Transitional and Sustainable? What's that all about? Read on, all who have an ear to listen..........
On the Farm and around the WORLD, a Transition to Sustainable--- would be smart and good for all of us.
Over the next decade or two, will we, as a planet, a people, a society, be transitioning to a lower energy future? Not necessarily because of climate change or even because of diminishing supplies of fossil fuels (they are now saying we'll have more fuels than ever!). BUT, Mostly because it is the right thing to do?
At Sycamore Spring Farm, we committed, long ago... that we do not want to cause harm to our health or humanity or the environment or the planet. We want to conserve our resources for future generations.
How can today’s human societies thrive in the face of these changes, especially ecosystem degradation and resource conservation? Let’s gather and assess information and evidence in a balanced and reflective way to reach conclusions by reason and by proven science.
What does it mean for agriculture to be Sustainable? Truly sustainable agriculture maintains genuine resilience of the entire ecosystem by encouraging rich biodiversity of the soil, waterways and animal life-both on and around the farming enterprise. It balances the health and welfare of People, our Animal friends and Planet Earth. It recognizes the true value of sustainable farming practices.
Our industrial food system does not accomplish this. Large mono-culture farming operations are in direct opposition to sustainability. Yet, that is where the vast majority of our food is produced. Giant Agri-business corporations are not sustainable. Do you really think they care?
Together, Step by Step we MUST work toward a more sustainable food system. How? By promoting practices that reduce synthetic fertilizers, harmful pesticides, land waste by the plow and mono-culture practices. Support farms that practice what we’re preaching here. Seek out the small sustainable farmer practicing the art of intensive farming. VOTE with your fork. As a consumer you have tremendous opportunity to force change, through “Purchasing Power”!
What is the true cost of our current food system? Our industrial model with its applications of pesticides and synthetic fertilizer, its dependence on vast amounts of fossil fuels and its subsidized funding (paid for by you and me), reflects a complete disregard for its negative environmental impact. It is already proving far too high a price to pay. Please foster a sense of urgency and take *action if you are concerned about the health of your family, community, animal friends and our planet. (*"Vote for change" and "Pay for change" at the polls and when you make any purchase, no matter how small.)
What about Certified Organic? Organic is GREAT but the “Certified Organic“ label can confuse consumers into a false sense of security about their food. “Certified Organic” is not necessarily sustainable. Organic certification has become a limited tool focused on input regulation (no synthetic chemicals/GMOs) rather than sustainability or local sourcing. While it ensures stricter farming standards, industrial-scale organic, large-scale monocultures, and thousands of miles of shipping have diluted its environmental benefits.
The Complexities of Organic Certification:
How can we transition to a BETTER way? Unless you understand why it is important that you know who is growing your food, OR making your soap, OR the benefits of sharing and helping, unconditionally, our neighbors and friends, you might not realize the Big Picture regarding the Real Dangers of the current system? All the atrocities, the symptoms of our out of control spiral; the fracking, massacring the oceans, sweatshop labor, mass species extinction, topsoil erosion, cultural homogenization (climate change not mentioned)….all stems from separation from nature. Instead of being participants in life we have become consumers of it.
The most basic reality is; that our lives depend on the biosphere of which we are a part-the streams, fungi, the humble earthworm. Few of us have authentic relationships with the land, we defend (support) supermarkets and industrial technology because we believe that we depend on corporations and technology- not on trees, soil and water. We no longer see where our food comes from and Big Business has huge amounts of marketing dollars to insure the blindness continues.
Production of sustainable food should be rewarded by our government linking more subsidies and grant monies to sustainable farming practices. We need to insist on DO NO HARM FARMing approaches and techniques with less polluting and environmental damage. We should take immediate action-because-Industry will listen if we join together and insist on a change to more sustainable food production.
There is a positive aspect to the fact that corporations have involved themselves in organic food production. As large corporations sell more organic food, more acres of land are being protected from chemical pesticides and fertilizers, thus helping the environment and the soil in which our food is grown. Additionally, corporate organic products have significantly raised awareness of organics among consumers. Buying organic products is the first step in the learning process necessary to create a more sustainable food system.
What You Can Do....The organic label is a useful tool when you're shopping in a conventional grocery store, because it helps you find food that is free of pesticides, antibiotics and artificial hormones. But don’t go by the label alone! The easiest way to avoid the confusion around the organic standards is to purchase whole fruits, grains, vegetables, meats and dairy products- directly from a sustainable, organic producer. Visit Farms, walk the gardens, sit in their kitchen & talk about what is important. Then,“Put a Little Farm in Your Life™”
True agricultural sustainability is time and place specific and should blend into the surrounding bio-diverse ecosystem. It is a journey toward becoming economically viable, ecologically sound and socially just. It remains the goal to strive for as we farm in harmony with nature. You can help. Desire to learn more about sustainable, transition farming and do it on this and other websites. Support LOCAL sustainable farmers.
We must choose to plant the proper seeds for our future, literally and figuratively. BOTH kinds of seeds will produce the fruit of our tomorrows. As we continue our Pioneering in the Transition and Sustainable movements I want to THANK YOU for caring about all of this. Our Farm Family and Community keeps me very hopeful and positive about moving forward.
Farmer Carol
February 4, 2013
Over the next decade or two, will we, as a planet, a people, a society, be transitioning to a lower energy future? Not necessarily because of climate change or even because of diminishing supplies of fossil fuels (they are now saying we'll have more fuels than ever!). BUT, Mostly because it is the right thing to do?
At Sycamore Spring Farm, we committed, long ago... that we do not want to cause harm to our health or humanity or the environment or the planet. We want to conserve our resources for future generations.
