The environment and its preservation have always loomed large in the lives of farmers and ranchers.
Environmental health is closely connected to their lifestyles, personal success, profitability and future. They are intimately connected with Mother Nature, who continually offers lessons in respect.
There is no shortage these days of slogans, campaigns and concentrated efforts to protect the environment and there are plenty of people with advice on how everyone else should best go about it.
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But many of those who make their living from the land are ahead of the curve in environmental protection. They’ve been reducing, reusing and recycling, conserving soil, protecting wildlife, preserving water sources, nurturing livestock and capturing carbon for years.
In many cases cost is the only thing that prevents them from doing more.
That’s the focus of this special Green Issue.
Few would argue the importance of protecting and preserving the environment, even though the economic worries of the day have temporarily superseded such issues in terms of priority.
But there are costs to everything, even when we know the expense today is likely to reap larger benefits tomorrow.
This edition of The Western Producer is all about information on ways farmers and ranchers can be more environmentally friendly without breaking the bank.
Inside are stories on initiatives farmers have undertaken within the past several years to reduce waste, protect land and conserve energy.
Information on government programs related to environmental protection and energy conservation are also included.
You will find information on manure composting, reusing oil, recycling pesticide containers, reusing equipment parts, producing biofuel, sequestering carbon and using geothermal, solar and wind generated energy – plus much more.
It’s a broad range of material with a common green thread.
Is it easy being green? Certainly some aspects are easier than others. We hope you find this compilation useful, or at least interesting, and we would welcome your thoughts on the contents.
Have a happy and “green” new year.
