COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As the contributor of 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture has had a profound impact on climate change.

Legislation in Congress would help Ohio farmers and producers become part of the solution.

Drausin Wulsin, manager of Grassroots Farm and Foods in Hillsboro, raises organic, grass-fed livestock using climate-friendly practices. He said they converted about 300 acres of bottom land into pasture for grazing, which doubled the organic matter in the soil in about six years.

He added combating the impacts of climate change on his operation are a constant battle.

"A month ago, we had three and a half inches of rain in an hour, and we woke up in the morning and the cattle were knee-deep in water," Wulsin recounted. "And then three years ago it rained all winter long. So we're rethinking our operation because these flooding episodes are becoming more and more frequent."

The $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package being drafted by Congress this week includes proposed funding to mitigate climate change.

Sustainable agriculture advocates are calling for $30 billion to support conservation and climate-friendly agriculture programs that reduce greenhouse emissions, as well as $5 billion for climate-resilience research and programs.

Wulsin also manages a wetland mitigation bank in Pike County, where trees and wetlands are planted on retired farmland.

He pointed out between the wetland project work and grazing management, they are offsetting the pollution of about one car per acre.

"So we have about 600 acres, so it's about 600 cars per year," Wulsin explained. "If you take that bit of arithmetic, and you apply it across the corn belt, that would have a profound impact on our whole issue of carbon sequestration."

Wulsin noted sustainable farming is a difficult business, and those who care need tools and resources to provide technical assistance, which will help them reach their carbon-reduction goals and maintain viable farming operations.

"It's a capital intensive business, but with support it can have tremendous impact," Wulsin contended. "And we need a broader range of people coming into this business with energy and strength of mind and strength of back."

GREENE, Iowa -- The proposed Build Back Better bill is getting attention for a host of funding possibilities, including one area flying under the radar: sustainable agriculture.

Programs to reimburse farmers for adopting environmentally friendly practices could see benefits. The Biden administration's proposed public spending package includes $13 billion for the Working Lands Program, which provide financial and technical assistance to help farmers reach their conservation goals.

Kalee Olson, policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, describes the programs as underfunded and oversubscribed. She pointed out it creates tough choices for producers waiting for reimbursement approval.

"For some farmers, it can be a gamble on whether they want to go ahead and, say, plant cover crops, and hope they'll be accepted into the program and be partially reimbursed," Olson explained.

Supporters of the programs say more waiting periods or lack of funds might scare off future applicants who don't want to take on the risk. Despite some gains over the past decade, only a small percentage of Iowa farmland is planted with cover crops.

The Biden plan has won House approval, but faces obstacles in the Senate, with some members saying it is too broad in scope and too expensive.

Mike Ruby, a farmer in Greene in the northern part of the state, has been planting cover crops for about 15 years. He said he has never had issues in applying for cost-sharing aid through the Conservation Stewardship Program, but feels a funding boost could attract other farmers who are not ready to take the leap.

"I think it would be definitely beneficial for the ones that haven't been trying to entice them to giving it a try," Ruby contended.

According to the annual Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey, farmers who are reluctant to plant cover crops cite reasons such as costs, as well as not having enough time. But longstanding program enrollees say these practices can help improve soil health, which eventually improves a farmer's bottom line over time.

RICHMOND, Va. -- In central Virginia, permanent access to land is one of the biggest barriers to farming. A new land-trust model aims to secure both rural farmlands for affordable housing and agricultural practice for new farmers, while also acquiring land in urban centers to foster economic growth.

With support from the nonprofit Agrarian Trust and the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust in Richmond, the Central Virginia Agrarian Commons will focus on redistributing access to land to communities of color who've been historically denied land-owning opportunities.

Duron Chavis, board member of the Central Virginia Agrarian Commons and an activist from Richmond, said the model can begin to address racial inequity in the state.

"Who has the decision-making power over land?" Chavis asked. "Black and brown people are usually on the wrong side of that disparity. For an organization to step in and say, 'Hey, we're going to raise money to ensure that communities that have been historically marginalized are able to activate strategies for self-determination on land' is very important."

Davis noted the Commons is in the process of acquiring about 100 acres being donated in Amelia County, which will serve as the rural farming operation of the Commons. The organization also launched a website this month and is working on fundraising for the rezoning process to turn the land into a working farm.

The Commons is also attempting to acquire land and commercial property in Richmond to distribute the agricultural products produced on the rural farmland.

Chavis pointed out people in Richmond aspire to farm but face challenges such as soil health from contaminants. He contended the Commons could change that.

"It has the potential to create inroads for marginalized communities," Chavis explained. "Where they can not only grow, but they also have access to commercial property, where they'll be able to move into a space where the scale of produce that can be developed in the rural area can be brought into the city."

Other Agrarian Commons farms have already been established throughout the country, including in West Virginia, Maine, and New Hampshire.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Succession is an inevitable process for Ohio farmers, and it can also be an opportunity to re-imagine the land.

Vicki Harder-Thorne is steward to 80 acres in Ottawa County, farmed for nearly a century. Her grandfather felt modern agricultural practices did not account for the wildlife that depended on land used for farming, and so her mother eventually returned the land to wildlife through the Conservation Reserve Program.

After her mother's recent passing, Harder-Thorne examined and researched the best stage for the untilled land and had a vision for regenerative practices, and managing the farm specifically for habitat and biodiversity.

"You can have that combination of conservation and agriculture," Harder-Thorne asserted. "There is a different way to farm. My biggest concern has always been what's the next best step for the evolution of the land? How can we best help with climate change? How can we help restore the environment?"

With the help of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association's succession planning, Harder-Thorne is opting for conservation over farming, and sharing the farm as ecological habitat on the Great Black Swamp. She added building climate-change considerations into the transition will provide an opportunity to mitigate hazardous algal blooms.

To make her vision a reality, she applied for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which helps protect environmentally sensitive lands by keeping them out of farm production.

"We're waiting for a contract right now for an enhanced program that will include more wetland area and an area of trees," Harder-Thorne explained. "Playing up what's really rich in that area: lots of red oaks, lots of different birds."

There are also plans to incorporate eco-education and ecotourism, so she is working with local university researchers, birding groups and partners to figure out the next best steps.

"You can dream and make it happen by reaching out to your community, reaching out to your local politicians, and your local agriculture, and conservation groups and see what you can put together," Harder-Thorne outlined. "And some of it will be for pay and some of it will be for love."

Harder-Thorne emphasized she is pleased with her decision to preserve the land for nature because it honors her mother's and grandfather's legacies.