Comments on: A Virtual Tour of Tomorrow’s Super-Sustainable Farm (Part 1)

By: How Agriculture Changed in 1996 | Sustainablog

How Agriculture Changed in 1996 | Sustainablog — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:07:30 +0000

[...] injury that came with previous “selective herbicide” options. It makes it easier to farm “no-till” which conserves water and uses less fuel. But it wasn’t just soy planting that changed in [...]

By: A Major Challenge to More Sustainable Farming | Sustainablog

A Major Challenge to More Sustainable Farming | Sustainablog — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:08:18 +0000

[...] non-trivial exercise that takes both dedication and expertise in addition to technology and money. Realistically there are a sub-set of growers who would be the best candidates for the first few yea…. If a way could be devised for those growers to participate in the up-side, there are many other [...]

By: The Uncertain Future of Good Coffee : Eat. Drink. Better.

The Uncertain Future of Good Coffee : Eat. Drink. Better. — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:33:24 +0000

[...] you have read my previous blogs you know that I am a big believer in technological solutions to agricultural problems or challenges. In this case I don’t believe that will happen. My [...]

By: Ecovore Central » Blog Archive » News link update – 1/15/2010

Ecovore Central » Blog Archive » News link update – 1/15/2010 — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:17:48 +0000

[...] Virtual tour of tomorrow’s super-sustainable farm (part 1) [...]

By: Steve Savage

Steve Savage — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:34:22 +0000

Dominique,
Actually, if you look at the USDA Census of Ag data your picture of conglomerate takeover is completely wrong. Small farms represent 91% of all farms and 18,467 new small farms have been added between 2002 and 2007. They represent 56% of US cropland. There are 1.3 million farms with sales of <$10,000/year. Its just that these farms tend to grow higher value specialty crops or raise animals. Grain and oilseed farming which I was describing is still virtually all family farms, it is just that they tend to be large to be efficient. The myth of people being driven off land is just that, a myth.

By: Dominique Ridley

Dominique Ridley — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:47:06 +0000

Why would you be so dismissive of what Raju is doing on the basis of “That isn’t how the world is fed” Have you seen the news in the last decade? The world is NOT being fed by all of this modern technology. In fact, small time family subsistence farmers are being pushed off of their land by big conglomerates regularly, making the problem worse. I truly believe the answer is in more small family farms using hand labor, animal rotation and labor, and no outside fertilizer or herbicides or pesticides what so ever. Only as we begin to make this shift will we ever be truly sustainable. I am disappointed in the content of this story.

By: Steve Savage

Steve Savage — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 06:27:10 +0000

Raju Titus,
I looked at your sites. What you are doing is fantastic on a small scale, but that isn’t how the world is fed. I do similar things in my own garden. I think it is really cool that something that approximates your system can be used on a large scale.

By: Raju Titus

Raju Titus — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:32:26 +0000

We are doing No Till Natural Farming. We are not using any machine,fertilizer,medicine and killer.For more see
fukuoka_farming yahoogroup. or picasawebalbumrajuktitus.
Thanks
Raju Titus
India.

By: 2010—The Year Of Sustainable Propaganda

2010—The Year Of Sustainable Propaganda — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:14:40 +0000

[...] to read A Virtual Tour of Tomorrow’s Super-Sustainable Farm Part One and Part [...]

By: Steve Savage

Steve Savage — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:28:27 +0000

John,
Thanks,
No-till is certainly the way to go, but it isn’t always easy. Currently it is probably only used continuously on 6% of US acres. Still, it is possible and it is the dominant system in Brazil, Argentina and Australia. Europe is very far behind on this sort of thing