Farm Perspectives: What the Wind Throws Our Way

The Central Sands can get pretty windy, and wind is one of many natural forces farmers have to contend with every day. Wind presents two main problems for farmland: it displaces irrigation water and can cause wind erosion to fields. As a result, farms must adjust their practices to address these issues.

When it comes to irrigation, wind can blow water away from the field and crops. Using new technology is the easiest way to avoid applying excess water that will only be blown off the fields and wasted.

Thoughts for Food: Keeping the Soil Where it Belongs!

When the warm winds blow from the south in late March, it is a sure sign of spring! While it might be welcome to many, it can be a big problem for the vegetable growers in Central Wisconsin. The winds can easily pick up small grains of sand from bare soil and blow them from the carefully tended fields—this may be of little consequence in a place like the Sahara desert but it cannot be tolerated in the Central Sands where the farmers spend lifetimes building the soil to the structure and health needed to grow quality vegetables. So what can they do?