How can today’s human societies thrive in the face of these changes, especially ecosystem degradation and resource conservation? Let’s gather and assess information and evidence in a balanced and reflective way to reach conclusions by reason and by proven science.
What does it mean for agriculture to be Sustainable? Truly sustainable agriculture maintains genuine resilience of the entire ecosystem by encouraging rich biodiversity of the soil, waterways and animal life-both on and around the farming enterprise. It balances the health and welfare of People, our Animal friends and Planet Earth. It recognizes the true value of sustainable farming practices.
Our industrial food system does not accomplish this. Large mono-culture farming operations are in direct opposition to sustainability. Yet, that is where the vast majority of our food is produced. Giant Agri-business corporations are not sustainable. Do you really think they care?
Together, Step by Step we MUST work toward a more sustainable food system. How? By promoting practices that reduce synthetic fertilizers, harmful pesticides, land waste by the plow and mono-culture practices. Support farms that practice what we’re preaching here. Seek out the small sustainable farmer practicing the art of intensive farming. VOTE with your fork. As a consumer you have tremendous opportunity to force change, through “Purchasing Power”!
What is the true cost of our current food system? Our industrial model with its applications of pesticides and synthetic fertilizer, its dependence on vast amounts of fossil fuels and its subsidized funding (paid for by you and me), reflects a complete disregard for its negative environmental impact. It is already proving far too high a price to pay. Please foster a sense of urgency and take *action if you are concerned about the health of your family, community, animal friends and our planet. (*"Vote for change" and "Pay for change" at the polls and when you make any purchase, no matter how small.)
What about Certified Organic? Organic is GREAT but the “Certified Organic“ label can confuse consumers into a false sense of security about their food. “Certified Organic” is not necessarily sustainable. Organic certification has become a limited tool focused on input regulation (no synthetic chemicals/GMOs) rather than sustainability or local sourcing. While it ensures stricter farming standards, industrial-scale organic, large-scale monocultures, and thousands of miles of shipping have diluted its environmental benefits.
The Complexities of Organic Certification:
- Not a "Sustainability" Label: Organic standards do not require ecological practices like crop rotation, biodiversity, or biodiversity improvements, focusing instead on substituting synthetic inputs for natural ones.
- Industrialization of Organic: The high demand has led to massive, industrial-scale organic farms that function similarly to conventional, monoculture-driven farming.
- Long-Distance Transport: Many organic foods are shipped thousands of miles, increasing the carbon footprint and reducing the environmental benefits of the organic certification.
- Sustainable is the goal to strive for.
- Organically certified industrial food is owned by huge corporate, agribusiness, mono-culture farms.
- Sustainable food production is carried out by small farmers and families who live on the land where they farm. Planting crops in relatively small diverse plots as a form of pest control and to build soil fertility. Sustainable farming does no harm, functions in harmony with nature and is good for our health and the health of our planet.
- Certified Organic food can travel thousands of miles before reaching your dinner plate, and certification does not take into consideration the use of fossil fuels used to transport food and the true cost of the environmental impact.
- Sustainable food, is distributed and sold as close to the farm as possible. Sustainable food production is good for the environment.
How can we transition to a BETTER way? Unless you understand why it is important that you know who is growing your food, OR making your soap, OR the benefits of sharing and helping, unconditionally, our neighbors and friends, you might not realize the Big Picture regarding the Real Dangers of the current system? All the atrocities, the symptoms of our out of control spiral; the fracking, massacring the oceans, sweatshop labor, mass species extinction, topsoil erosion, cultural homogenization (climate change not mentioned)….all stems from separation from nature. Instead of being participants in life we have become consumers of it.
The most basic reality is; that our lives depend on the biosphere of which we are a part-the streams, fungi, the humble earthworm. Few of us have authentic relationships with the land, we defend (support) supermarkets and industrial technology because we believe that we depend on corporations and technology- not on trees, soil and water. We no longer see where our food comes from and Big Business has huge amounts of marketing dollars to insure the blindness continues.
Production of sustainable food should be rewarded by our government linking more subsidies and grant monies to sustainable farming practices. We need to insist on DO NO HARM FARMing approaches and techniques with less polluting and environmental damage. We should take immediate action-because-Industry will listen if we join together and insist on a change to more sustainable food production.
There is a positive aspect to the fact that corporations have involved themselves in organic food production. As large corporations sell more organic food, more acres of land are being protected from chemical pesticides and fertilizers, thus helping the environment and the soil in which our food is grown. Additionally, corporate organic products have significantly raised awareness of organics among consumers. Buying organic products is the first step in the learning process necessary to create a more sustainable food system.
What You Can Do....The organic label is a useful tool when you're shopping in a conventional grocery store, because it helps you find food that is free of pesticides, antibiotics and artificial hormones. But don’t go by the label alone! The easiest way to avoid the confusion around the organic standards is to purchase whole fruits, grains, vegetables, meats and dairy products- directly from a sustainable, organic producer. Visit Farms, walk the gardens, sit in their kitchen & talk about what is important. Then,“Put a Little Farm in Your Life™”
True agricultural sustainability is time and place specific and should blend into the surrounding bio-diverse ecosystem. It is a journey toward becoming economically viable, ecologically sound and socially just. It remains the goal to strive for as we farm in harmony with nature. You can help. Desire to learn more about sustainable, transition farming and do it on this and other websites. Support LOCAL sustainable farmers.
We must choose to plant the proper seeds for our future, literally and figuratively. BOTH kinds of seeds will produce the fruit of our tomorrows. As we continue our Pioneering in the Transition and Sustainable movements I want to THANK YOU for caring about all of this. Our Farm Family and Community keeps me very hopeful and positive about moving forward.
Farmer Carol
February 4, 2013