GLASGOW, Scotland — At its essence, agriculture is science, and food is fuel.
The UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Alliance for the Blue Economy establishes southeastern North Carolina as a national leader in the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, while preserving the health of the ecosystem.
Also described as the “global action agenda for innovation in agriculture,” the effort is intended to drive creative solutions with an alliance from food, farm and climate sectors.
Hosted by veteran reporter Frank Graff, Sci NC highlights the latest science stories from North Carolina and across the nation.
Beach, who grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, said he understands why people in a profession that has constantly adapted to weather and changing conditions would be skeptical.
No doubt, agriculture has gotten more efficient, he said, but more climate-smart tactics will be required for productive and sustainable farms into the future.
Jeff Sparks, president of the Blacklands Farm Managers Association, said that since about 2014, the northeast region has been pummeled by storms that come more frequently and dump record amounts of rain.
“I think we’ve got climate cycles and if you go back and look at 2,000 to 3,000 years of history, it’ll show you that the climate runs in cycles.
“If we go back and look at all of our history and our scientific maps and everything, we’re talking whether it be climate change or climate cycles, the ocean here used to back toward the Rocky Mount way,” he said.
Some of these scientists we got, I get a little aggravated sometimes, I say we know more about up there where the stars and moon is than we do right here under our own feet.
With elevation in the five counties ranging from 30 feet above sea level at the highest, and about 3 feet below sea level at its lowest, miles of canals and numerous drainage districts crisscross the lands.
That means that the canals would have to be dredged to improve drainage, which Sparks said should be the responsibility of the U.S.
“You know, when they go back and look at the bulk of the crop area in the U.S.
In a normal season with moderate rain, cover crops could cut the need for one or two herbicide applications, he said.
The beef industry, the pork industry, the corn industry, soybeans — the whole group has spent billions, I’d say, in the last seven or eight years to come up with this because this is what the consumer wants, and the world wants.
Even within a farm, there’s some variation in terms of how much of a difference you’ve done in the past.
“Budgets for next year are looking really tight,” Sparks said.
During her career, she has written about dozens of environmental issues, including oil and gas exploration, wildlife habitat protection, sea level rise, wind energy production, shoreline erosion and beach nourishment.