IOWAREPORTER ISABELLA BASCO SHOWS USHOW FARMERS WORK HARD TO PROTECTTHIS PLANET WE CALL "HOME.NATS"THE SOIL TO US IS AN ASSET SOYOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP YOURASSETS IN GOOD HEALTH, GOODSHAPE."DANIEL MILLER OWNS MILLERMATICSEED - A SEED DISTRIBUTIONCOMPANY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA.MAINTAINING HIS SOIL - IS OFUTMOST IMPORTANCE."SOMETIMES MOTHER NATURE DEALSUS A FIT WITH BIG RAINS ANTHINGS LIKE THAT AND WE HAVE TOMECHANICALLY TILL EVERY ONCE INA WHILE BUT FOR THE MOST PART,WE TRY NOT TO."MILLER’S DESIRE TO PROTECT THEEARTH STEMS FROM A YOUNG AGE.HIS FATHER TOOK MEASURES TOPREVENT EROSION SINCE HE WAS AKID."ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHWEST IOWAWITH WHERE WE’RE AT, THE TERRAINIS REALLY FLOWING AND WE GETSOME STEEP HILLS AND THINGS LITHAT, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVEGOOD FARMS, EVERYTHING IS NICEAND LEVEL, EVERYTHING IS NICEAND MAINTAINED, WE TAKE PRIDE INTHAT."JON BAKEHOUSE OWNS MAPLE EDGEFARM - RAISING CORN..SOYBEANAND CUSTOM BEEF.

FIVE YEARS AGO- HE STARTED PLANTING COVERCROPS: THE COVER CROPS AREPLANTS THAT IMPROVE SOIL HEALTHAND SLOW EROSION"AS YOU CAN SEE, IT’S GREEN ANDGROWING, THE SOIL IS PROTECTEDTHERE ARE GREEN, LIVING ROOTS INTHE SOIL.

THE GREEN PLANTS ARECOLLECTING SOLAR ENERGY ANDFEEDING THE SOIL MICROBES."BAKEHOUSE SAYS PLANTING COVERCROPS REQUIRES EXTRA WORK ANDCOST.

BUT THIS DEDICATED FARMERSEES HIMSELF AS A "KEEPER OF THESOIL.."HOW CAN WE AS CONSUMERS SUPPORTPRACTICES THAT MAYBE AREENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY THANTHE TRADITIONS OF TILLING WHICIS IN SOME CASES NECESSARY BUTOF COURSE LEAVES SOIL EXPOSED,BLOW AWAY, WASH AWAY."ULTIMATELY - BAKEHOUSE HAS HIGHHOPES FOR HONORING OUR PLANETTHIS SEASON."BEING OBSERVANT OF WHAT’S GOINGON IN THE GROUND, ABOVE GROUND,BELOW GROUND, WHAT THE ANIMALSARE TELLING US, WHAT THE WIND ISTELLING US, WHAT THE WEATHER ITELLING US, THE RAIN, THE SOIL,EVERYTHING IS BEING MOREOBSERVANT AND LISTENING TO WHATMOTHER NATURE IS TRYING TO TELLUS.REPORTING IN WESTERNIOWA...IB... 3 NEWS NO*IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MOREABOUT THES