Irrigation Saves Pastures in Changing Climates | Burlington News

Climate chaos is hitting farms hard—erratic rain is shredding pastures, forcing dairy farmers to buy pricey hay. One Vermont farmer lost a summer to drought, then spent nearly $425 a ton on emergency feed. But new research shows irrigation could be the answer: half his fields got water, producing nearly four extra tons of feed per acre—especially on sandy soil. Still, it’s costly and complex: a system runs $85K, with a 12-year payback, and even farmers with irrigation can’t ignore water conflicts. Is it worth it? Maybe—for the herd’s health and the farm’s future. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/51f55086668d6b81