We seek to be a sustainable farm. So what exactly does that mean?
To us it means, among other things, conservation of non-renewable resources. We try to minimize our use of fossil fuels, we recycle and, most importantly for a farm, we use agricultural practices intended to assure that we will leave the land to the next generation, at least as fertile and productive as it was when we took it over.
Because there is a finite supply of fossil fuels, intensive use of them is not sustainable. Wood, on the other hand, is a renewal resource as long as trees exist. So we heat our home with wood.
Because it has the effect of depleting the soil, chemical agriculture is not sustainable. Natural organic practices, on the other hand, enrich and preserve the soil indefinitely. So we farm chemical-free.
Overconsumption of natural resources in not sustainable. Unless humanity moderates its consumption, we are faced with a future of scarcity and conflict. Moderation and thrift, on the other hand, assures humanity’s continued health and prosperity. So we strive to limit our consumption to our actual needs.
Global economies predicated upon transportation of fuel, commodities and food for thousands of miles are not sustainable. They are dependent upon cheap abundant fossil fuel and cheap foreign labor. But because the amount of fossil fuel which can be extracted from the earth, particularly extracted cheaply, is limited, the transportation system is unsustainable. It is also fragile, vulnerable to disruption due to war or natural disaster, leaving those dependent upon it (like nearly all Americans) vulnerable to scarcity at best and starvation at worse. Likewise dependency upon cheap foreign labor is unsustainable because eventually as our society continues to exchange our wealth for their goods, eventually they will be the wealthy side of the equation and we will, if we are lucky, become the cheap labor source for them. So we advocate and participate in local economies.
These are are few of the ways we try to be sustainable. We certainly aren’t perfect at it, but we will continue to try to get better, with our vision on the world we will leave the next generation, rather than merely what we can take for ourselves today.
May it always be so.
Love Wins
Consider a winter project, Bill…write a laymen’s booklet explaining farming on a miniture scale? Or recommend one that is easy to read and understand. We need rules of planting and harvesting simple crops so that anyone can grow something on there piece of land to sustain their daily food needs…even a tomato plant can help. We can get some of this on the internet but not in the manner you provide our food…clean, without chemicals. This subject is close to your heart and you can probably help us all a lot with tips. Our son Noah says in his neighborhood only a short distance outside downtown LA there has been a resurgence of people planting foods for eating instead of flowers and shrubs for beauty. Million dollar homes with planters full of food. Many of the stores are selling items to do that with – container gardens with all kinds of implements. Classes are being given in how to pickle and can at several of the nationwide stores…Williams-Sonoma has sent out an early Fall 2012 catalog called “From the Farm” – with everything from dried beans at $11.95 a pound, vegetable stock at $19.95 for 6 oz., fresh grains at $12.95 for 2 pounds. Thanks for making this reality a part of our day everyday. Next year we are planning on planting in our backyard…a little to start with to see how this goes. This is an idea who’s time has come for us, thanks to you.