Growing Nitrogen, Conserving Carbon, and Keeping the Ground Covered in Organic Grain Systems.

Organic grain production in the United States holds great potential as a lucrative agricultural enterprise and as an investment in our nation’s soil health. However, there are challenges that need to be addressed if the sustainability of organic farming systems will create livelihoods and lively soils. Sustainable Nitrogen sources and carbon loss resulting from annual cropping systems are two such challenges. In areas without animal agriculture and animal manures, an affordable if troublesomely phosphorus-rich N source, providing Nitrogen to a crop can be a challenge. Perennials such as alfalfa or leguminous cover crops like hairy vetch can be used but are often seen as a ‘necessary evil’ by farmers who are unable to receive a higher organic price for their sale or lose production due to seeding schedules. Further, these N-rich, often perennial crops effectively sequester Carbon, and without them farming systems run the risk of depleting carbon pools and shortening their productive lifespan. Crop rotations that include diverse species and constant soil cover can provide Nitrogen and conserve Carbon, so finding incentives and leverage points to encourage farmers to adopt these practices are a necessity. Government standards around Carbon sequestration potential, price supports for perennial covers, and education/research pertaining to livestock integration are all potential paths towards a more resilient agriculture and soils that our grandchildren can farm.