The Green Farm Revolution: What Is The Importance Of Sustainable Farming

The ability to produce (farm) food indefinitely with little or no human intervention to it’s Eco system, or biological environment.

Okay now what is a biological environment? Well it is what nature intended from the beginning, before mass production and over population. It consists of all organisms living in a particular area along side the non physical components of it’s environment that interact with one another, air, soil, water, and sunlight. These four vital elements is what all is needed to produce a greener, natural earth.

Lately, farmers have taken the rap for being a liability versus a necessity, and I really asked myself, why? During the pioneer days, farmers were an important source for the production of food and vegetation, only relying on mother earth's kindness to be fruitful in their crops. As the world evolved with new technologies so did the supply and demand and somehow, someway, or someone decided that change was needed. The result? If you, trusted reader, have been paying any attention to the media, then there is no need to say any more. Although, as I researched, my eyes grew wider, my heart sank a little deeper, and now understood the importance of green farms. They alone may just hold the key to solving global warming, toxic pollution, food borne illnesses, and our economic money woes. Their business plan is almost fail proof, keeping the employees happy, being self sufficient, and selling a good product. All the while improving the quality of lives.

In my research of this epic movement I ran across a farmer doing just this, Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms in Shanandoah Valley, Virginia. He and his crew's main focus is to educate the public about how they are changing the way we eat and live, trying to create a healthier planet. Joel follows the natural order of growth idea and doesn't break the bank on harmful chemicals or hormones to achieve mass quantities. He keeps it simple with quality and integrity, something our society may need to relocate in the Webster's Dictionary.

What is green farming?

Here is the basic breakdown. Cows, naturally a herbivore, eat a variety of grasses that are organic to the farm's environment, birds flock to the remains of the cow, it’s manure, consuming the larvae remnants, scratching up the soil, spreading manure evenly over soil acting as an organic fertilizer, which improves the quality of the greens. In return you are left rich nutritious soil with self sustaining regrowth. Some of the varieties of grass help purifyiy blood, others providing antioxidants, and the result? Happy healthy livestock that are truly free range, who rarely contract deadly diseases that can pass down to us the consumers. Take the milking cow for example, because of the high quality nutritional grass, they in return produce more milk that is naturally enriched with anti oxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, and beta carotene.

With green fields covering the farm all year, the pastures will actually harvest solar energy from the top soil and moisture. Grazed pastures also help remove carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere by drawing out green house gasses slowing down the effects of global warning.

Factory Farm Facts

Factory Farms on the other hand use chemicals, toxic fuel, and grain to produce or mass produce about 70% of human consumed goods. Instead of utilizing the excrement of the livestock, they transfer the compiled mass in feedlots and sheds, which contaminates the air releasing ammonia, methane, and other harmful gasses. These toxic fumes stress and sicken the livestock and the farm hands as well as the quality of life for the local community surrounding the factory farms. The waste is moved to nearby fields overloading the land with nutrients containing excess nitrogen and phosphorus polluting soil and water sources, creating “dead zones which in turn threatens the local fish population. Beginning a whole new vicious cycle of contamination.

Not so fun fact: 10,000 confined dairy cows produce 37,075 pounds of green house pollution each day.

60 years ago, Sunday dinners were set aside as a special time, one to expend the family’s budget to splurge on expensive rarity items. They would go to their local grocery store and buy a whole chicken, at the risk of breaking the bank. Then sit down as a family admiring this succulent bird, saying silent thanks for this rare occasion. Now chicken is consumed 3 to 4 times a week, chemically processed, pumped full of antibiotics and hormones, counter acting the natural order of growth, flavor, and nutrients.

Society now days thrives off convenience, quick fixes, and new age technology. We want bigger, better, now if not faster, like yesterday and will risk it all to get it before our competition. I believe this is what happened with farming, the philosophy of life changed, the world changed, we changed, and for what I see, not for the good.

So on your next Sunday, Monday, or just any day, take some time and plan a meal with your loved ones, meet the guy that fussed over a little pile of cow pie to ensure a better tomorrow, a better product, who's business thrives on quality and integrity.