The Land
Sustainability and Stewardship
Cayuga Marketing’s member-farms place environmental stewardship as one of their highest priorities. Protection of our valuable soil and water resources ensures sustainability for future generations.
Stewardship
Sustainable Practices for a Sustainable Future
Protecting the Land
No-till practices are being tested to promote improved soil structure, leading to better water infiltration, reducing topsoil erosion and nutrient loss, and reduction of carbon losses. Vegetative buffer strips border member-farms’ stream banks, while grassed waterways hold fertile soils in areas of concentrated surface water flows. Cover crops are also widely used to protect soils from erosion and retain valuable nutrients.
Fertilization
Manure provides essential fertilizer to grow feed for our livestock. Manure nutrients are stored then applied just before planted crops maximize uptake. Drag hose application technology allows efficient direct incorporation of manure with soil resulting in lower odors, reduced soil compaction, less equipment traffic on roadways, improved nitrogen utilization, and minimized surface runoff potential. Nutrient Boom technologies are being developed to allow liquid manure application mid-growing season to row crops, resulting in improved crop yields.
Anaerobic Digesters
Several of our farms utilize anaerobic digesters. These digesters harvest methane from spent manure sources and combust it in electric generation systems. This process provides renewable energy to both the farm, and the local utilities grid, further reducing our carbon footprint.
Always Pushing Forward
Cayuga Marketing’s member-farms are continually innovating and adapting cutting edge technologies and practices that drive a greater level of responsible stewardship and sustainability.