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Sustainable Farming, Benefiting Local Communities, While Protecting The Environment Ashley Nicole Drollinger University of Idaho

Abstract

2 Sustainable farming is a technique of farming that stresses the importance of the impacts on the environment that farming has, and strives to produce food in the most sustainable and natural way possible. The environment is challenged everyday with traditional techniques of farming, which are anything but easy on it, and have harsh impacts on every aspect of the environment. Large farming industries have a difficult time converting from traditional farming practices to sustainable practices for various reasons. In this research paper I discuss the background of sustainable farming, and describe to readers what sustainable farming really is. I will also explain several techniques used in sustainable farming, how they are sustainable, and how sustainable farming benefits the community and the environment. I will also mention local farmers markets, and how they are beneficial to communities, and to local economies. Farmers in the United States, and all over the world, need to practice more sustainable farming techniques in the present and the future, to ensure that the health of society and environment are suitable for success. There are hundreds of problems that the environment is facing today, and by altering anything we can to have less of an impact on the environment is the least humans can do. Converting small farms into sustainable farms is one of the most inexpensive and easy ways society can put effort forth to protecting their local environment, while providing themselves with healthy organic produce, and livestock. Keywords: sustainable farming, techniques, agriculture, environmental protection

Sustainable Farming, Benefiting Local Communities, While Protecting the Environment

Farming is crucial to human survival, for the simple fact that it is how humans are provided with food that carry every bit of nourishment that our bodies require to function properly. Traditional farming techniques, such as big machinery, are very efficient for the supply of food that is demanded, but traditional farming techniques carry a very large impact on the environment for several reasons. Today, conventional agriculture is built around two related goals: the maximization of production and the maximization of profit. In pursuit of these goals, numerous practices have been developed without regard for their unintended long term environmental consequences (Konatisuzaki, 2011, p. 1). Sustainable farming is similar to traditional farming, but requires many hours of manual labor and thought. There are various techniques behind sustainable farming that displays how it is better for the environment and the health of society. Methods Its obvious that sustainable farming has several different techniques that contribute to the overall style similar to traditional farming. To incorporate more research into my paper, I wanted to get actual hands on experience, while interviewing someone who has reliable knowledge on sustainable farming. On October 21, 2011 I interviewed the manager, Freya Bass, of the University of Idahos Soil Stewards Organic Farm, while gaining hands on experience (see appendix for interview questions). Aside from the interview and hands on experience, an employee gave me a tour of the farm to point out how many different crops they had at the time,

4 and how things would work on a day-to-day basis. Freya Bass expressed that there are many different aspects that pertain to an organic farm that can be very time consuming, but also, rewarding. Freya mentioned that the University of Idaho farm uses sustainable techniques such as crop rotation, no tilling, working by hand, using organic compost, and staying away from pesticides. After the interview I volunteered on the farm for about 2 hours, which involved: washing and organizing pumpkins that were going to be transported elsewhere in Moscow, Idaho, and harvesting carrots by hand. This volunteering experience made it obvious the fact that sustainable farming does take a lot of hard work for an excessive amount of hours. The experience also made me appreciate sustainable farms and the food that is produced by them. After completing the interview and the volunteer work, I decided to carry out further research on a few of the sustainable techniques that Freya mentioned to be most important. These include: crop rotation, organic compost, tilling manually, and staying away from pesticides. These types of sustainable techniques made me question the benefits, how the techniques are sustainable, and whether the techniques are efficient or not. I ask myself these questions because I know these aspects are a deciding factor in whether or not sustainable farming is worth all of the effort that is put into it, and why it is more sustainable over traditional farming techniques. Sustainable Farming Techniques, Research, and Analysis The first type of sustainable farming techniques that I will be describing, and examining, is crop rotation. Crop rotation is when farmers rotate their crops after harvesting the produce to maximize soil fertility and pest management, while benefiting other subsequent crops. Soil fertility and pest management are extremely important for maintaining crop and land health

