A Lazy Gardener Gets Climate-Smart

Last year, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a $70 million investment into a Clemson-South Carolina State partnership “to increase the acreage and number of farmers using cover crops, prescribed grazing, reduced tillage, and other conservation practices that will not only reduce greenhouse gases but also improve water quality, biodiversity, and increase the productivity and well-being of our greater farming and foresting communities across the state.” The partnership and initial investment have evolved into Climate-Smart Grown in SC (CSGSC), a program incentivizing South Carolina farmers to implement selected climate-smart production practices. This program is a big deal, but a lot is going on, so it may have been lost in the shuffle for many of us.

Climate-Smart Grown in SC Leafy Greens Commodities Team members presented information about their program at a recent Clemson Extension Horticulture Team meeting. They have quickly gotten up and running in six months, filling their first open enrollment session.

What I found most interesting about the leafy green practices they are teaching is that they are easily accessible for home gardeners to implement in their gardens. The practices are so easy that even a lazy gardener like me already does them.

Here are the three essential practices the leafy greens program teaches.

It’s SO easy, right!?

Plant a cover crop during your gardening offseason – Most of our gardens are done for the season; even the ones still holding on will be done soon. Once the plants have given all they can, pull them up and throw them into the compost pile if they are still relatively healthy. If they are diseased, dispose of them offsite or far away from your garden.

The next task is to