Spring Valley EcoFarms is a non-profit organization focusing on education, research, and outreach to promote more ecologically sustainable agriculture. Its seat is Spring Valley Farm, 100 acres in the Georgia Piedmont. The vision is to reduce reliance on external subsidies in agricultural systems through incorporating free services of nature. The goal is to develop a model for conservation of biological diversity and to provide a laboratory where ecological science and theory are put to a real-world test.
Farmscaping is agriculture adapted to the landscape. It is "Designing with Nature". It means understanding the history of a site and its influence on the interaction of topography , soils, and water drainage, and then designing a farm in harmony with these interactions. It is landscaping of a farm that considers the environment, past and present.
Carl F. Jordan Agroecology Laboratory, Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Abstract
The global food crisis has resulted in calls for a second “Green Revolution” that uses genetically engineered crops to boost agricultural yields. Like the first “Green Revolution”, the second depends upon petroleum to manufacture and spread fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and to power irrigation systems that act upon crops selected to increase agricultural yield. The rising costs and eventual scarcity of petroleum, and the pollution caused by agricultural chemicals may preclude this approach to feed the world.
Agriculture that relies more upon the services of nature and less upon petroleum presents an alternative. This type of agriculture promotes the activity of beneficial soil micro-organisms that tighten the nutrient cycle, the planting of leguminous crops to supply nitrogen, and the presence of beneficial insects that prey upon pest species. One term for such agriculture is “organic”, but there are other terms that capture the spirit of organic agriculture such as sustainable agriculture, alternative agriculture, ecological agriculture and regenerative agriculture. But can this type of agriculture feed the world? In order to answer the question, this article develops a perspective concerning: a) the conflict among agronomists and policy makers over the future of agriculture; b) the arguments for a second green revolution; c) the evidence for unsustainability of industrial agriculture; d) the evidence for the productive potential of organic agriculture; e) the economic and political roadblocks to an organic transition; and f) the steps that can be taken to facilitate a transition.
NEW VIDEO! Conservation Tillage for the Small Scale Organic Farmer- By Kathleen M. Raven and Katie Smith. While conservation tillage is generally known by some large scale farmers, the techniques for small scale organic farmers have not been well developed and deployed. Over the past few years Spring Valley EcoFarms has pioneered no-till conservation using generally available equipment, which has been customized and adapted for special use. This video illustrates the basic method and the machinery at work.
