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Protect Your Farm & Your Future
Defend and fortify your crops, soil, pasture, and livestock against inadequate rainfall, and even chronic drought, with strategies from a sixth-generation Kansas farmer and agronomist that will restore soil productivity through grazing, soil microbiology, and cover crops.
Dale Strickler shares the lessons he's learned while saving his own family farm from drying up, including installing rain-collection tanks, creating swales, and building retention dams. With Strickler's friendly advice and proven, innovative methods, you'll get more water into your soil, keep it in your soil, and help your plants and livestock access it.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Ugly History of Drought and the Potential for Drought Resilience
Part I: Creating a Moisture-Efficient Soil
Chapter 2: Getting More Water into the Soil
Chapter 3: Keeping Water in the Soil Longer
Chapter 4: Helping Plants Get More Water Out of the Soil
Part II: Providing for Livestock
Chapter 5: Ensuring Livestock Water Supply
Chapter 6: Creating Drought-Tolerant Pastures
Chapter 7: Providing Emergency Forage in a Drought
Chapter 8: Livestock Decisions during and after a Drought
Part III: Looking to the Future
Chapter 9: Moisture-Efficient Agriculture for Semi-arid Regions
Chapter 10: Conclusion: A Checklist of Actions to Take before and during the Next Drought
Acknowledgments
References and Further Reading
Resources
Recommended Reading and Films
Metric Conversion Chart
Glossary
Index
About the author
Dale Strickler is the author of Managing Pasture and The Drought-Resilient Farm and Chief Agronomist at regenerativewisdom.com, a farm and ranching consulting service. An internationally recognized agroecologist, speaker, and consultant, Strickler has more than 30 years of experience as a highly successful farmer and rancher in his own operation, as well as 15 years teaching in higher education and 20 years of industry experience with companies such as Land-o-Lakes and GreenCover Seed. Strickler has developed effective crop and grazing systems for numerous farms and ranches with a range of often challenging climates and soil types and his articles have appeared in publications like Mother Earth News, Acres USA, Stockman Grass Farmer, and Grit. He was the recipient of the 2013 Water and Energy Progress Award Model of Innovation and the Kansas Farm Bureau Natural Friend of Agriculture Award in 2021.
Summary
This in-depth practical guide shows farmers, ranchers, and gardeners how to reduce the impact of less-than-optimal rainfall on crops and livestock with innovative, yet simple techniques for enhancing the water retention of soil and developing a drought management plan.
Foreword
This in-depth practical guide shows farmers, ranchers, and gardeners how to reduce the impact of less-than-optimal rainfall on crops and livestock with innovative, yet simple techniques for enhancing the water retention of soil and developing a drought management plan.
Additional text
“Every farmer and rancher knows how valuable water is to their operation, but most don’t know how to get more value. This book spells out the tools and knowledge to capture that value more efficiently and store the resource on the farm instead in the Gulf of Mexico.” ― Steve Swaffar, Executive Director, No-till on the Plains
“For a producer to turn a profit, they must have a healthy, fully functioning soil ecosystem. The Drought-Resilient Farm is the blueprint for achieving successful results. I highly recommend this book.” ― Gabe Brown, Rancher, Regenerative Pioneer, Bismarck, ND
“When farmers ask me for direction on cover crops or soil health, I point them to Dale Strickler.” ― Donn Teske, Vice President of the National Farmers Union
