Sustainability goes beyond environment for farmers but 'people, profit, planet'

HAMILTON COUNTY, Neb. — Farmers embrace change as technology allows them to grow more with less. During this ag week the theme is growing a climate for tomorrow, something Jason Lewis says he’s doing.

He reflects on how things have changed. He farms with his father-in-law Curt and until a few years ago, Curt’s dad helped into his 90s.

“In his lifetime he went from horses to tractors driven from space, GPS technology,” Lewis said.

From the tractor to the seed, technology has revolutionized agriculture.

“More corn, higher yield with less inputs as we get more precise and more site specific with nutrients and water,” he said.

Many areas of Nebraska see high nitrate levels as a result of overuse of fertilizer in years gone by. Lewis farms in the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District where he has requirements on when he can apply fertilizer plus mandatory soil and water sampling. Lewis says farmers do that and more.

“I've got four kids that live here. My wife's here, my family's here,” he said. “We don't want dirty water as much as anybody else. I think if there are problems any farmers would be willing to address that. I think we just have to deal with some of the sins of the past for a while.”

University scientists say they're focused on helping farmers become more efficient.

“The less water we put on the less nitrate movement we'll have from the root zone to the aquifer,” said Dr. Derek Heeren of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Lewis says sustainability encompasses three areas -- people, profit, and planet.

He chairs a sustainability committee for the National Corn Growers Association. He says the numbers tell the story on going green. Environmental sustainability is backed up by data.

Profitability is always a challenge but it's the third point of becoming socially sustainable farmers are trying to figure out, ensuring they'll have people to buy their product.

“That we're being inclusive, including people that maybe don't agree with us but we go out and talk with them and I guess I’m proud we're looking to that at the national level as we move on,” Lewis said.

And if farmers can do that Lewis says rural communities benefit.

“From farmers, agronomists, implement dealers, economists, everybody that makes small towns work, we're all part of this,” he said.

And in central Nebraska that may be truer than we realize. USDA data shows no region of the country gets as much economic value from agriculture as Nebraska’s third congressional district.