5 (C.A. Francis & P. Porter, 2011, p. 70-71). Trying to grow successful crops on unhealthy soil is close to impossible, or will become impossible over time. What makes soil healthy? one might ask. Soil fertility and health is based on how much nutrients the soil has, which therefore facilitates how well crops will grow in the soil, and how long the soil is useful. Soil requires nutrients, or nitrogen, in order for crops to grow. According to a crop researcher in Costa Rica, John J Ewel: Nitrogen is the inorganic nutrient required by plants in far greater quantities than any other, and it routinely limits biological processes. Interactions between plants and nitrogen availability are of particular interest because of reciprocal effects: nitrogen availability affects plant performance, and plants in turn affect nitrogen availability (Ewel, John J., 2006, p.490). Pest management is another reason that crop rotation is important for maintaining healthy crops due to the fact that reducing pests helps plants grow to their full potential. Pests include insect species that are attracted to certain types of crops, and invasive weeds that will wipe out crops if they are not maintained properly. By rotating crops, farmers reduce the amount of damage that pests will have on plant growth and life because it moves the crop to another location. Crop rotation is not the only way to maintain pest management, but out of all of the options it is the most sustainable way while being moderately efficient (C.A. Francis & P. Porter, 2011, p. 68-70). Efficiency depends on careful use of pesticides, choice of cultivars with genetic resistance, and to some degree the use of crop rotations for insect, weed, crop pathogen, and other pest control (C.A. Francis & P. Porter, 2011, p. 68-70). Crop rotation is a sustainable technique because it promotes soil fertility and pest management, without having any detrimental affects on the environment. Crop rotation also provides benefits to the farmer practicing it, the

6 soil, and to the environment. The first documented evidence of the benefits of crop rotation is over 2,000 years old, when it was recorded that including certain crops, now known as legumes, in a rotation benefited other subsequent crops (C.A. Francis & Porter, 2011, p. 70). The second sustainable farming technique that I am going to explain and investigate is tilling by hand without machinery. Tilling by hand would require large amounts of manual labor that would also take large amounts of people willing to put in the time, and effort. Tilling without machinery would not be considered impossible on a large- scale farms that produce excessive amounts of produce, but may only work on small- scale farms due to the amount of work that has to be put in. According to C.A. Francis & P. Porters 2011 Table 1, tilling is to reduce the amount of weeds, compared to using chemical herbicides on conventional farms. The term conventional used on this table means the same thing as traditional. Table 1. Comparison of Conventional Versus Sustainable Farming Systems.

Characteristic Primary energy source Source of Nutrients Pest management Crop cultivars Tillage Crop rotations Farm size

Conventional System Fossil fuels + sunlight Chemical fertilizers Chemical applications Maximum yield, GMOs in many systems Moving toward no- till with chemical herbicides Short rotations to maximize profits from two crops Large, and goal often to expand

Sustainable System Contemporary sunlight Manure, compost, rotations, cover crops Crop rotations, resistant cultivars, tillage Tillage for weed management Long rotations to seek pest management and fertility Small to moderate, goal to stabilize operation

7 Labor source Crop/animal integration Number of crops System resilience Family plus hired labor for expanded farm size Specialized in either crops or livestock, Limited to two crops, sale to conventional buyers Low, subject to changes in markets, fuel costs Level of biodiversity on farm Low, with monoculture crops and two year rotation Family only (if possible) plus hired for specialty products Crops and livestock integrated on farm Diverse mix of crops/ animals and sale of diverse products Moderate, income sources buffered by diversity Moderate to high, with many crops + livestock

Note: From Ecology in Sustainable Agriculture Practices and Systems by C.A Francis & P. Porter, p. 66.

The only explanation for not using machinery to till is the fact that fossil fuels would be in use which give off pollution. Therefore, according to Table 1, by not using fossil fuels is a way to promote a sustainable agricultural system. Tilling by hand would require the usage of gardening tools such as rakes, or other various farming tools used for tilling. Tilling by hand without machinery provides a couple different benefits to the farm itself, and the most importantly to the environment. Some of the benefits this technique provides include: pest management, without harmful chemical pesticides, and not having to pay for the use of fossil fuels. The final sustainable farming technique that I am going to mention is using organic compost. Unlike general fertilizers, organic compost and manure increase plant nutrients without costing the farmer extra money. As mentioned before, Table 1 also illustrates that organic compost and manure gives the soil a higher amount of nutrients, similar to rotation and crop covering. This is a sustainable technique for the fact that using organic compost and manure is economically, and environmentally sound. The fact that this technique is sustainable also ties in

8 with the reality that it is beneficial to the crops themselves, and the farmers. If farmers do not have to spend extra money on products that give their plants nutrients, and its free, there should not be a question whether or not it is beneficial.

