Farmers Adjusting to Long-Term Higher Energy Costs

US Farmers have done much to reduce inputs even in an era of cheap oil. As petroleum becomes more expensive, conservation will be a necessity for the survival of farming operations.
Leopold Center - Taking a long look at short supplies - Spring 2001 newsletter:
Fred Kirschenmann -- Leopold Letter -- Spring 2001

Energy conservation may be one fruitful avenue for farmers to pursue in the immediate future. We all learned that we could dramatically reduce our energy use during the energy crisis of the 1970s. This strategy, more than anything, helped us survive temporary energy shortages. Of course, farmers can't just shut down their tractors. But we can reduce tillage, judiciously use petroleum-based inputs and adopt better management practices to decrease purchased inputs.
A 1993 North Dakota State University study comparing the performance of conventional, no-till and organic farms offered some interesting conclusions. It showed that when total energy flows were considered, no-till farms consumed 30 percent less energy than their conventional counterparts. Organic farms consumed 70 percent less energy than conventional farms, and yields were comparable for all three farms. No-till and organic management may not be for everyone, but this study supports the idea that farmers may be able to adopt practices that can curtail energy costs, conserve soil and water, and still produce optimum yields.