UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTION: STRESS REDUCTION THROUGH SOIL HEALTH
Barry and Eli Little, Castlewood, SD
“We feel like if we get the moisture that God gave us and leave it where it’s supposed to be, we can get through most any year.” – Barry Little
“I don’t think there’d be room on this farm for me if we weren’t doing what we’re doing right now.” – Eli Little
A South Dakota State University survey recently revealed that farmers and ranchers who used practices to improve soil health, such as no-till, multi-species cover crops, and small grains in rotation, experienced less stress than their conventional agricultural counterparts. The “Understanding the Connection” video series will explore the connection between soil health practices and reduced stress through interviews with some of the survey participants.
This video highlights father and son farmers Barry and Eli Little of Castlewood, SD, who grow corn, soybeans, wheat and oats, and raise beef cows, sheep, hogs, and chickens. The Littles use no-till practices and have added more small grains into their rotation so that they can follow those with cover crops. They also try to integrate livestock onto as many of their acres as they can. With good soil structure that allows water to infiltrate, they are able to plant more of their acres in the wet years, and their farm is less stressed during the dry heat of summer. Every year they are able to reduce their input costs. These advantages help keep their stress levels low and allow them to be confident about their farm’s future.
To learn more about the Little farm, visit https://www.sdsoilhealthcoalition.org/stress-survey-little/.
