This was a random roadside stop in Wisconsin as I returned home to Iowa from my Autumn trip to upper Michigan. I wanted to capture an example of a cornfield ready for harvest with some Autumn color. I spotted this scene of contour farming and rolling hills and couldn't resist. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. As always, your views and comments are very much appreciated!!

In the Driftless region of SW Wisconsin. 321:365

This open wire gate allows farmer access to a field that is otherwise closed by fencing.

Plough lines from a Murwillumbah sugarcane farm pointing towards the majestic Mt Warning (Mt Wollumbin) as it glows an iridescent indigo in the falling afternoon sun.

Winneshiek County, Iowa.

Delano, Jack,, photographer.

FSA borrower and member of Yauco tomato cooperative, planting tomatoes on his farm in the hills, vicinity of Yauco, Puerto Rico

1942 Jan.

1 slide : color.

Notes:

Title from FSA or OWI agency caption.

Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.

Subjects:

Tomatoes

Cooperatives

Farm relief

United States--Puerto Rico--Yauco

Format: Slides--Color

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 11671-25 (DLC) 93845501

General information about the FSA/OWI Color Photographs is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsac

Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a34048

Call Number: LC-USF35-494

Contour Farming and Extreme Polyculture at PermaTree, Ecuador

Another interesting view while pondering out the airplane window. The majority of farmland I typically see is defined by natural boundaries such as creeks, tree lines, etc. I thought this was a really interesting, yet abstract-looking take on rural USA as seen from the air. Not exactly where this was, but my guess is western New Mexico, as shortly aftwards we saw a couple mountain ranges as we continued to fly west to Phoenix.

Near New Glarus, WI. An example of how some rows are planted in a "contour farming" method.

Contour farming, the practice of tilling sloped land along lines of consistent elevation in order to conserve rainwater and to reduce soil losses from surface erosion. These objectives are achieved by means of furrows, crop rows, and wheel tracks across slopes, all of which act as reservoirs to catch and retain rainwater, thus permitting increased infiltration and more uniform distribution of the water. 101/365 (Driving back to GW’s)

PermaTree, Ecuador

Aerial view of contours.

Spring contours, Eastern Washington State. Sorry I haven't been around much~ photography class, way over my head, is keeping me busy shooting--and deleting! LOL!

Contour farming and conservation tillage protect highly erodible land on the Ben Kern farm near Norwalk in Warren County, in central Iowa.

A Cass County, Iowa producer uses filter strips to protect the soil from erosion.

PermaTree, Ecuador

Contour cropping in Eastern Montana. Fall 2011.

PermaTree, Ecuador

That big streak is where I got the tractor and harrow stuck, and we pulled it out.

You can also see the lines from subsoiling last fall. A subsoiler has a two pairs of deep ripping shanks about 5 feet apart. One tries to stay on a contour where along the hillsides so that each line is an even height. (Like the lines on a topographical map.) That way water will go in the soil instead of running downhill and making ditches. We use the altimeter on a GPS to stay true.

In the low spots though it was all flat so you can see some zig-zags on the left, and a big spiral there. I set the GPS autosteer to follow the line it was making, and started in the center with the tightest circle I could drive. It was really fun to see what I 'drew' from the air.

Contour Farming and Extreme Polyculture, Ecuador

Contoured field in southwest Iowa.

Contour strips with grass buffers on Terry Murphy's cropland near Whitehall, September 1976.

Contour Farming and Extreme Polyculture, Ecuador

PermaTree, Ecuador

USDA/NRCS photo: No-till planting on the contour in a field in northwest Iowa.

Aerial view of contour farming and windbreaks.

PermaTree, Ecuador

PermaTree, Ecuador

Contour farming with grass buffer strips in Wibaux County, June 1976.

PermaTree, Ecuador

PermaTree, Ecuador

Contours on Terry Murphy's cropland near Whitehall, June 1974.

Ban Thai Samakkhi, Tambon Muang Yai, Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai, Thailand

บ้านไทยสามัคคี ตำบลม่วงยาย อำเภอเวียงแก่น จังหวัดเชียงราย

In western Iowa.

Paddy field + Vegetables Garden

©2019 Thepfuvituo Zumu

Ban Huai Tio, Tambon Tha Kham, Wiang Kaen, Chiang Rai, Thailand

หมู่บ้านห้วยติ้ว ตำบลท่าข้าม อำเภอเวียงแก่น จังหวัดเชียงราย

contour farming in michigan

day 3

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