Sustainable Agriculture Resources

This quick survey of links outlines some of the more important influences on what is meant by sustainable agriculture in the United States, as philosophy, policy and the exercise of appropriate technique.

The really high point of thinking about how, specifically, to create communities that over the long term feed themselves, recycle their wastes, and culture the highest aspirations of human potential, is Bill Mollison's Permaculture: A Designer's Manual. From climate to earth-moving to gardening to economics, Mollison illustrates how energy and material flows can be arranged to create whole landscapes that feed themselves, that generate their own energy: systems which, once set in motion, require little external impetus to keep going. This extraordinary book should required reading for every student of agriculture, engineering, anthropology, landscape design, economics - well, just about everybody who would like to experience a vision of abundance for all life and the design principles to create it. (Amazon's permaculture book selection; Wikipedia's permaculture article.)

Going back even earlier to the days of the Whole Earth Catalog (which first attracted a 12 year-old me because it had an article on synthesizers) are Nancy & John Todd's Living Machines. The Todds have made heroic, poetic, as well as soundly scientific demonstrations of compact living systems of plant and animal life, which sustainably purify water, turn wastes to fertilizers, and produce copious amounts of food, all in a small amount of space with little maintenance.

Wendell Berry for decades farmed with horses on his Kentucky homestead, writes novels, essays and poetry, and provides a deep, American justification for the preservation of rural life, and an approach to farming that on balance does more good than bad, for the land and for people. Wikipedia link.

Mr. Berry's long-time friend is Wes Jackson (Wikipedia link). Wes Jackson is a plant breeder who founded The Land Institute in Salina Kansas to create a perennial polyculture of native prairie grasses, bred to produce harvestable amounts of grain. The Land Institute envisions vast fenceless, roadless areas of prairie grains, never plowed and disturbed only by a balloon-tired harvester once or twice a year. The Institute's mission has expanded to include a more general support for rural arts and culture. One of the classic Berry/Jackson collaborations is New Roots for Agriculture

Sustainable economics has one of its greatest champions in Hazel Henderson, who has long examined alternative models for production and trade, and advocates "ethical economics." Paul Hawken is another advocate for ethical economics, and for sustainable business operations.

At the production agriculture level, there are several notable think tanks, each taking a rather establishmentarian point of view. They provide excellent insight into the future of government land use policies, economic incentives, production systems and the like:
USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
UC Davis Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program
Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources.

Tilth is an intangible quality in soils that is a measure of its health and productivity. "Tilth" organizations, such as Seattle Tilth, tend to represent interests in urban gardening, community supported agriculture and general food production awareness. Oregon Tilth additionally has grown to have a large business in certifying producers and and food products as organic and sustainably grown.

Closely allied with the sustainable agriculturists are the heirloom breeds preservers. There are many such among the livestock fanciers - see the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Preeminent among the vegetable growers is Seed Savers in Decorah, Iowa, and whose quiet garden beds winding along the banks of laughing water are a terrific place to visit.

Sustainability is a slippery idea, particularly around the edges. Unfortunately the term is tossed about with little care for definition. Most of the information referenced in this article leads to the edges, where questions outnumber answers, and real sustainability is recognized as a long-term and iffy proposition.

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