Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
What is the difference between soil and dirt?
Soil is alive. Dirt is dead. A single teaspoon of soil can contain billions of microscopic bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. A handful of the same soil will contain numerous earthworms, arthropods, and other visible crawling creatures. Healthy soil is a complex community of life and actually supports the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet.
After a vivid and thoughtful discussion of the organic farming practices and the positive effects of a strong local economy that has in many ways rejuvenated the town of Hardwick, Vermont, the host, Robin Young, asked a pricelessly dense question: “but can sustainable farming really feed us all?” The thoughtless presumption of the question is that unsustainable farming might possibly be a better approach, that we ultimately have any choice but to follow sustainable practices, at least if we wish to sustain our civilization.
Food production is moving toward decentralization, and that is good news. With all the toxins and varmints and contrary weather and disintegration of the economy, our best bet, maybe our only bet, is to spread out the risks of food production to the largest number of people possible and that is happening.
Much of the content of Deconstructing Dinner revolves primarily around the practice of agriculture; from examining the downsides and challenges of current agricultural systems to the opportunities and alternatives to those challenges. However, most of those alternatives that we examine are ‘agri’cultural alternatives, and so from time to time it’s important to step back and deconstruct that very focus… asking the question; “Are ‘agri’cultural alternatives an adequate response if they’re rooted within that same ‘agri’cultural box”? On this episode we listen to a talk Toby Hemenway delivered in February 2010 when he suggested that ‘sustainable agriculture’ might very well be a misnomer.
The first thing you need to know about my farm is that it is huge. I mean enormous – by world standards. The vast majority of the world’s farms – more than 80%, are very small farms, of less than 2 hectares (about 5 acres), and they produce the majority of the world’s staple crops and calories.
I was originally attracted to permaculture because it was the only system that made sense—that could begin to reverse and repair the damage we are doing. Among many things, permaculture is a shortcut to older wisdom. Daniel Quinn calls this Leaver wisdom, the wisdom that enabled humanity to thrive in harmony with the earth for three million years up until the agricultural revolution where we lost our way.
Gazing at the famous Mayan pyramids of Chichén-Itzá, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by the colossal limestone structures rising out of an expansive green lawn. It makes for a great photo, although the scene is missing a key feature from when those pyramids rose: a tropical rainforest canopy.
These days, whenever I introduce myself, I say I’m a professor, a freelance writer, and a volunteer on a non-commercial organic farm and goat dairy. Although this last identity is not a typical academic endeavor, learning how to garden and farm was a conscious and deliberate choice that came out of several considerations.
Wild Farming is a concept pioneered by conservationist Aldo Leopold and is now taking many forms throughout North America. In this interview I am joined by Joann Baumgartner of the Wild Farm Alliance. The Wild Farm Alliance’s mission is to promote a healthy, viable agriculture that helps protect and restore wild Nature. Topics of discussion include the origins of wild farming, strategies for promoting and conserving biodiversity on the farm, predator friendly farming, continental wildlife corridors, and the price of food as an obstacle to wild farming.
– Sustainable P talk (video) [new]
– American Scientist: Does Peak Phosphorus Loom?
– Scientist urges government to address ‘peak phosphate’ risk
– Sustainable Phosphorus Initiative at Arizona State (video)
– Nitrogen and Phosphorus: The Future of Toilet Design Hangs in the Balance
We need new strategies for agriculture that emphasize efficient nutrient use in order to lower production costs and minimize negative environmental effects. The trouble is, the best soils on the best landscapes are already being farmed. Much of the future expansion of agriculture will be onto marginal lands where the risk of irreversible degradation under annual grain production is high. As these areas become degraded, expensive chemical, energy, and equipment inputs will become less effective and much less affordable.
-Food prices to rise by up to 40% over next decade, UN report warns
-Just Not Made that Way
-How Goldman gambled on starvation
-Nitrogen and Phosphorus: The Future of Toilet Design Hangs in the Balance
-Eating to Live or Living to Eat?
