The tree-lined streets of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) and hallowed hallways of Yale University are two places most farmers would not expect to find a hot debate over soil erosion.
And, yet, late this winter, staff at both campuses attacked agricultureâs ongoing failure to protect farmland. Donât worry, no ivory tower was toppled. The standard Midwestern view of soil lossâthat itâs a cost of production like seed or fertilizerâtook a long-overdue hit, though.
The examination began in mid-February when Yale Environment 360, an online magazine published by the universityâs School of Environment, highlighted a December UMass study that showed âmore than a third of farmland in the U.S. Corn Beltââor about 30 million acresââhas completely lost its carbon-rich topsoil due to erosionâ¦â