How to Add Biodiversity to Your Farm

Stand back far enough, and farming seems environmentally friendly. You’re spending time

outdoors, after all, breathing in fresh air. But looks can be deceiving. Despite their abundant

greenery, some farms are about as good for the planet as a parking lot. Row-to-row

monocultures, clear-cut forests, and punishing levels of pesticides all push out other life forms, minimizing biodiversity. That’s a tragedy both for the planet and your bottom line.

Many farmers are fighting this trend. They’ve found that it’s possible to manage a profitable

operation while making space for other forms of life. And it’s not a sacrifice—biodiversity often

make farms stronger in the long run.

Here’s why maximizing biodiversity should be a priority for your farm, along with seven strategies for getting started.  

Benefits of Biodiversity on Farms

Biodiversity, by definition, is the total number of species that call a habitat home. On a farm,

that includes everything from dairy cows to ground squirrels and the soil microbes under their

feet. Farms that maximize biodiversity mirror the natural world with a seamless blend of

species and environments that are mutually dependent on each other.

Biodiverse farms:

• They are more resilient in the face of both manmade and natural disasters.

• Offer ample types and amounts of food, water, and shelter to their inhabitants.

• Strengthen existing relationships between nature, wildlife, and the land.

• Provide habitat space for threatened or endangered species.

• Aid in large-scale ecosystem services like pollination, flooding protection, carbon

  sequestration, and more.

• Makes productive use of spaces ill-suited for agriculture.

Seven Methods for Adding Biodiversity To Farmland

Just as in nature, there are many overlapping strategies for adding biodiversity to your farm.

These seven methods offer a good starting point.

1. Place Natives in Decorative Landscaping

Even the most streamlined farming operation likely has a few planting beds for beauty,

especially around the farmhouse. Let those growing spaces do double duty with plants and wildflowers native to the local ecosystem. Flowers often get forgotten in farm plans, but remain one of the easiest ways to boost biodiversity, draw in beneficial species, and even lure pests away from your cash crops. Hand-selected by evolution to thrive within your farm’s habitat, natives will require minimal care while offering food and shelter for other species. Best of all, you might find pest species prefer them to your crops. An array of ‘structurally different’ flowers (tall and thin paired with ground cover or climbing vines) offers the best variety of habitat space for the largest number of species.

2. Mind Your Margins For Wildlife Corridors

Tempting as it may be to plant every parcel of farm space available, consider leaving things

rough around the edges. Wildlife struggles due to habitat fragmentation—an inability to travel

from one suitable living space to another.

It doesn’t take much space to fight this trend. Even small clusters of native plants can produce

essential habitat space. Keeping these clusters close together (maybe at the end of every field row) helps create wildlife corridors on a micro scale for species to travel safely.

You can map your boundaries, buffer zones, beds, fields, ponds, irrigation, and water sources, buildings, and more in Farmbrite.

3. Retain (Or Create) Wetlands

It’s the rare farm that doesn’t occasionally struggle with water, both too little and too much.

Carefully managing water margins for biodiversity can benefit your property in two ways.

Adding buffer strips of native wetland plants in wet or low-lying areas can help absorb runoff

and protect waterways from sediment and pollutants like pesticides or herbicides. These buffer strips also provide a diverse array of habitat space, all from areas that offer relatively low productivity. For best results, keep livestock away from these buffer strips until the plants are well established to reduce the risk of trampling.

And if you have the space, consider creating ponds. Even small ones offer habitats for toads and other amphibians, who can quickly earn their keep by getting slug problems under control.

4. Maximize Pasture Diversity

Healthy hayfields shouldn’t be monocultures. There are dozens of grassland species that will

both increase biodiversity and contribute to a healthier animal diet to boot. Relying on multiple species within one pasture also ensures there’s a variety of root depths. This maximizes efficiency by letting plants pull nutrients from all levels of soil while improving their structure and anchoring them in place.  

Likewise, consider planting cover crop legumes like clover and vetches to add nitrogen back to the soil and lower the need for outside fertilizer.

5. Accommodate Birds

Birds deserve credit for their role in farming. Not only do they help spread berry brambles, but

they also feed on pest insects. A vibrant population of resident songbirds is a positive sign that biodiversity is hitting the right notes.

Ensure there are plenty of bird-appropriate cozy nooks by planting hedgerows, mounting

birdhouses, and even hanging a few squirrel-proof bird feeders to bring up their populations on your property. Not only do hedges offer vital wildlife habitat for small animals, but they also help cool down the soil and protect it from erosion.

6. Plant (Native) Trees

A well-managed wood lot is a blessing for biodiverse farms. While it’s natural to hesitate at the

idea of losing productive space to woodlands, the benefits are multifaceted. They range from

carbon sequestration to soil erosion protection and flood mitigation. A “shelter belt” of trees

helps protect farmland from extreme weather events and may offer financial benefits through

agroforestry. It’s an excellent use for steep slopes that are otherwise susceptible to erosion.

Many types of livestock, including lambs, goats, and pigs, often thrive under tree cover,

allowing you to benefit twice from the land.

Pay close attention to the height, width, and density of plants. The greater the variety, the

better, especially if you can factor in species that grow to different heights and bloom at

different times of the year, ensuring wildlife can thrive within them year-round. For the most

significant impact, stick to native species. They’ve evolved to handle the habitat conditions and likely fill an important ecological niche for native animals and insects.

7. Prioritize Soil Health

They say a house is only as good as its foundation. That proves even more accurate for soil, the foundation of healthy farmland. Managing biodiversity below ground can mean many

things, including creating habitat space for earthworms by minimizing tilling, improving organic matter content, and refraining from sprays and amendments that decimate microbial life. The benefits of improving your soil health will speak for themselves— richer soil that’s easier to work and rewards you with better harvests.

Biodiversity: A Positive Path Forward

The more your farm mimics the diversity of the natural world, the more resilient it can be. That’s a huge asset in a world becoming less predictable by the year. Put even a few of these tips to work, and you’ll be amazed by their unexpected benefits.

But remember: don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Any improvements you make toward biodiversity are a benefit for both your farm and wildlife, even if it’s a simple planting of

wildflowers at the end of several crop rows.

If you’re struggling to conceptualize a management strategy for these changes, Farmbrite Farm Management App can help. This proprietary software program aims to make managing your agricultural business

easier than ever. It offers insight into ways to improve productivity, reduce inefficiencies, and

increase production and sales.

Learn how Farmbrite software can transform your operation and see its potential for your operation.