Erosion is a big problem for farmers, as it reduces crop yields, increases production costs, and more. In this episode of Farm Lab, our ag stem expert, Jason Lindsey, introduces us to a kid scientist who is helping solve this problem on her family farm.
Evelyn Higginbotham pours water into a bucket. It is part of a model she engineered to help solve a problem on her family farm in Kentucky.
“My project was to see what material, either muck, bedding, or hay would be best to prevent erosion,” Evelyn states.
Which is the movement of soil from one spot to another.
According to Evelyn, “Ever since we moved here twelve years ago, [dad] has been trying to work on different areas in our farm, and he’s been using muck to put on top of those lower areas in our pasture. So, I wanted to see if that really was the best solution.”
You may be wondering, what is muck? “It is a mixture of the manure from our horse stalls, the hay, and a little bit of bedding,” Evelyn explains.
As for the results, it turns out her dad was right.
Higginbotham’s hard work paid off. Her experiment was recognized as part of Kentucky Farm Bureau’s “Science in Agriculture” contest.
