By practicing agroforestry — growing trees alongside crops and livestock, for example — farmers can improve soils, produce nutrient-rich foods, and build resilience to climate change. Now, a movement is emerging to bring this approach to the depleted lands of the Corn Belt.
Corn has very shallow roots and aggressively pulls nitrogen out of the soil. Prairie plants are much more diverse than just grasses and many have very deep root networks extending down 6+ ft. Corn fields are nothing like a prairie habitat.