Discussion All in all after conducting research for this specific topic, I know that conventional farms and sustainable farms are different in many ways, and illustrate that there are benefits of each. Table 1 displays clearly the differences between the two types of farming styles. It is obvious that conventional farms are only focused on the amount of production, and the amount of money coming in. Sustainable farms focus more on quality versus quantity of production, and not placing any harmful affects on environmental aspects. In conclusion, all farmers should practice more sustainable techniques on their farms, and move towards converting their farms into the most sustainable they can possibly be. Sustainability means preserving economic productivity while taking seriously the ecological foundation and social implications and impacts of farming. It includes designing systems that are resilient and can endure for the indefinite future (C.A. Francis & P. Porter, p. 71). Systems that are environmentally sound and resilient are in the focus for the future, and sustainable farming is just one of the ways that humanity can express the importance of protecting the environment in the present and future. My research conducted about sustainable farming hopefully persuades more small scale farmers to transform their traditional farming techniques into sustainable techniques. Large scale farmers should also hopefully be persuades to incorporate more sustainable techniques into their farms.

References The question I will be researching for this white paper is what techniques and styles of sustainable farming does Costa Rica practice, and how does the country benefit from sustainable farming, while helping protect the environment? This research paper will explain the different farming techniques used in Costa Rica, and how they obtain to the sustainable farming methods. Sustainable farming is a method with various different techniques that benefit local communities, while practicing the green movement. Sustainable farming is a trend that small farmers all over the world are using, and or converting to rather than the traditional farming techniques. Traditional farming techniques require large amounts of energy and have harsh impacts on the environment and several species. In this research paper I will make it very clear how sustainable farming is crucial for the future, and with my research I will support my claims to maximize the understanding of the criteria provided. Bellamy, A. S. (2011). Weed control practices on Costa Rican coffee farms: Is herbicide use necessary for small-scale producers? Agriculture and Human Values, 28(2), 167177. This article discusses research taking place in Costa Rica on coffee farms, and how they are controlling weeds sustainably. The research specifically compares the use of herbicides on farms to control the amount of weed growth on small farms, and large farms. The research also discusses the amount of labor being done on the farms and the different types of practices that farmers in Costa Rica are using to make their farms sustainable. Coffee farms are large cash crops in Costa Rica due to the climate in that specific area and the amount of farmers who are interested in growing coffee. This article is useful to me because it talks about the different farming practices that are taking place on coffee farms in Costa Rica, and how they are sustainable or not. Cole, R. J. (2010). Social and environmental impacts of payments for environmental services for agroforestry on small-scale farms in southern Costa Rica. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 17(3), 208-216. This article highlights a study being done in Costa Rica that revolves around agroforestry, and how it contributes to sustainable farming practices on small farms. The term agroforestry is explained in well depth discussions among this article. It also debates the environmental impacts of certain farming practices and how they affect farming. This article is useful to me because it

