Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome to Farm Sustainability and You, your resource for information regarding issues surrounding running a sustainable farm. In this blog expect to see posts centered around issues such as the benefits of no-till farming, free-range vs. CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), and other posts surrounding agricultural sustainability. This blog publishes posts at least one per week in cooperation with the couse I am in, News 418.

Why Farm Sustainability?

There are two ways that you can look at why you should run a sustainable farming operation, environmental and economical.

Environmental Impact

Environmentally, farming is a source of a lot of environmental pollution. In fact, in 1996 the Centers for Disease Control established a link between spontaneous abortions and high nitrate levels in Indiana close to feedlots. Also, according to the National Resources Defense Council page on facts about pollution from livestock farms, California officials identify agriculture, including cows, as the major source of nitrate pollution in more than 100,000 square miles of polluted groundwater.

Economic Impact

According to the Environmental Working Groups page on Farm Subsidies, $6.01 billion went to Indiana farm subsidies alone. If farmers are able to run more sustainable farms, less money will have to be put into them allowing for the revenue to cover part of the national debt or assist in other issues surrounding sustainability.

Final Thoughts

Check back often for updates on how to run a sustainable farm. Got an issue that you want to see covered? Comment on this thread or send me an email, and I will add it to the list of topics if I like it.