Essay On Sustainable Agriculture

Pollan compares Naylor’s Farm and the Polyface Farm to understand the differences between organic and conventional farming. In organic farming, there are no synthetic

All around the world people have different opinions about what can be fixed in their lives. There are so many proposals that are given daily, in an attempt to “fix” every issue found. Writer and Director Michael Pollan, addresses the issue of contaminated food in his essay The Vegetable-Industrial Complex. His short paper provides excellent detail on his topic, and strong examples are provided, however there is no official solution to the initial problem. If a proposal is given it must contain details that will help readers understand the situation.

Swidden agriculture also known as slash-and-burn is depicted in a negative light because of myths that has been created from people who are not familiar with its practice or do not understands its purpose. One of the narrative is that it creates a useless and unsustainable land. This could be easily misunderstood as the image of the land after being burned can be seen lifeless and barren. People tend to associate a fertile land with lush greens with the sun in the background and not the image of swidden agriculture. Furthermore, media portrayal of wildfire only puts the idea that wildfire are harmful and should be put out which only makes swidden agriculture seem destructive.

The Civil War had already ended when agriculture began to develop, bringing about changes across the country, particularly in the West. American agriculture began in rural regions that were urbanized, resulting in a surge of people in the fields and cities where employment and hard labor were supplied manually. It has grown significantly as a result of advanced economic and social changes towards its industrialization for expansion. It increased production among the families of farmers, who served through hard and difficult situations. Throughout the period of 1865-1900, American agriculture changed rural inhabited areas, expanding prospects for migration and urbanization, industrialization growth with advanced machinery, and evolved farming

“The vision of a huge fertile garden extending from the Appalachians to the Pacific Ocean had inspired Americans since the early days of the republic” (Out of Many - A History of the American People, pg. 622). Since its beginning, the American ways of farming had always been gradually evolving, but in the time between 1865 and 1900, it transformed like never before. The American tradition of agriculture would experience dramatic changes, as the growth of production and agribusiness would ensue from revolutions in technology, massive increase in population, and alterations in government policies. A major factor in changing the way of agriculture was the new technology being developed in farming and transportation.

The Agricultural Revolution initiated the beginnings of a more advanced Britain, which would eventually spread to other parts of the world, albeit rather slowly. It increased labor and land productivity, as well as, creating an abundance of food to provide for Britain’s growing population and the future workers of the Industrial Revolution. A significant change in farming methods was the introduction of crop rotation, which was farming on four plots of land and varying the type of plant growing in each plot each season so that there would be enough resources in the soil for another certain type of plant to thrive. This increased produce production and ensured healthy crops. Aside from efficiently growing crops, the Agricultural Revolution improved

In today’s world, we are seeing the sustainable family farm dying off. These farms provide high quality food and produce, challenge and compete between other small farms to create this high quality market, and don’t use up our natural resources. However, with the rise of corporate farms, food quality has been compromised, they kill off smaller farms and lessen the competition, and they are depleting the natural resources we have. On the flip side of each, though, sustainable farms cannot produce in mass quantities, it is much more labor intensive and harder to manage and take care of, and it there is much more to pay attention to.

If this is too difficult, farmers may move cities, affecting profitability of rural communities. Businesses dependent on the agricultural industry will lose

Animal waste runoffs or feedlots are farms that specialize in cattle or hogs. These animals are stayed in a very small area of land and they are raised on hormones and grains that make them big and fat for slaughter. Feedlots help provide a lot of protein in America but feedlots contain a lot of the animals poop and other bad substances that can pollute the air and the water with their runoff. Pros of having feedlots is that they produce meat that satisfies U.S. consumers, they’re efficient, and cheap. Cons of having feedlots is that manure contains nitrogen and phosphorus; if not managed properly, they can pollute the nearby lakes,streams,rivers, or oceans, and antibiotic use increases genetic resistance to bacteria in the human body.

Some challenges are: land management issues, restrictions from fossil fuels, food waste, government policy, and demographic changes. Over time, the land changes; the soil can become hard or soft, or it can erode away completely. Farmers struggle every day with the change of land and land management issues. It is very hard and expensive for farmers to keep their land up. Farmers have to pay for technology that helps them keep up the land, and they usually have to pay people to help them because not all farmers can keep up their land by themselves.

The concept of ethical hunting has been around for some time and it is important that all hunters have an understanding of its principles and practice them when in the field. Ethical hunting means that a person knows and respects the game hunted, follows the law and behaves in a way that will satisfy what society expects of a hunter. Ethical hunters are familiar with the places they hunt, the wildlife that live there and the way they should behave when hunting.

Also, farmers in these communities do not have enough money to purchase necessary supplies to farms such as seeds, tools, and farming equipment. The effects of

Agriculture has become a major part of many Americans everyday lives. From growing crops to raising cattle, it’s how many people make a living. People grow crops like soybeans, corn, and cotton. They also raise animals such as cattle, hogs, and chickens. Agriculture has a wide variety of things to choose from.

The Controversy on Agricultures Mankind has gone through numerous changes that have defined life today. Humans have developed technology and discovered resources that are essential to ones everyday life. Some of the changes weren’t for pleasure but vital to survive on Earth. These changes may not benefit humans but allow us to survive: agriculture. Jared Diamond explains in the article “The worst mistake in the history of the Human Race” stating that “…the adoption of agriculture, supposedly our most decisive step toward a better life, was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered.”

I remember it like it was yesterday, running off the school bus as I excitedly skipped towards my mother with a bright yellow sheet of paper in hand. I was so eager to tell my mom all about the field trip we were going on as a class and have her sign the permission slip which would allow me to attend. The destination, Milburn Orchards, a local agritourism facility that has everything from acres of apple trees to pumpkin patches and from a petting zoo to its very own creamery. Looking back, some of my most memorable experiences as a student, on field trips, revolve around the amazing world of agriculture. These excursions allow us to dream big about what our future may hold.