Jason Hardin, an environmental science teacher at Gahanna Lincoln High School, came up with a unique assignment for his students: conduct and record an interview with a farmer for a fictitious local TV show. The interview was to focus on how the farmer is attempting to reduce their carbon footprint.
Lani Sergakis interviewed Gwyn McKinniss from McKinniss Family Farms. McKinniss shared sustainability practices such as renewing the soil with manure and rotating crops to help with nutrient depletion. “It’s important that we take very good care of our soil. It takes many years for soil to regenerate itself, so that’s why we need to be good stewards,” said McKinniss. She said they follow minimum/no-till practices and leave grass strips near creeks and streams to filter the water. McKinniss said they work to reduce their carbon footprint by using biodiesel made from soybeans and gasoline with ethanol in their farm equipment.
