Nathan LowderAlbemarle, NC
Albemarle, North Carolina
Stanley County Soil and Water Conservation District
Folk L Farm, Inc.
We raise corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton on our 500-acre farm. My wife and I have three sons, ages 4 to 9.
Soil Health Practices
All of our row crops are no-till. We have also used cover crops for many years, but started using mixed species back in 2007 and still do to this day. Even though we have been no-till since the 1980s, we see that we need to improve the quality of our soils and to provide nutrient benefits that we also incorporate into our 240 acres of pasture.
Our practices provide protection from erosion and better water-holding capacity. They help to lower soil temperatures in the summer, provide pasture diversity and reduce inputs.
Challenges
Challenges include planting into high residue, and also seed placement and timing for termination of cover crops.