Module 3: Climate Adaptive Strategies
4. Diversify the Farm
While protecting current operations is crucial to climate adaptation, expanding operations helps adapt to market and climate fluctuations that may hurt one operation and benefit another. Exploring new operations now also allows experience to be gained with new practices before current practices are not profitable in altered climate conditions (Janowiak et al. 2016, 28). Additionally, increasing awareness of the market variability helps educate consumers on farm changes and practices. Diversifying crops and livestock operations and adding other farm operations will allow the farm to continue to thrive even when conditions are challenging.
Diversify Livestock
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Diversify livestock, especially to breeds or species with higher heat, drought, and parasite tolerances
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Diversify animal products such as with value-added products or on-farm processing
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Utilize livestock in field crops through grazing to incorporate additional forage, reduce feed costs, eliminate manure concentration areas, or improve overall farm efficiency
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Diversify grazing species for best pasture management
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Plant multi-species pasture mixtures especially species suited to warmer climates
Diversify Crops
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Diversify varieties or species based on maturity dates and genetics to match anticipated season length, rainfall and drought patterns, and pest and pathogen pressures
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Plant multi-species cover crops, especially species suited to warmer or drier climates, to enhance soil health and recovery
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Plant successive crops to take advantage of the longer growing season (double-cropping) and increase annual production
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Match planting density to water and nutrient availability
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Increase forage crop diversity to varieties more resistant to extreme precipitation effects
Add Other Farm Operations
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Diversify and expand farm activities and production to include a greater variety in commodities such as annual crops, perennial fruits or nuts, forest products, food products, or livestock
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Utilize silvopasture techniques
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Incorporate on-farm services for recreation and education
