Sustainable AgricultureSustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture or Sustainable agriculture or regenerative farming has 2 goalsregenerative farming has 2 goals Produce food and fiber on a sustainable Produce food and fiber on a sustainable

basisbasis Repair damage caused by destructive Repair damage caused by destructive

farming practicesfarming practices

Soil ConservationSoil Conservation

Land managementLand management Ground coverGround cover ClimateClimate Soil typeSoil type Tillage systemTillage system

Managing TopographyManaging Topography

Contour plowingContour plowing Plow across the hill instead of up and downPlow across the hill instead of up and down

Strip farmingStrip farming Planting different crops in alternate stripsPlanting different crops in alternate strips

TerracingTerracing Creating shelves to hold soil and waterCreating shelves to hold soil and water

Perennial SpeciesPerennial Species Plants that do not need to be cultivated Plants that do not need to be cultivated

yearlyyearly

Contour PlowingContour Plowing

Strip FarmingStrip Farming

TerracingTerracing

Perennial SpeciesPerennial Species

Coffee and TeaCoffee and Tea

Providing Ground CoverProviding Ground Cover

Row crops (corn and beans)Row crops (corn and beans) High erosion ratesHigh erosion rates

Leave crop residues behindLeave crop residues behind 1 ton of crop of residue per acre1 ton of crop of residue per acre

Increased water infiltration and reduced Increased water infiltration and reduced erosion by 99%erosion by 99%

Increase disease and pest problemsIncrease disease and pest problems

Ground cover con’tGround cover con’t

Cover cropsCover crops Rye, alfalfa, or clover can be planted Rye, alfalfa, or clover can be planted

immediately after harvest to protect soilimmediately after harvest to protect soil InterplantingInterplanting

Place 2 crops in the same field Place 2 crops in the same field Plant beans/pumpkins between cornPlant beans/pumpkins between corn

MulchMulch Protective ground coverProtective ground cover

Reduced TillageReduced Tillage

Minimum tillMinimum till Reduces # of times farmer disturbs soilReduces # of times farmer disturbs soil

Conserv-tillConserv-till Uses sharp disc to slice through soil, Uses sharp disc to slice through soil,

opening slots for seedsopening slots for seeds No-tillNo-till

Drill seeds directly through mulch or Drill seeds directly through mulch or ground coverground cover

Cons of reduced tillageCons of reduced tillage Depend on pesticides to control insects Depend on pesticides to control insects

and weedsand weeds Is this a concern?Is this a concern?

Combat pests and disease with crop Combat pests and disease with crop rotation, trap crops, biological controlrotation, trap crops, biological control

Corporate FarmingCorporate Farming

Giant grain fields stretch over 1.000s Giant grain fields stretch over 1.000s of acresof acres

Lg #’s of cows, hogs and chickens Lg #’s of cows, hogs and chickens live in large warehouse size live in large warehouse size confinementsconfinements

Cows have individual diets, Cows have individual diets, antibiotics, hormone injectionsantibiotics, hormone injections

Large #’s of animals in a warehouse Large #’s of animals in a warehouse require antibiotics to keep them require antibiotics to keep them healthyhealthy

Vast amounts of manure pile up and Vast amounts of manure pile up and are spread on the large fields for cropsare spread on the large fields for crops Hurricane Floyd caused 2.5 billion gallons Hurricane Floyd caused 2.5 billion gallons

of manure to wash into rivers and out to of manure to wash into rivers and out to seasea

Organic FarmingOrganic Farming

Lichtenstein 33% of food is organicLichtenstein 33% of food is organic Switzerland 10% of food is organicSwitzerland 10% of food is organic Offer improved choices and higher Offer improved choices and higher

qualityquality Small scale family farmsSmall scale family farms Support local agricultureSupport local agriculture

Produce is fresh and pesticide freeProduce is fresh and pesticide free