Monday, January 14, 2013

The Importance of Sunstainable Farming

I just wanted to share a few facts on the importance of sustainable farming that I find quite interesting and downright scary!

When people talk about topsoil they are referring to the upper layer of soil that is necessary for agriculture; without it plants won't grow.  It is important to understand that topsoil is teaming with life... Trillions of microscopic organisms in one small scoop full!  And unfortunately due to factory farming and the millions of acres of mono crops such as corn, soy, canola, and cotton that blanket our global landscape, we are destroying this essential and very key ingredient to life. 
  1. We are losing crucial topsoil at a rate of up to 40 times that at which it can be replenished.
  2. Nearly 70% of the World's usable nutrient rich topsoil is gone.
  3. We have only about 60 years of topsoil remaining!

So where is the good news in all of this?

Those that practice sustainable farming practices and buck the conventional profit driven system of deplete and destroy will actually build topsoil.  Farmers like Joel Salatin of Polyface farm in Virginia produce more topsoil per year than an untouched forest.  Maybe that's why he calls himself a "grass farmer" above all else...

When thinking of agriculture, we must think small (microscopic) if we are ever going to understand the big picture!

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