Word of the day

Respect

Respect for those who came before you, respect for the process, and respect for those who will come after you is the key to sustainability. Respect our ancestors who nurtured seed diversity, the soil that provides fertility for growth, the seed that transforms into beautiful food, the produce that ripens awaiting harvest, the farmer who tends to the soil and the garden, the chef who honors these precious ingredients, the customer who seeks wholesome meals, and the community that supports and nurtures a local food system.

—Lora Lea Misterly and Chef Kären Jurgensen

Rethinking the Kitchen Handbook

Is it good for the earth?

One of the basic principles of Holistic Management is to consider the whole under management, which for our purposes is our resource base. We may wish that others’ management systems were in line with our own, but that resource base is not under our control (although it may be included in our circle of influence). Consequently, we are looking at a specific place with a defined geographical boundary. This place may be recognized as a “living organism” within a larger watershed. What we are looking at is the network of relationships within this smaller ecological system. These networks include the soil and its organisms at work, water and water quality, plant and animal production and the ever-present wildlife ecosystem. What are some of the patterns we need to observe?

Our eating experience should provide the nutrients we need to live healthy lives, provide a pleasurable taste experience, be based primarily on whole and fresh products, involve preparation, and incorporate products we can connect to the natural world. Although the choice at the supermarket is functionally minimal, we do have a fundamental choice: to live under the illusion that our industrial-based convenient food system satisfies our taste and nutritional requirements, or to live with the reality that we can thrive on foods that are aesthetically rich and good for our bodies. What do we mean when we ask “Is it good for the eater?”

Healthy Soil The soil itself is a living organism within the larger farm ecosystem. Practices on the farm must work to build and maintain this resource by improving aggregate stability, diversity of soil microorganisms, and optimizing nutrient balance and availability. These practices almost always including adding organic matter to build the tilth highly desired in sustainable farming. Fertility management places considerable demands on the farmer and is one of the most difficult problems to solve. In sustainable systems, nutrients would be produced on the farm either with animals or with plants and plant material.

Water Quality and Conservation Water is the principle resource that has helped agriculture and society to prosper, and historically it has been a major limiting factor when mismanaged. The most important issues related to water quality involve salinization and contamination of ground and surface waters by pesticides, nitrates and harmful bacteria. Nutrient, livestock and poultry management practices are some of the keys to maintaining water quality. Cropping practices can also prevent nutrient leaching and soil erosion that affect both streams and top soil, and irrigation practices are now available that efficiently place water at the plant’s root system.

Plant Production Sustainable cropping methods enhance the diversity of crop and plant varieties, increase the productivity of plants, and reduce the presence of weeds, pathogens, and insect pests. For optimal success, the selection of species and varieties must be compatible with the existing climate, soil, and site features. When well-chosen, cover crops help hold soil and nutrients in place, conserve soil moisture, and increase water infiltration rate and water holding capacity. Whole farm management often includes animals that create optimum diversity on the farm. The sustainable farm improves the ecosystem using organic fertilizers and reduces toxicity by not using agrochemicals.

Animal Production Sustainable livestock and poultry production raises domestic animals according to the nature of their species. Ruminant animals are well-suited to harvesting solar energy by grazing and are not suited for digesting concentrated feeds. Poultry are well-suited for grazing on insects and seeds but are not well-suited for confinement in small pens. The fundamental decision is to match the species with its appropriate environment and to select species that are suitable for the climate and features of the farm. Some of the most dynamic changes in agriculture today is the movement toward more sustainable livestock and poultry production.

Farming and the Surrounding Natural Systems. Our farms are set in a larger wild ecosystem that impacts what we do and how we impact life in the wild. A balanced ecosystem provides wildlife habitat to support birds, beneficial insects, and wild flora and fauna. Woodland, hedgerows, wetlands, meadows, and hillsides need to be considered for a stable and well-balanced diversity.