Since the dawn of agriculture, humans have been manipulating crops to enhance their quality and yield. Via conventional breeding, seed producers have developed the modern corn hybrids and wheat commonly grown today. Newer techniques, such as radiation breeding, enhanced the seed producers’ ability to develop new traits in crops. And if we want to maximize the amount of food grown per dollar of investment, then industrialization-prawn farms, cut flowers, endless seas of corn-is the way to go.
In Deep Economy Bill McKibben describes the dangers of industrialized agriculture. Industrial agriculture is the largest single threat to the earth’s biodiversity. Fence-row-to-fence-row plowing, planting, and harvesting techniques decimate wildlife habitats, while massive chemical use poisons the soil and water, and kills off countless plant and animal communities.
Since industrial agriculture has led to some severe environmental consequences, including loss of topsoil, decrease in soil fertility, surface and ground water contamination, and loss of genetic diversity. We should be looking for solutions that are based on ecological and biological principles and have significantly fewer environmental costs. McKibben suggests, “Often clever ideas can begin to repair some of the damage caused by the industrialized agriculture.”
Some of us already know of the alternative that has been pioneered by organic farmers. In contrast to the industrial/monoculture approach advocated by the biotech industry, organic agriculture is described by the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) as “a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.”
Organic farming is done by utilizing more natural methods of farming, such as composting, green manure, crop rotation, and several other environmentally sound methods. By using organic farming methods, organic produce not only has less chemical and pesticide residue than traditionally farmed produce, but the land and ecosystems located in outlying areas around the organic farm have been proven time and time again to be much healthier and free of farm-related contaminants.
McKibben shows numerous examples of communities, like the Nayakrishi Andolon farm in Bangladesh, that have managed to revitalize their soils and their lives by planting a variety of crops without pesticides and fertilizer. In Deep Economy the use of traditional farming is described, “If you have a cow, you can shovel its manure into a cement tank, where it ferments, giving off enough gas to heat your shower and fire your wok. The residue from the fermentation is ideally suited to fertilizer, so the process is a closed loop, which contributes to dignified lives without contributing much to the GNP.”
In addition, this organic farm has enhanced the lives of the villagers. They feel a deeper and more substantial relationship with one another. What is more, it has made a monetary profit as well. Another advantage as stated by one of the villages, “Food from Nayakrishi is much better. No longer do I eat the poisons. Why should I eat life-destroying stuff? If you use organic fertilizer, the almighty will be behind you, and you’ll be having no gastric problems.
Small farms produce far more per acre than large farms, which is contrary to the widely held belief that industrial agriculture is more efficient and productive. Furthermore, organic management practices promote soil health, water conservation and can reverse environmental degradation, thus; the emphasis should be on small-scale family farms which may have the potential to revitalize rural areas and their economies.
-Dina David
67 comments
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April 5, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Dwight Brown
Although many strong points have been made to shift to small organic farms, I believe America will not make the switch at least within the next several years. Large farms are able to be maintained by one or two farmers whom have lived off of their land for generations. In Indiana society we respect farmers greatly, but have little interest in performing the work for ourselves. It boils down to the main issues, time and money. People are not going to come home from work, cook dinner, take care of the kids, and then go out in their garden and weed. The lifestyle of today is different from a century ago, everyone appears to be busy. Granted time is mainly used as an excuse for multiple situations. People must look at their priorities and reconsider, but this is not going to happen any time soon. The other side of the time issue is that the farmers have time to farm that is because it is their job, how they earn a living. Money is time for everyone especially working parents, so buying their produce from a large supermarket just makes more sense for them. As regards to the farmers, having a large farm can produce enough crops so they can earn a living. With these reasons, I do not see America changing its ways. America might need to protect the environment, but people are concerned about themselves currently, not the future.
April 5, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Sandy
I agree with what Bill Mckibben has suggested in the Deep Economy book. Agriculture nowadays uses too much artificial chemical and fertilizer that have caused much harm to the soil and water that human beings are using.
Organic farming will reduce the amount of chemical spread on the plants, thus, reduce harm to the soil and human beings. If people eat healthier crops, then they might be able to stay healthier.
April 21, 2010 at 1:07 am
Jose S.
We agree that all the chemicals and fertilizers harm soil and water, but what about the crops? Does anybody care about the flavor of the stuff they are eating? Im sure that you can tell right away the difference between something grown at a local farm and something grown with all the chemicals. How are crops going to be healthy if they are basically selling chemicals to us.
April 6, 2010 at 12:32 am
Timothy Stearns
I believe organic farming is a tremendous way to farm, especially for famers who have smaller farms/acres for agriculture. Not only does it benefit the environment, but usually organic farms produce more yield per acre than traditional farms. In addition, most organic farmers also use organic pesticides and chemicals in their production. Medically, this lessens the health risks that can occur with harsher pestices/chemicals.
The only downside that I see to organic farming is when the crops are harvested and actually show up in a grocery store, organic foods are usually 10 – 50% more expensive than non-organic foods. For families that are on set budgets or low incomes, that can be reason enough to bypass organic choices.
On the whole, however, organic farming is a solid way to produce tremendous, environmentally friendly crops.