10 discusses a particular farming technique, agroforestry, being used in Costa Rica on many different smalls farms. That provides me with specific support to back up my idea that sustainable farming is becoming more important around the world, specifically in Costa Rica. C. A. Francis & P. Porter (2011). Ecology in Sustainable Agriculture Practices and Systems. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 30(1-2), 64-73. This article compares traditional large scale farming techniques to sustainable techniques and specifically describes a few different styles. Some of the techniques that this article discusses include: energy sources, tilling, crop rotating, farm sizes, labor, crop variety, system resilience, and biodiversity on the farm. This article is perfect for my research paper because it examines numerous practices and rates them on how well they provide benefits for farms and the environment. This article is also sort of a guide on how to manage a farm sustainably, which will be useful for my paper because I can actually picture what is being discussed. Ewel, John J. (2006). Species And Rotation Frequency Influence Soil Nitrogen In Simplified Tropical Plant Communities. Ecological Applications 16:490502. This specific article illustrates sustainable farming techniques in a scientific and technical way. It talks about the chemistry of the soil and plants and how sustainable farming techniques increase the health of the two. It specifically discusses the soil fertility in Costa Rica, and explains how sustainable practices are crucial for successful farms. This particular article is useful because it talks about the scientific and technical view of sustainable farming, which therefore makes my claim stronger because there is scientific proof. (F. Bass, personal communication, October 21, 2011). This is a personal interview that I had with the manager of the University of Idaho soil stewards organic farm, Freya Bass. I asked Freya several different questions to get support for my research paper, and I actually did volunteer work after the interview to get some hands on experience with sustainable farming. This is extremely important for my paper because I got some personal experience with sustainable farming practices while getting an interview with someone who knows a lot more than I do about sustainable farming. I learned different techniques that they use on this local farm in Moscow, and how they benefit from them as well as the environment, and the organic goods that they are producing. This interview also supported the fact that local farmers markets are very beneficial for local economies and the environment. (See appendix). Hartshorn, Gary S. (1995). Ecological Basis for Sustainable Development in Tropical Forests. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 26: 155-175. This article claims that sustainable development in Costa Rica is strictly important and needs to expand in order for tropical forests to survive in Costa Rica. Sustainable forestry is the topic in this article, and I thought it was sustainable farming. I dont think this article will be very useful for my paper because its a completely different topic, but I could possibly find some relations between the two that could support my topic.

11 Komatsuzaki, Masakazu. (2011). Argo-ecological Approach for Developing a Sustainable Farming and Food System. Journal of developments in sustainable agriculture, 6(1), 54-63. This article argues that sustainable farming is crucial for developing a sustainable food system for communities, which are growing by the minute. The article shows how traditional farms have negative impacts on the environment and how to convert them into a sustainable farming system. Sustainable farming is a growing trend all over the world, thankfully, because without these practices, harmful affects on the environment would take place. This specific article is helpful for writing this paper because it explains sustainable farming on many different levels, and how to covert these farms to make them more sustainable. Panwar, N.L. (2011). Solar greenhouse an option for renewable and sustainable farming. Renewable &sustainable energy reviews, 15(8), 3934-3945. This article explains how greenhouses are very useful to many different kinds of crops, and how they are sustainable for many different reasons. Energy management for farms is one of the main focuses for sustainable farming, and greenhouses support this idea if done appropriately. This article discusses greenhouses in depth scientifically and technically. Science Direct is a scholarly database that provides reliable information for various scientific topics. This article is useful for my paper for that very reason, and that fact that greenhouses are another aspect to sustainable practices. Rains, G.C. (2011). Redirecting technology to support sustainable farm management practices. Agricultural systems, 104(4), 365-370. This is another article from the Science Direct database, which explains how altering technology to fit into sustainable practices is beyond exceptional for farming practices and the environment. Examples of current farming practices are provided in this article, which is very useful to support my paper. Another major point of this paper is the idea that reducing environmental impacts is not only good for the environment, but can also be beneficial financially. Sustainable farming practices provide long-term and short-term benefits for all aspects. Van der Vossen, HAM. (2005). Critical analysis of the agronomic and economic sustainability of organic coffee production. Experimental Agriculture, 41(4), 449473. This article describes how coffee farmers make a large amount of profit because of the demand for coffee beans all around the world. Coffee farms are one of just the many that benefit from sustainable farming, by maximizing the usage of the land, and by saving money. This article explains the different positive and negative aspects of organic farming. This is useful for my white paper because it shows both sides of the story and challenges me to support my claim carefully in a strong manner.

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Appendix (F. Bass, personal communication, October 21, 2011). Interview questions and brief answers: 1. What different techniques of sustainable farming are you familiar with, and use on the University of Idaho Soils Stewards farm? crop rotation no till working by hand reducing carbon footprint (no fossil fuels) not doing night shades on one piece of land

2. Which technique do you think provides the most benefits? all of them supports local food

3. Which is your least favorite farming technique? large scale monocroping

4. Do you have any future sustainable farming ideas yourself? Local food systems less dependence on fossil fuels

Note: All of these answers are how I recorded them in the interview view. Bullet point was the most efficient, and clear way of taking notes in my interview with Freya Bass.