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Yoder named co-chair of solutions from the land

Ohio farmer and past president of the National Corn Growers Association Fred Yoder has been named co-chair of Solutions from the Land (SfL).

Yoder says the nonprofit supports all types of farming, whether it is organic or conventional, and encourages practices that will lead to cleaner air and water.

He tells Brownfield conservation practices like no-till and cover crops improve soil and ultimately yield, but it starts with the farmer.

“Those solutions have to come from farmers,” he says. “We are farmer based so that’s the difference between us and some other organizations. We think it starts from the land and we can do all of these ecosystem services to reduce nutrient loss and carbon.”

He says Solutions from the Land is also working to eliminate risk for farmers.

“We’re going to be involved in some ways as far as the next farm bill to suggest ways in risk management that we can reduce risk by employing cover crops and things we normally do,” he says.

Yoder, along with his wife Debbie and two children, grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. He also operates a retail farm seed business.

As a founding board member of SfL, he chairs the North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance, which gives farmers an opportunity to partner with industry partners to improve changing climate conditions.

SfL is a nonprofit focused on land based solutions to global challenges. Its mission is to identify and facilitate the implementation of policies, practices and projects at a landscape scale that will result in land being sustainably managed to produce food, feed, fiber and energy while protecting environmental resources and delivering high value solutions to combat climate change.

Audio: Fred Yoder, Solutions from the Land co-chair