April 6, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Jesse McClure
I think that non-industrial style farming is the best way to go. I know my grandfather has fields of corn surrounding his house. He isn’t a farmer but he grew up farming. He has always said that you have to rotate the crops and some years those fields need to be left alone so they will produce better crops. The farmer that farmed the fields around his house was very much like my grandfather and was a lone farmer operation. He died a few years ago and since then a big operation farmer moved in. He never rotates crops or leaves a field dormant for a season. He grew corn in the same field two years running and this process caused considerable damage. The corn didn’t grow nearly as high as in years past and also the first four or five rows were so small that they didn’t even really sprout any corn for harvest, where in years past those rows were always filled. Some of these new farmers need to learn the old way and become greener in an effort to benefit not only the environment but also to make more money.
April 6, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Kelsey Lantrip
I find it interesting that organic farming produces more crops per acre than large industrial farms. McKibben does well to point out the dangers that industrial agriculture entails. This illustrates humanities attempts to ‘play God.’ So often, people have good intentions, but even the best intentions can be harmful. Case in point: pesticides were invented in order to greatly reduce the destruction of crops caused by bugs. While the pesticides do kill bugs, the chemicals are harmful to humans, creatures, and the earth.
Organic alternatives are indeed far superior to the destructive methods that are employed by industrial farming corporations. As McKibben states, organic farming benefits communities, bringing people closer together. It also enhances the earth and produces healthier crops.
I agree with Bill McKibben’s claims, and strive to eat healthily. My mother encouraged this at an early age, and my family ate organic food before it was ‘cool.’ Organic living not only makes sense, it truly benefits whole communities and replenishes the earth. Life is really much simpler than we make it out to be, when we don’t try to complicate matters. Organic farming has been practiced since the dawn of time, and it continues to bring harmony to the earth today.
April 6, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Leah Cage
I greatly agree with this situation that large scale farming isn’t good for us. If we all took this problem into consideration then things could change for the good. We are a state that participates in lots of farming so when it talked about using the deposits from cows I thought to myself, there are lots of cow around and if all of them collected their deposits and used it to warm houses and fertilize their crops then it would make the food more healthy because we wouldn’t be eating poisons. Also the environment would greatly appreciate this because the bad fertilizers and genetic modifications that they do on the crops are hurting the soil. Hopefully people will truly take this into consideration because this may not affect our generation but it will affect the people after us.
April 6, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Lisa Thomas
I agree whole hartedly with the process of organic farming. Those beautiful song birds we hear and watch are decreasing because of industrial farms. They really are cutting out forrest area and that is where these beautiful birds lay their eggs and make their nests. They have learned to go deep into the middle of the forrest to get away from the parasitic bird, the cow bird. This bird is much bigger than the song birds and takes over their nests. She will push the song bird’s eggs out of the nest and lay her own in it, so this leaves the song bird to care for this egg. Once all the eggs hatch if there are song bird babies they are much smaller than the cow bird babies therefore they don’t get any food. The mother bird gives food to the first beak that makes contact with her. So the bigger you are the more advantage you have. So the song birds would go into the middle of the forrest to build their nests because the cow birds don’t go in that far. But now there isn’t enough forrest for the song birds to get away from the cow birds.
But going back to the contaminated soil and water, those chemicals go into our drinking water. This is a low amount itself and with these chemicals it makes it even lower. Its amazing to me that we do this to ourselves and others that depend on those resources too.
April 7, 2010 at 12:04 am
Richard Raynes
With today’s lifestyle of Americans, time is of the essence. People do not want to go home after work and go do more work than they need to. They would much rather watch T.V. on their new flat panel that they paid two thousand dollars to buy, but they bought it using plastic. Just like the hole our country has dug itself, each individual is digging one very similar; the hole I speak of is the debt crisis. However, this is a different topic, or is it? The idea behind the large farms is quite conceivable over the next twenty years I believe. As it is now, most people would rather go to the store and pay a fee to buy their groceries. There are a select few that do have small size gardens in their yard. If you speak with them, I wonder what their cost vs. savings would accumulate to given all of the supplies they need – fertilizer, seeds, watering, etc. – to keep a successful garden a float. Too many of us would rather live our own personal life than look at the world as a whole. It is the way of American in current time – Instant Gratification! We want things right now! This has been our problem for most and will continue to be a problem for years to come. Too many of us will not take the time to actually plan out an idea, a life, retirement, or anything else for that matter unless someone else helps. So how do we expect to plan out things to help the world?
April 7, 2010 at 4:32 am
Hayley Davis
After reading this blog, I feel completely different about local farming and large-scale farming. I think that large-scale farming is simply a place that breeds so many diseases that are unnecessary. It would defintiely cut down many deaths due to meat salminila and other infections that are brought into foods all because of these large scale farmings. In addition to this, local farming is in general better because it is so much more eco-friendly.
April 8, 2010 at 2:07 am
Kaitlin Stepp
I strongly agree with Bill McKibben’s outlook on getting more agriculture industries more motivated to grow accustomed to organic farming. Years ago when the chemicals that are now used on crops were not yet thought of, crops were much healthier and so were the people that were getting the nutrients from the crops. All of the chemicals that are being sprayed on the crops are also affecting surrounding areas where wildlife are living as well as regular neighboring homes in the country. I have heard many accounts from residents in Benton County, Indiana that have had problems with their own crops in their small gardens being affected by certain chemicals that have been sprayed onto neighboring fields. Their soil has also been affected and it has given many large farming industries bad reputations. It is one thing for a large farming industry to think that it is okay to use poisons and chemicals on their crops, but they are harming neighboring houses and smaller gardens as well as the people that are buying these crops in stores and local farmer’s markets. It is crucial for more industrial farmers and local farmers to use more organic and natural methods when it comes to planting, harvesting, and distributing if we ever want to see a cheaper more effective way to gain access to more beneficial crops for our surrounding communities and ourselves.
