Source: NC A&T STATE UNIVERSITY, 3/30/22

Climate-resilient agricultural practices can help small farms in North Carolina profit in a changing climate, according to new research by Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the Environmental Defense Fund, a nationwide nonprofit advocacy group.

A summary report and case studies of three small farms in North Carolina by N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension and EDF share insights for farmers and their advisers to inform their financial decision-making when considering whether to implement climate-smart agriculture practices.

“What we’ve found is way too important to keep to ourselves,” said Mark Blevins, Ed.D., assistant administrator for agricultural and natural resources at N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension.

Variable and extreme weather associated with a changing climate, including severe weather events and hotter summer nights, challenges small farms. The latest research by N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension and EDF summarizes the real-world financial and climate-resilience benefits that practices such as reduced tillage, cover cropping and high tunnel use are providing three small farms in diverse growing regions: the coastal plain, the Piedmont and the mountains.

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