SOLUTIONS Land Use

Forestry and agriculture policies in the Northeast can be designed to promote management practices and systems that cost-effectively reduce emissions. Such practices include increased carbon capture in soils, more efficient use of nitrogen fertilizers, reduced on-farm use of fossil fuels, and expanded use of wind and bioenergy—provided the latter is produced in a sustainable manner.

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No-till or reduced-tillage farming methods cause less soil disturbance and erosion than plowing, reduce CO2 emissions from soils, and help increase the organic matter in soils. Excessive tillage on farms, which has been common practice for decades, accelerates the decomposition of organic matter in soils, resulting in the rapid loss of stored carbon. No-till or low-till farming also benefits crop production and water-holding capacity.

Reduced fertilizer use can help reduce emissions. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are extremely energy-intensive to produce and release heat-trapping nitrous oxides (N2O). Even organic nitrogen fertilizers such as manure and compost can increase N2O emissions if used inefficiently.

On-farm Renewable Energy, including wind, biomass, and biofuels can help reduce emissions. For example, farmers in Vermont, such as Richard Wiswall and John Williamson, have also begun using vegetable oil to heat their greenhouses and run farm equipment. Wiswall collects used oil from local restaurants’ deep fryers and makes his own biodiesel from it. Williamson is attempting to achieve energy independence for his operations by growing high-energy oilseed crops such as canola and mustard to produce biodiesel, and also ferments sorghum to produce ethanol.