April 8, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Elise Renollet
I agree that it is necessary for farmers to start utilizing sustainable agricultural practices. Such practices avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, conserve water and resources, and maximize biodiversity on farms, among other things. These methods are obviously beneficial to the environment and to mankind as well, increasing the availablity of more abundant, healthful food. By centering on small, family-run operations, sustainable farms also help the community. Strong relationships are made between local farmers and local patrons. Clearly, sustianable agriculture is important for many reasons. If we don’t take responsibility for our actions in the present, there will be dire consequences in the future.
April 8, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Joy DeBaun
I agree that smaller farms are better to have around. Someone talked about it in their last speech about how we are doing better things for our economy if we eat what we have locally. With smaller farms they do it a more natural way, and if you buy within your community the money is going back into your town, and the food that you are buying is more natural and organic. With bigger farms and crops they are using a lot of different chemicals, which can have effects on the water you drink and your body. I think smaller farms are the way to go and that the larger farms should try to be as natural and organic as possible.
April 8, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Krystle Brunt
I really do not know much about farming or organic farming, but from reading this blog i too feel that organic farmning may be a better soluion for the environment and for the food we eat. It proves that i really do not know what happens to my food before I buy it at the store..
April 8, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Leah Cage
I agree that this is an issue that people don’t really think about because it isn’t affecting us that much right now. What people don’t think about is how genetic modifications could be a huge problem for generations to come because of how it affects the top soil. I feel that since we have so many cattle farms around here that if the farmers would gather the droppings and put them in a cement cylinder that it could help heat houses and then once it has fermented it could be fertilizers for the crops. This way of fertilizing would be more healthy for us as consumers and also not as harmful to our soil.
April 8, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Stephanie Simopoulos
Even though many people have taken to industrialized farming methods, I agree with Mrs. David that organic methods are the way to go. I believe that these farmers who are using industrialized methods are becoming greedy. I understand they want to grow the biggest, best crops they can, but if it is destroying the very land they are using to produce the crops, then why keep utilizing these methods? They are putting poisons into our lands and consuming the already-naturally fertilized soil. The old methods work just the same as the industrialized ways. They have worked well all these years, so why stop using them? If the farmers know that in the long run, the industrialized methods will hurt the land rather than help it, they need to take into action and simply return to the old, organic ways that have worked so far all these years. I live in a smaller town north of Indianapolis, called Noblesville, and there are corn and soy bean crops all around. I see farmers use the older methods with just as much land as the people who use the industrialized methods, and they are just as affective. Throughout the years I see the farmers overturn their crops from corn to soy beans. Each year there is something new that they will be growing, and each year I see them come out with fresh, bountiful crops. Most of them use the organic methods and it is just as, if not better, than the new, dangerous, industrialized methods.
April 8, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Will Brewer
I found this excerpt to be very beneficial. I never knew until reading it that a cow’s manure could be used to heat a shower! I feel that it is necessary to watch for the ways in which crops are being developed. For example, the thought on how industrial farms actually produce way less in useable crops and that smaller farms are more productive when it comes to this was a new thought for me.
I see where McKibben feels that this industrial agriculture would be a deterrence to our biodiversity; however, without it our own race’s existence may be at stake.
April 9, 2010 at 12:56 am
Lauren Overbey
I agree with a lot of what was said concerning industrial farming. I think it does harm out environment and all of the chemicals added to help make “better” plants grow is going to have an adverse affect. I believe that organic farming is that way to go because if you truly think about it adding so many chemicals to the earth to help grow nicer crops is rather ironic in my mind and organics foods are just much more logical. If it is coming from the earth to be eaten it absolutely should be naturally grown. Buying organic food while it is more expensive helps to keep money in our local economies because the organic food can be bought from local farmers instead of being imported from all over the country, and in that case the price you are paying is not going to transportation and things of that nature the money you are spending is going directly back to the farm it came from without a middle man in between.
April 9, 2010 at 1:48 am
Blake Bolton
The idea of being focused on small family farms is appealing to me being that I live in a small farm community. Many of the farmers have been forced to sell their land to large neighborhood contractors because there is not enough money to sustain a family on. I feel that focusing on small scale farms would be the best way to go about renewing our soil, producing more eco-friendly food, and revitalizing rural communities.
April 9, 2010 at 2:45 am
Sarah Alspach
The idea of organic farming should becomr more widley known and we should to it more here in America. In our society today we want an instantaneous result so we are always looking for more ways to get things at the quickest was possible. The farming that uses pollutants are hurting not only the soil and ground, but the people who consume the food as well. We should start farming by organic solutions to better everyone and keep the earth from being polluted by another thing.
