Today's farms are greener than grandpa's

Today’s edition of the Star Tribune features an op-ed from Seth Spronk, a livestock and row crop farmer in Edgerton, Minn., on the efforts of today’s farmers to protect our land, soil and water resources. Spronk wrote the piece in response to a July 5 Star Tribune story that featured the town of Edgerton (located in Pipestone County) and examined water quality and agricultural runoff.

Spronk detailed the many steps he takes on his own farm to effectively manage the application of manure and other inputs to best protect the area’s drinking water, streams and rivers. He also shared some insight on the continued efficiency and conservation improvements on today’s farms:

I know how badly many want to see the return of the farms of yesteryear in place of larger operations (which is how many might describe our farm). However, we’re way better at conserving resources than we were 50 years ago. Modern pig farms, like ours, use 41 percent less water and 78 percent less land to raise a pound of pork, compared with 50 years ago. We can utilize technology and information in ways that I wish I could show my grandpa.

These improvements allow us to better care for the land and animals that are entrusted to us. The newspaper neglected to mention that the Minnesota Department of Health report cited also stated that, in 2014, none of the 600 noncommunity water systems tested violated quality standards for pesticides or industrial contaminants.

Be sure to take a few minutes and read Spronk’s entire piece. When you’re done reading it, share it on social media with your non-farming friends.

It’s up to farmers to make sure their voices are head on important issues like water quality and on-farm conservation efforts. By sharing Spronk’s op-ed, your amplifying not only his voice, but the voice of all Minnesota farmers who work every day to grow food, feed, fiber and fuel while protecting our valuable water resources.