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Yielding Bigger Organic Crops with Sustainable Farming

Each day thousands of lives are born on Earth. This speed of growth makes it difficult for all living things, especially humans, to meet their basic needs of hunger and shelter. The countries producing food seem to live below the poverty line while the rest are living beyond their means. Not only are human lives exploited in the process, but our environment is exploited as well in order to increase the yield per annum in order to meet demands.

After World War II, agriculture was modernized with an introduction of machines, chemical pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers. This led to bigger farms with more produce, but all the stock had been consolidating in once place and was controlled by powerful corporations. Small farmers were run out of business, drastically steering the rate of poverty even higher.

Although industrialization allowed for a larger quantity of food to be produced at a much lower price, it still caused environmental degradation.
Now we have realized the side-effects of our ingenuity, and have focused on designing effective tools to face these challenges. One such way is sustainable farming, which not only protects the environment but also safeguards our health with organic food.

Sustainable farming is a method of agriculture which heavily relies on polyculture, companion planting, and various other techniques which support environmental health, human health, and animal welfare. It aims to meet the needs present and future generations without destroying the environment and Mother Nature. With sustainable agriculture, we are able to create economic growth as well as equity that will lead a healthier and more prosperous world.

It takes all living things, human, animal, and insect alike, to produce crops and protect the ecosystem. Insects can improve the quality of the soil. Bees take part in pollination for natural food growth. Humans can work on value-based techniques for farming.

Sustainable farming is very economical, as farmers do not have to rely on costly machines, chemical pesticides, and fertilizers. This helps the farmer to easily adopt an environmentally friendly mode of agriculture with the aid of natural resources. Below are few of the techniques that you can use to practice sustainable farming.

Farmer on local sustainable organic farm

Alternating Crops

This is a method of growing different crops in succession on the same land. For example, wheat may be grown in one field the first year, then cotton is grown the second year on the same field. When farmers change crop every year, pests tend to die off because they develop preferences for certain kinds of crops. This method also contributes to the health of the soil by replenishing it with various nutrients important for the growth of plants.

Covering Crops

Many farmers tend to leave their land untended between harvesting seasons which can lead to soil erosion and overgrowth of weeds. Growing a cover crop can help to maintain the fertility and health of the soil and keep away pests, diseases, and weeds. Cover crops also minimize the use of insecticides and fertilizers.

Companion Planting

This consists of planting one or two different kinds of plants in a field or garden for higher production. This method not only helps plants to give higher yields but also keeps pest and insects at bay. It contributes greatly to biodiversity, improves the health of the soil and enhances the taste and quality of the yield. Companion planting is effective both in gardens and long fields. However, there are few disadvantages. Plants need to share the nutrients of the soil and water which can affect the health of the main crop. Secondly, when the companion plant is removed, extra attention should be paid to ensure the main crop covers the space. Otherwise, it makes way to a pesticide.

Permaculture design and sustainable farming methods support the idea of working with and towards the nature of our sustainable existence and growth. These methods facilitate the idea of recycling and renewable energy to not only increase yields but also minimize pollution. Permaculture strictly prohibits the use of machinery and chemical fertilizers for farming due to the fact that they deprive the soil of its nutrients, kill living organisms, and pose a threat to the environment and human life.

Permaculture brings together plants animals, humans and the environment into a mutually coordinated ecosystem which fulfills the needs of all living things.

One Comment

  1. Transitioning from a “football field,” to a diverse multi-tiered succession of public park and food forest garden features, inherently suggests I need deploy some dirt-moving machinery for redirecting the flow of water and traffic. Overall, I still hope to respect the amazing lifeforms I’ve discovered just below the thick sod surface. Is ‘keyline plowing’ often the best course of action after clarifying exactly where any new primary edge boundaries must lie?

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