April 9, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Yuri
In theory all that is presented makes a lot of sense, however, there are much more that is needed to consider. If we were to base our agriculture down to only local farming then there may not be enough locally to satisfy the amount needed, not necessarily desired, for the populous. There are so many things to consider as well as taste/preference as well as necessity. “Out of season” means “well, too bad”. People are so used to having what they want when they want it, that a shift like this would cause commotion among so many!
So many things that transformed from luxuries to necessities. Considering that people went from having only radios to maybe one tv in their home, to several throughout their house, people are becoming very used to excess.
This is not necessarily bad though, especially since people are so much more interested in the world around them and want to expand and grow. Not just live, but thrive.
The idea of local is a definite possibility, but it would prevent expansion.
Even if we farm locally in small communities, and export/import as needed in larger communities. This would prevent growth in some areas, and growth in others, causing uneven development, and providing even more problems than we have now.
There also can’t be a standard that everyone would be able to adhere to due to so many ecological differences that determine what is grown.
In conclusion, nothing will ever work, so we might as well do what we can to be happy now!
April 9, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Alyssa Burton
I think the idea of smaller farms verses larger farms is a great one. I really liked how Bill Mckibben in his book Deep Economy pointed out the physical and natural benefits along with the economical benefits. We have already over-used the land and its resources and by using organic fertilizer and no pesticides on our crops we could possibly reverse some of the damage. I also agree with Bill McKibben on the fact that using synthesized pesticides and fertilizers damages the crops and even makes them dangerous to consume.
I really liked the idea of using the cow manure to heat the shower and other help conserve energy. And at the same time, use it as an organic fertilizer to aid in crop growth. I think, as Americans, we have lost the concept of getting the most out of our resources. We are very wasteful and we cannot afford to be anymore.
I also think that having more small farms instead of large farms will help give the economy the boost it needs. By getting rid of big industrial size farms we would promote the wealth of small farmers and in turn circulate the economy in the right direction instead of driving it into the ground with large companies and lots of government control.
so i completely agree with Bill McKibben in his Deep Economy book that there should be more small farms instead of large farms.
April 9, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Elizabeth Etienne
In general, I feel many of the suggestions that McKibben makes are idealistic, yet not very practical at this current economic time. For example, when he mentions the ‘closed loop’ and utilizing cow manure for energy, how much manure would you need to meet your energy needs? More importantly, how much would the technology cost to turn the gas from the manure into an energy source that can be used? On a separate note, I have trouble understanding how the small-family farms mentioned could compete with large farms, even if they are more profitable per acre. While all of the benefits that were listed for more organic farming would be nice, I do not think the business will grow substantially any time soon, since purchasing said organic crops is not very feasible for most individuals in this current economic crisis. Just some thoughts.
April 9, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Kirsten Hibst
I agree with the organic farming method. Individuals today have become so accustomed to eating things that have been grown through industrial agriculture that they are not even fazed anymore that they are also consuming poisons from the chemicals used for industrial agriculture. If farm after farm starts switching to organic farming then there is a possibility that everyone will start to realize how much more healthier organic farming is for the environment.
April 10, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Melissa McCoy
I definitely agree with local organic farmers becoming more of the main focus than continuing to use large industries to farm and poison the soil and water. I think that in the United States we are so focused on “every man for himself” that it would be quite difficult to persuade everyone that local farming is better. Although people would probably agree that it is better for the environment, most of us are constantly on the go and do not care to take the time to stop at a local farmer’s market. The grocery store down the street is so much more convenient. Also, there is the issue with less selection of fruits and vegetables. In Indiana we can’t grow certain fruits like pineapple simply because our environment is not well suited for it. Even if it is organically grown, we would have to transport still across the country. I do not think it would be impossible to change our society and get them to support local farmers, but it would definitely be challenging. Our mind set needs to be altered and we need to stop thinking about our own needs ALL the time, and start being concerned for our community.
April 10, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Phil Stiles
I agree with the fact that “Industrial agriculture is the largest single threat to the earth’s biodiversity.” Agriculture keeps our economy moving, but brings suffering to our earth because of chemical and pesticide residue.
Organic farming is not only safer, it is much healthier. If organic farming was the only method of farming, I believe that our society would not have obesity problems and other heath issues.
Small farms can also help increase communities relationships with one another. With local people buying from each other, lots of communication will be restored that is lost when people shop at supermarkets.
A green economy will help restore our economic troubles as well as give our world a “new” look.
April 11, 2010 at 12:53 am
Beth Dunklau
One of the major issues that go along with the environmental consequences of industrial agriculture is the contamination to surface and ground water. Bill McKibben focuses more on the negative outcomes industrial agriculture has on our environment as a whole, but the most alarming of them all is the detriment to our water supply.
Our main source of drinking water comes from ground water which is being contaminated by industrial agriculture and tiles. This contamination is not only harmful to us, but it is completely altering ecosystems and has a negative impact on the environment. Additionally, mankind’s major water supply is becoming smaller and smaller faster than it should because of population growth. Contamination only further adds to this depleting process.
This contamination is only the beginning of planet Earth’s water crisis. With an ever-growing population, our sources of water are being used up faster than they can be replenished. A major concern should lie with hydrology right now; after all, water is the most basic necessity to maintain life. How then, is our planet going to keep up with the growing population and contamination? How can we prepare and be sure that we have enough water in the future? With contamination playing a part in making the ground water supply even shorter and the population increasing steadily, it is clear that we will need a new source of water before long. The first solution is to figure out a way to stop this contamination in order to utilize the water we do have that is easily and cheaply filtered for as long as possible. We must then find an alternative way to ensure that we will have water in the future, or mankind is in major trouble.
