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Think Abundance By Martha Pickard The flaws in our current agricultural system are becoming more and more apparent. The three groups that suffer the most from these flaws are: the consumer, who is becoming increasingly unsure of the safety of the food supply; the farmer, who is not able to make a living or raise a family off the farm’s income, and the land which is literally being washed into the ocean due to erosion and poor management. Many people will argue that this is the price we must pay for a cheap food supply and that the only other option is to revert back to subsistence farming and give up all the luxuries we now take for granted. Permaculture offers a different option - an option of abundance rather than scarcity. Permaculture blends traditional farming methods, modern science and technology. It models farm systems after ecosystems and reduces the dependency on fossil fuels. There is much more cooperation than competition in nature. Traditional farming communities knew this. With this knowledge they modeled their gardens after natural forests, stacking vegetables, herbs, shrubs, vines and trees to create an edible ecosystem. The amount of food produced by these systems far outweighs that of a wheat field or any other monoculture crop. This type of system also reduces disease and pests because of the diversity of plants that perform beneficial functions for one another. This cooperation rather than competition example can also be used with livestock. Many farmers are starting to graze multiple species together to increase production and decrease disease; of course this should be researched to find animals that benefit each other. A good example of this is beef cows grazing a field first getting the grass down to about 2 inches and then chickens grazing afterwards fertilizing the fields and reducing parasites loads. This system yields two marketable products, fertilizes the pastures and reduces the need for machinery. When small family farms work with the ecosystem model rather the current chemical agriculture model, they are able to produce a diverse abundance of herbs, fruits, produce, dairy and meats to feed their local communities. Small family farms formed our communities, it is our history and our land is our greatest resource. North Country farmers complain that their fields are too wet when over 50% of the United States have been experiencing extreme drought conditions for the past five years. Imagine abundance rather than scarcity. Imagine heirloom species of apples, pears and peaches that thrive in our climate, beef, chicken, lamb, milk and cheeses that are grown on our pastures. A farmers’ market where you can shake the hand of the person who raised the food you are going to feed your family and know that the way it is raised will not harm you or your children. Imagine your hard earned money staying in your community, supporting the livelihood of a farmer who is a steward of the land. If you are interested in permaculture design and/or grazing advice, contact, Martha Pickard at the ANCA office (518) 891-6200. |
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