When planning a new farm, crop or operational layout, there are a growing number of tools and techniques that can be used to reduce the sources and spread of air pollutants.

In the planning stages of the cropping operation, it may be easier to divide the farm practices by process. Processes like tillage and harvest have different potential for generating air pollutants than activities that maintain cropland during the growth phase or that occur on non-cropland during other farm operations.

All horticultural enterprises will produce noise whilst going about their business. Whilst noise reduction is important, it is even more important to manage the impact of that noise. A number of actions can be taken to reduce the impact of noise.

The first point of prevention is in planning new or seasonal operations and infrastructure to minimise noise effects for employees and off-farm. If possible involving neighbours at planning stages is advisable for short term occurrences of noise at night, for instance during a harvest period. Informing neighbours about the timing and duration of such events allows some level of predictability for the neighbour that reduces the occurrence of complaints. Providing a number to call for local residents to complain directly allows a sense of control that also reduces the overall amount of outrage and reduces the occurrence of complaints.

Noise has a subjective nature and does not affect all people equally. People may be more sensitive to certain types of noise or the noise may be considered unpleasant simply because it occurs at a certain time or place.