April 11, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Lyndsay Zimmerman
I honestly never realized that industrial agriculture was that bad. I have heard of organic farming before but i really wasnt sure what it was exactly. I think its good that it produces less chemicals and pesticides. The most interesting thing i found in this was when it said,”Small farms produce far more per acre than large farms, which is contrary to the widely held belief that industrial agriculture is more efficient and productive.”
April 12, 2010 at 12:37 am
Alex Jarvis
After reading this blog it is easy to see that industrial agriculture poses a serious threat to our environment. It is good to know that there are several alternatives for farming that are easier on the earth. If farmers all over the world practiced organic farming, I do believe it would seriously benefit the economy and environment. I agree with you in that emphasis should be placed on small-scale farms because they produce more crops, and therefore will benefit more of the earth; however I also believe that if small-scale farms switched to organic farming, the other farms would follow, like a domino effect, and our earth and economy would benefit each day.
April 12, 2010 at 2:17 am
William Harvey
I have always been a bigger supporter of small farms than big farms. I feel that when a farmer has a smaller plot of land to worry about, they will spend more time per acre caring for the crops. I believe this “specialization” or caring for a smaller, specific plot will always yield more and better crops.
April 12, 2010 at 2:27 am
Rachel
I found it interesting that smaller farmers are producing larger yields than the industrial farmers. I can relate to the quote about the organic fertilizers, since I’ve started eating more organic foods I feel much healthier and my energy levels have increased!
April 12, 2010 at 3:23 am
Kelsey
Humans have been trying to ‘play God’ almost since the dawn of time. The invention of pesticides was meant to terminate the bugs that were destroying crops. What ended up happening was that the chemicals in those pesticides did solve the bug problem, but the chemicals introduced a host of other issues. The pesticides are harmful to both creatures and humans alike. Now we are asking ourselves, ‘is it really worth the cost?’
I thought it was interesting that organic farming yields more per acre than large industrialized farms. If we were to line up all the positive effects of organic farming and compare the downsides to the pluses, it would be very obvious that the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences. Organic food is worth the price. McKibben brought out the key points: earth friendly, yields more crops, and it brings communities together.
My family ate organic food long before it was ‘cool.’ I have my mother to thank for providing us with healthy alternatives, and for teaching me at a young age the benefits of organic living. It is my hope that in the future, we will return to the organic, natural farming methods that our forefathers used. We should do our utmost to make our world a healthier, more sustainable place to live.
April 12, 2010 at 11:44 am
Danika Ennis
Farms are our future. This is why we need to take care of them and use them as best as we can. Using newer techniques that will better use our resources would definitely improve the farms of our nation. I believe that smaller farms would help our economy more; I don’t think that industrialized agriculture is what our world needs to be practicing. Smaller farms benefit more people. With smaller farms, more families would be getting an income. Another benefit of having small farms is that they can be looked at closer than the large farms can. This means that the animals and crops would be getting a closer look and would be getting better taken care of than the animals and crops at larger farms. Therefore the nutrition of our foods we eat would improve drastically. I believe that smaller farms have the ability to help rejuvenate our society’s economy and we should be putting the emphasis on making this happen.
–Danika Ennis
April 12, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Justin Sorrentino
I feel that after reading the blog that the blogger has a strong sense for what organic farming does for a community. Organic farming is good because of the natural resources that it uses to enrich the products that it is producing. Industrialized farming is only beneficial when a product needs to be produced in a large quantity but as the blogger states smaller farms are even producing more per acreage than larger farms. Farming and Agriculture in its own right are a very sensitive subject in the world today and they need to be taken very seriously.
April 12, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Josh Edwards
I agree with Bill that industrial agriculture is bad. I believe are soil should be healthy and our plants should not be poisoned. So this is why I believe organic farming is better for the soil and everything. I believe the only downside is organic farming is more expensive for the consumer. If we could find a way to make it inexpensive, that would be the best solution.
April 12, 2010 at 3:24 pm
A.J.
I agree. All farmers are looking for better faster ways to grow crops or any ways to improve crop production.
April 12, 2010 at 3:42 pm
simone roundtree
I agree with the organic farming method. Even though the product is more expensive when purchased in stores, it can also promote a healthier lifestyle due to the lack of chemicals and pesticide residue. Organic farming is also safer than industrial farming since it can cause some severe environmental consequences. Some of which are a decrease in soil fertility, ground water contamination, and a loss of genetic diversity. It costs more money to repair the environment which is damaged by industrial farming.
April 12, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Kyle Lichlyter
I like the idea of organic farming on small farms. I agree it is a much healthier food product with a cheaper cost in production. But I also think that larger farms would have some trouble with using the organic methods because of the amount of crops. As a person that doesn’t farm and just gets the final product I would much rather eat organic farmed food than food that has been processed using pesticides and other chemicals. I think organic farming will be utilized more and more as the economy continues to struggle and even after the economy stabilizes because its a much healthier way of food production.
