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Farmer says he improved soil health by transitioning to organic

A Northeastern Indiana farmer says he has been able to improve soil health and productivity by transitioning to organic crop production.

Andy Ambriole grows organic corn, soybeans, wheat, barley in Huntington County.

“In fields that I first started with I’ve seen an increase of organic matter up to one percent, I’ve seen soil tilth improve, I’ve seen the diversity of above and below ground insects, worms, and microbes that really help to drive the system,” he says.

But, he tells Brownfield it has been a learning process.

“The system does take time,” he says. “It takes anywhere from 3-5 years until you start to see some of the benefits so it’s easy to get discouraged in the first year or two if you don’t instantly see those changes.”

Advice he has for farmers looking to do something similar is to attend meetings and network with farmers.

Brownfield spoke to Ambriole at the 76^th Annual Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts Conference.

Audio: Andy Ambriole, Indiana farmer