Applications of sustainabilityon the farm

Sustainable Small Farming and Ranching

Examples of sustainable practices on the farm:

Practices which protect and improve soils, conserve, recycle and improve the availability of crop nutrients, such as:

Crop rotations, cover cropping, green manures, composting, intercropping and conservation tillage

Animal systems which effectively use nutrients from animal manures

- Intensive rotational grazing,

composting, systems for manure collection & stabilization, proper application

Pest management aimed at reducing or eliminating use of synthetic pesticides and supporting beneficial insects.

IPM strategies that emphasize cultural, biological , and physical control methods such as: Timing of field operations, pest resistant

varieties, sanitation, scouting, etc.

Emphasize reliance on on-farm resources

Integrating animals with cropping systems allows use of manures to supply nutrients back to fields.

Planting mixed cover crop species in orchard rows adds an incredible diversity of plant species to promote populations of beneficial insect species to an orchard.

Greater diversity in biological systems

Particular emphasis in soil quality

Tilling in cover crops as a source of green manure; applications of compost; and

reduced tillage systems with living mulches.

Increase economic diversity to enhance and stabilize farm income

Have multiple enterprises to reduce your economic risks – choose them to compliment each other for cash flow throughout the year or growing season.

Example: Small acreage – vegetables/flowers

Five acres Vegetables, fruits

and flowers In-town location Selling direct to

consumer Follows organic

practices (but not certified)

Example: Small acreage farming at Meadowlark Farms, Idaho

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Pest management

Long crop rotations Crop diversity Row covers for some

insects (leaf miners, flea beetles)

Weed management by cultivation and hand tools

Few disease problems

Irrigation

Drip irrigation - reduces water use and also reduces spread of

diseases

Season Extension

Longer growing season increases sales - early spring and later into fall

Hoop houses and floating row covers

Season Extension

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Labor –

Weekly transplanting and weeding by hand = intensive physical labor

Soil building -

Cover crops and green manures – buckwheat, rye, hairy vetch

Makes compost – has a horse for manure and plenty of yard and garden waste.

Improved soil structure, water holding, will benefit through long term nutrient

availability

Fertilizing

Uses the compost and nitrogen from tilled-in cover crops

Occasional fish emulsion

Some producers use fish meal, greensand

Equipment

Small walk behind tiller

$3000

Garden cart

$200

Tiller used extensively in the rows to plant succession crops – every two

weeks

Marketing – Direct to Consumer

Multiple venues: Farmer’s markets Direct to Coop CSA (subscription

sales)

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Demands special skill, time and labor. Must have high quality produce. Producer captures more of the consumer dollar.

Marketing – Direct to Consumer

Quality of Life

Love what they do Personal connection to

people eating their food

They are doing their part in reducing use of world’s limited fossil fuels by selling local foods

Grow their own food

Credits Presentation developed by Cultivating Success

TM : Sustainable Small Farms Education.

Photos provided by Cultivating Success

TM staff unless otherwise noted.

Video segments taken from:

“Meadowlark Farm: A Case Study of a Small-Acreage Farm” produced by Ben Troka, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Copywrite 2005, University of Idaho.

“Affinity Farm: A Small-Acreage Farm Shares Strategies” produced by Ben Troka, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Copywrite 2005, University of Idaho.