April 12, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Aaron Kremer
I believe that McKibben presents a good argument that something should be done about the current over producing of crops in the US. It is an inefficient system that yields large profits for those involved but is not healthy for our wallets, our body, or our environment. In concept, local farming is a good idea that could be very well implemented on a small scale, in small communities. However, it seems nearly impossible to farm locally and yet feed millions of people in large urban areas, where farm land is scarce and there is a high population density. It does depend on what one would consider local. A more regional farming system that uses more natural growing methods and changes crops every season could cut down on the land degradation and costs of transportation. This system would also prevent certain areas of the US from receiving certain kinds of crops during cold seasons. I agree that something should be done to cut back on the environmental and monetary impacts of a large scale farming system.
April 12, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Shelby Hullett
I agree with McKibben on the fact that the path that industrialized farming is taking is a clear threat to our community, environment, and health. Even though, it would increase income, I agree that it really is detrimental to our environment, and I believe that since it is our Earth that provides us with these foods and resources, we should take care of nature and not manipulate the process. Which is why I think that organic farming is the way to go. Not only can it be cheaper, because you do not have to buy pesticides and other agriculture advancers, you can use manure that your farm animals produce, but apparently some villagers say that it is healthier, which I can believe, because it’s natural, not processed. And it makes sense that if it really is more helpful to the environment then we should be utilizing this process and not believing the hype that goes along with industrialized farming.
April 12, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Monique Robinson
I fully agree with you on the organic farming method. However, I wonder if this would even be possible in America seeing that we are a huge country. Wouldn’t having all organic farms cost us more?! The best thing about the organic farms is the reducing of all the poisons and pesticides that are placed in our foods. Who knows by changing our farming methods we could possibly change the obesity rates.
April 12, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Stuart King
While I do agree with finding a more favorable way of farming, how else are we going to supply the needed amounts of crops required for today’s world population. The “closed loop” theory is a great idea. But at the same time, will we be widely able to produce enough byproducts? Hydro-cropping can be another ecologically and biologically sound way of producing enough crops and can be done so in ways that both reduce the amount of space needed as well as pesticides. With this hydro-cropping there is no need for an external use of fertilizers or pesticides. Overall I am in agreement that this industrialized farming method is more harmful that productive.
April 12, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Breanna Holder
Organic farming is not something new, I agree, it has been around since the dawn of agriculture. Some point through history man decided that yielding a higher profit was more important than protecting the resources and peoples health.
I grew-up in a community where farming was and still is very important. Most of the farmers around where I lived used the crop for personal needs. The farmers use cow manure to fertilize the fields. This helped protect not just the land that was being cropped but also the area around. There were no harsh chemicals used that then in turn drained to streams killing wild life.
I grew up only eating organic beef and eggs from chickens that had only been fed grain grown organically. Eating this was reassuring. I knew that I was not putting harch chemicals into my body.
April 13, 2010 at 12:53 am
Bryan Lu
GM crops benefits the the world in every way. Monsanto came up with shorter and sturdier wheat that could withstand winds, resists pests, and consume less water. I personally do not see anything wrong with GM foods because it helps poor countries deal with poverty and starvation.
GM crops are genetically enhanced to be better than regular crops. I do not see the problem in that because GM crops are genetically superior than non GM crops. Would you rather produce rye that is resistant to ergot or would you rather produce rye that is infested by ergot?
Small farms are extremely inefficient, subsistence farmers in developing countries have almost no knowledge in soil fertility, erosion, and sustainable farming techniques. Depletion of the rain forest is caused by slash and burn farming, which is in turn caused by subsistence, organic farmers.
You cant solve the pollution problem because if you use cow manure to fertilize your crops instead of nitrogen, you will still have run off that causes eutrophication. Even organic farms needs to be plowed (which causes erosion). Organic crops will contain bacterias such as E Coli, to my knowledge E Coli is very delicious. It will not only make your life unpleasant, it will also keep you off organic foods.
Personally, i think organic farming is a horrible idea. Its like basically telling mankind to go back to the bronze age where food supplies is dependent on the natural conditions. Not only will organic farming fail to feed this world, it will cause global food costs to skyrocket, which causes more starvation.
Yes, I support eating locally produced foods
Yes, Organic food is healthier… if you can afford it
Tragedy of the commons, we are all greedy, as long as theres something to be exploited, we will exploit it until its gone.
April 13, 2010 at 1:56 am
Billy Hawkins
I think that farmers should definitely start looking into becoming more and more of an organic producer of agriculture rather than focusing on low cost, high yield versions of farming that just continue to harm the environment. Not only does the organic aspect that was discussed in this post not harm the environment, but it is also much cheaper for farmers and yields much better tasting food. With the crops being rotated, it also helps the environment retain its usefulness and makes it last much longer.
In order to help convince farmers to start using more organic methods of farming rather than harming the environment, maybe they could create some sort of tax credit for the farmers, if they haven’t already. With all of the tax credits that have been implemented in the past couple of years, it would be a great idea. It actually would make a little more sense than some of the other ones (cash for clunkers). I really hope that farmers become more aware of the harm they are doing to the environment and make changes to their farming routine in order to help protect the environment. After all, we’re not going to be the last people on earth, so we have to be respectful of our future generations.
