Following a rise in the unhealthy consumption of unleaded gas, inefficient automobiles and air pollution, activist Rachel Carson authored “Silent Spring” in 1962. This book inspired environmental change, including the work of Sen. Gaylord Nelson and activist Denis Hayes to officially create Earth Day, a yearly protest taking place on April 22. These protests not only fought against oil spills and clean air, but also brought forth a movement toward sustainable agriculture and farming. Today, senior Adam Zerega carries on the green movement by implementing practices at his own farm.

Since his birth, Zerega has spent almost every weekend at his family’s farm, located 10 miles North of Rolla, Mo. Zerega’s key roles on the farm include maintaining the wildlife and habitats. 

When Zerega is not working on his own, he works with his father, grandfather, friends and neighbors. Neighboring farmers come together in Zerega’s farming community, often helping each other out to complete tasks as quickly as possible. 

“I’m [at the farm] all the time. It has always been a place where me and my family go to spend time with each other. It’s always been important to me,” Zerega said. “[As for] the community, I’ve made a lot of friends, even though they’re older. You make connections with people that have the same mindset, people that enjoy the [outdoors].”

To make sure that Zerega’s farm is sustainable, his family practices no-till drilling, which uses specialized equipment to minimize soil erosion and disturbance. Like Zerega, farmers who used no-till drilling saved over 763 million gallons of fuel per year from 2013 to 2016. Zerega also completes prescribed burns and prioritizes timber and water management on his property. 

“No-till drilling allows us to not have to disturb the soil, which helps keep erosion down, and helps reduce the amount of chemicals that we need to use. It reduces fuel because we only have to drive the tractor over the field once or twice, rather than four or five times,” Zerega said. 

At school, Zerega takes AP Environmental Science, a course that has concentrations in sustainable farming and agriculture. Contributing with his experiences, Zerega has been an active participant of environmental conversations led by science teacher Paul Hage. 

“We don’t often have a lot of people who grow up on farms in class, so [Zerega has] a unique perspective,” Hage said. “What’s amazing about environmental science is that so much of it relates to normal life.”

In the future, Zerega hopes to use his past experiences on the farm, as well as what he has been learning at school, to continue to connect within his farming community and expand his farm. 

“The farming community is a great way to connect with the outdoors; that’s what I like doing the most,” Zerega said.