Thompson also foregoes many of the tools of modern agriculture. He uses few chemical fertilizers and weed killers. He doesn't grow genetically modified crops.
He went for crop diversity, something lacking on many Iowa farms today. Corn and soybeans carpet the Iowa landscape. Many farmers grow nothing else. And when those crops do poorly, payments from crop insurance keep farmers in business.
Instead of crop insurance, Thompson protects himself the old-fashioned way. While he grows corn and soybeans, he also raises hay and oats, along with cattle and hogs. His oat crop was harvested before the drought hit. His third crop of hay sits scattered in round, shoulder-high bales on what will be next year’s corn field.
"I think it's common sense," Thompson says. "You've got diversity and you've got some protection there. If one crop doesn't do well, maybe the other one will make up for the difference."
Thompson did not sell off his herds because his cows and hogs were good for more than income. They also provided the manure to fertilize the soil, eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.
Read the rest of the story below.....
Prudence Helped Iowa Farmer Beat The Drought
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never count your chickens before they hatch
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