April 19, 2010 at 5:35 am
Andy Ha
I completely agree. If we are capable of producing crops for cheaper, better tasting, and less harmful to our environment, why wouldn’t we do so? If we actually are capable of growing more on smaller scale farms compared to larger farms, then by all means I believe that’s what we should do. With all the benefits that small scale farming reaps, it would seem most logical if farmers would do so. Cheaper, better tasting, better for our future, I don’t see why we haven’t made this an international trend yet.
April 13, 2010 at 2:04 am
Becca Street
Farming and Agriculture is a big topic and controversial one if that. Many believe in certain ways of growing crops and picking them without destroying the soil and environment while doing it. I agree with Bill McKibben that industrial agriculture is the worst way to farm, killing plant and animal communities is not worth the hassle and other ways should be put into action to help protect the environment. Even though it states that organic can be beneficial and harmful, I think if I had a farm that would be the best way to go. Without using harmful chemicals that in turn could harm you if the food you are eating happens to become infected. Maintaining healthy foods, soils, and conserving as much water as possible is always a positive and probably more beneficial than most farming procedures today.
April 13, 2010 at 2:07 am
Daniel Gentry
I believe industrial agriculture can be harmful to the enviorment but, there are many other benefical things that it brings to our enconomy which is something we all hope to get better for us all
April 13, 2010 at 2:28 am
Ryan Lichlyter
After reading the post, I fell that organic farming is a good idea. Today natural methods of farming should be used to harvest our food and crops. This method, organic farming, will allow our food to have less chemical and pesticides. The soil will also be lacking the pesticides and chemicals in the topsoil if organic farming is used. Without the presents of chemicals and pesticides our food, soil, and water will not be destroyed. Therefore, I believe that organic farming is the proper way to harvest our food and crops.
April 13, 2010 at 2:36 am
Steve Douglas
I believe industrial agriculture needs to be completely diminished from farming. It has more disadvantages than advantages. The farming industry needs to take advantage of organic farming because it will not only help the natural environment, but also our economy. Organic farming has many advantages that should benefit everyone.
April 13, 2010 at 3:02 am
Nathaniel Turner
I don’t understand what drives a person to do things that are horrible for them and the people around them just to save a quick buck. If Bill McKibben provides the statistics in his book, or rather if the statistics are available for the CEOs of the industrial agricultural farming companies to see, that almost plainly says that they ignore said statistics as well as the quality of human life. Its strange to think that these people are somehow making the most money in life while others, like the organic farmers who have to wake up early and do manual labor, make nothing compared to them.
If the food is healthier, and the proof exists that industrial agriculture is less efficient than organic agriculture farming than organic farming techniques should be implemented where they can be within a reasonable time frame and infrastructure.
April 13, 2010 at 3:27 am
Tyler Hankins
Large scale farming is definitely a negative on the environment, and on the agricultural industry as a whole. So many large farming corporations take away from your average every day farmer. And the way that they maintain a farm that size is bad for the environment. They use many of the poisons that are mentioned in this blog and show little remorse for what they do to the land. Small farms are what America was built off of, and they also farm the right way.
April 13, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Nick Robinson
It may be true that industrialized agriculture has harmed our planet in some ways, but it should not be forgotten that it has been greatly beneficial in others. Countries that were unable to grow food due to harsh climates at one time have now been able to thanks to genetically-engineered crops and new variations of seeds, and most of the research for these types of things comes from industrialized commercial farms.
Additionally, the amount of food provided due to industrialized farming is at a point higher than it has ever been in human history. More people are being fed (at a dramatically lower price too) than ever before.
There are undeniable environmental impacts, and I make no claims that they don’t exist. I think the process has much room for improvement. I just don’t think it’s all bad.
April 13, 2010 at 3:25 pm
David Craig
American agriculture today is mostly monoculture and “open loops.” Five crops receive the majority of federal subsidies. If farmers grow fruits and vegetables, too, they lose most of their subsidies. The open loop of farming starts with the petrochemical based fertilizers that are spread on the ground and leach out into waterways. Specialized seeds are planted that cannot be harvested as seeds for the following year. Monoculture and open loops mutually reinforcing each other everywhere.
Or it is everywhere? For readers interested in seeing alternative practices, join the Hancock Harvest Council’s 3rd Annual Buy Fresh Buy Local “Taste of Spring” Farm Tour on Saturday, April 24, from 10 am – 5 pm. Carpool with your friends. Get more information at: http://www.hancockharvestcouncil.com/index.php?go=farmtour
April 13, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Jacob Cavin
I think industrial agriculture should be taken away from farming. There are many disadvantages to industrial agriculture than pros. I believe in organic farming, becasue it’s safer to environment and will keep our economy going.
April 13, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Drew Davis
I agree that organic farming will help us in the future. However I think this will bring higher prices to the grocery stores because of the cost to grow organic foods. Which will then drive people for alternate methods of eating. If organic foods is the only option then it may curve the obesity rate in the states.
I also see where organic farming has increased the production of crops in places that could not grow normally. For instance if corn is can now be grown in drier and wetting climates due to the genetically altered seed.
