Farming Past, Present and Future

We've been experiencing some very pleasant weather ,the past five or six days. Beautiful morning sunrises, and mild, late, Spring-like temperatures have been the norm. The only flaw in this picture-perfect scene was the heavy winds we had on the weekend and then again last night. Last Friday we had our first snow and as it was driven by gusting winds, it looked much worse than it was. Not a flake remained on the ground, nevertheless it was a herald of things yet to come.

My previous 2 articles were looking at things gone past; based on the concept that we need to look into our past to plan our future, or that to ignore history is to repeat it. This is not necessarily a negative situation, as there are definitely lessons to be learned through an examination of our heritage.

If we take a look at the agricultural methods that were practised in Egypt, we may uncover techniques are low tech in nature and earth friendly in design. This is relevant because there is a growing concern. Over the direction that our present day food production methods are taking us and I use taking in a literal sense, People have little control over how food is produced and distributed, except for those who grown their own, but from local farmer's markets, food coops or belong to a community shared agriculture plan. In a previous article I explored our relationship to food and why we need to think about it. Farming is a complex process and requires consideerable planning.

Some groups have expressed deep concern over the impact that tilling has had on the quaility fo the soil we all depend upon. They advocate a no-tilling approach. It is after reading the following quote from the book: Zero Tillage: Advancing the Art, that i decided to stray from my original intention:

"The earth's thin covering of soil is very fragile. There is overwhelming evidence that over-cultivation is leading to its destruction. For centuries, tillage has been used to grow crops. Today, farmers are expected to produce food in ever increasing quantities. To meet this expectation, soil erosion will have to be conquered. Zero tillage farming can produce abundant food while protecting the soil. Additional benefits to air, water and wildlife make no-till farming the most sustainable choice for us all."

And it is the following quote from the same source that highlights our direction." Society and farmers need to work together to ensure that agriculture and the environment have a good future." I know I strayed from the topic that I promised for this week, but I felt it was necessary to get some greater context for the journey before proceeding.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic