Excerpt
In mid-July of 2016, I visited and interviewed five corn (Zea mays L.) farmers in central Michigan and southwestern Indiana, United States, to hear their thoughts about the sustainability of farming, through the lenses of their careers and operations. I was introduced to the farmers through their area Extension specialists. Each farmer had a history of conservation and had in some way cooperated with studies being conducted by USDA–National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) funded Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project. Their comments provide insight into the opportunities identified, questions asked, and challenges faced by farmers as they balance economic, environmental, and social concerns while running their farms.
BRIAN BOGE “Meeting the economic needs of my family through my farm operation and being accountable to our environment, the world around us—sometimes those two things don't mesh,” said Brian Boge. “I do the best I can, and I think about sustainability and this balancing act all the time.”
Boge, age 43, raises corn, soybeans (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on 374 ha (925 ac) in Isabella County, in central Michigan (figure 1). He and his wife have been farming for 22 years. He grew…
- © 2017 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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