April 15, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Timothy Stearns
Organic farming is something that is very productive in agriculture, especially for the small farmers. This allows the smaller farmer, who has less acreage to compete with the largest farms, to create a niche market for themselves. In addition, the majority of farmers who util;ize organic farming also utilize organic pesticides and other forms of chemicals. Overall, this is safer for the environment and safer for consumers who buy and ingrest organic products. The only downside to organic farming is once organic foods get to the grocery store, they are priced higher than products that are not organic. A consumer will pay more for an organic apple versus one that is traditonally grown. Households that are on strict budgets sometimes cannot afford organic foods, even though they believe them to be better.
April 15, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Joy DeBaun
I agree that smaller farms are better to have around. Someone talked about it in their last speech about how we are doing better things for our economy if we eat what we have locally. With smaller farms they do it a more natural way, and if you buy within your community the money is going back into your town, and the food that you are buying is more natural and organic. With bigger farms and crops they are using a lot of different chemicals, which can have effects on the water you drink and your body. I think smaller farms are the way to go and that the larger farms should try to be as natural and organic as possible.
April 15, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Jordan Vest
The farming situation that we do have isn’t the best. With the way the economy has been bad lately farmers are having problems coming up with the money to farm so we are paying more when it comes to the market because they are having to pay more for transporting the crops off to market. They are also paying a lot to buy fertilizers and everything else for their farms. If more farmers go to organic farming then they will not have to worry about that cost. They can take the manure that they get from the cows and other animals and use that. It is a lot safer and cheaper to use. Organic is a good way to go as Mrs. David talks about, but the only problem with it is that it cost so much more than non organic foods. I think that the best fertilizer to be used is what is natural to the environment so that we are not hurting the environment or the people who eat the crops.
April 15, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Sandy Tu
I agree with Bill McKibben about industrialized agriculture is dangerous with the earth soil. I have done some research before about organic farming and realized that organic farming uses less artificial fertilizer and pesticides. Therefore, organic farming is healthier for the soil. If the soil is healthier, the plants and water will be less polluted.
April 16, 2010 at 3:35 am
Ryan Lichlyter
After reading this blog I believe that organic farming would be a good idea not only for us but or environment. This style of farming seems to becoming more propular. I also believe that smaller farms are better to have around then larger farms. Today small farms are trying to have the organic style of farming to make all their harvest natural. The organic style of farming and more smaller farms will help us and our economy.
April 17, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Alyssa Burton
After reading the assigned pages i have new feelings about small farms and closed loops. i completely agree with Bill McKibben that we should do away with industrial sized farms and move towards more small farms in communities. it might be true that industrial sized farming corporations produce more food but do they produce the right kind of food? they destroy any nutrients the produce once had by soaking it in artificial fertilizers and pesticides. i believe that most people now know of the harm these chemicals can cause them and would rather buy fresh organic produce. and i believe the only place those people will find the right kind of food is from small farms.
I also believe that small farms will help boost our dying economy. it is the small businesses and small farms of America that drive the free market. but these small farms are being pushed aside by the huge industrial farms. if we would just let the small farmers succeed, we could all succeed and help restore this country.
April 19, 2010 at 5:52 pm
John Jacquet
In reading this article, I believe I agree with McKibben and anyone else who supports organic farming. It sounds like a beneficial alternative to large farms and the multimillion acre plots of land for commercial crops. The benefits of organic farming as opposed to commercial are substantial, such as less pesticides and herbicides are used in organic farming. The wear and tear commercial farms have on our land are devastating, and organic farms would help restore the quality of our land.
April 19, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Jacob Krebs
This article surprised me. It basically states that every facet of agriculture will improve (at both the local and national level) if people farmed as McKibben advocates. The idea of pesticide poisoning is unsettling. I don’t think health should be sacrificed for the sake of productivity. I agree with McKibben that a natural agricultural process would benefit local communities. I also believe it should be utilized do to the financial superiority over the industrial techniques. It seems too disadvantageous to me not to switch to McKibben’s agricultural ideas.
April 20, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Joseph Zeiler
I like the focus on using up good soil. Big farms are less likely to practice things such as crop rotation since it increases the time to work (especially in such big farms) and stops them from being as “specialized” such as only growing corn or only growing tomatoes.
In more local farming, its a lot easier to practice methods that is more healthy for the soil. They don’t have to worry about specialization since they don’t have to provide so much of a certain crop to a business. and because theres less crops, implementing more procedures doesn’t take as much time as it does on a big farm.
I will say that more local farming will probably increase, especially when the big crop farms stop yielding good crops due to a lack of nutritious soil.
April 22, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Alyssa Luna
I was not aware that Industrial farming was affecting our environment so negatively. If it is true that small, organic farms are more efficient than the larger industrial ones I wonder why more havn’t gone organic. The companies who produce these harmful chemicals for farming should also offer, or switch entirely, to organic products. Farmers should be aware of all the harmful effects their harvesting is producing. More organic farming methods should be adopted, like companies who receive reimbursements from the government for switching to solar energy, farmers should receive some sort of reimbursement for switching to organic farming methods. It would encourage the farmers to be more environmentally friendly.
April 26, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Kiera Shannon
Although Bill Mckibben makes really good claims , because Americans are becoming more of “hyper-individualist” according to Bill McKibben we are focused more on ourselves and what can be done for us . Not everyone will begin to farm again . As Americans we have become lazy and are not willing to go back to agriculture because it doesnt fit into todays culture.
I kind of like the idea of small farming but it would be alot of work , the average working American would have to change there current life style in order to began this new era.