Sustainability is a common topic of discussion in agriculture. We typically equate sustainability to the environment, but it actually has three facets: environmental, financial, and social. Social sustainability involves the well-being of the people impacted, and financial sustainability involves making decisions to promote the financial viability of an entity. 

When discussing the implementation of conservation or soil health practices such as cover crops or reduced tillage, discussions often center around their contributions to the environmental sustainability of a farm and their impact on the greater landscape. But the financial sustainability of these practices is key, as even the most environmentally friendly farm in the world can’t stay in business if they don’t turn a profit. Figuring out the financial impact of these practices both in terms of costs and long-term benefits, has historically been difficult. That’s why UW-Madison Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Jeff Hadachek, has developed a tool to aid farmers in this decision-making process. Using datasets from large numbers of farms, Dr. Hadachek created a model that allows farmers to input their own costs to see how their bottom line would be affected if they implemented specific conservation practices.

Learn more and check out the tool here: https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/articles/new-tool-helps-farmers-make-conservation-decisions/