What is Sustainable Agriculture?

A range of definitions. 

A couple days ago I came across a tweet that said this is the real definition of sustainable agriculture. I was curious, so I followed through to the link. The USDA Econcomic Research Service (ERS) reports that "total farm output grew by 158% from 1948 to 2008, but total inputs used in agriculture remained largely unchanged." That means that farmers and ranchers are producing much more using the same resources that our great-grandparents were.

The ERS also reports that "labor declined by 78% and land use by 28% over those 60 years, chemical use grew fivefold from 1948 to 1980 before leveling off." That seems to make sense. We have tractors now instead of horse and plow, and there are fewer people that want to be raise food as their occupation, so something had to change. The crops the we grow now require more inputs (fertilizer) and technology has increased so we have a better understanding of how herbicides and pesticides can benefits are crops.

Here's the graph that shows it.

courtesy of Amber Waves Magazine September 2010

So does this prove that agriculture is sustainable? I mean we have been able to produce way more, with a lot less, and we have been able to stay in business doing it this way. But, what do other people think? I tweeted out the question "What does sustainable agriculture mean to you?"

Sustainability definitely has to do with the environment. 

Important. Again, I want us to leave the land in the same condition or better.

A lot of people liked this one this definition from Katie Pinke at Pinke Post. See below.

I think stewardship is really important. I want my family, and farming friends to leave the land in as good of a condition of better than we found it.

 Making money is an important part of sustainability. Farmers wouldn't be able to survive financially if we doing things the same way as they were done in 1948.

I like this one too. I mean I am pretty sure I am a real person. But seriously, if you don't care about what you are producing, then I don't want my food coming from you.

This one I would have to disagree with. My family raises our cattle the conventional way. They get grass, hay (dried grass) and grain, and I like to think that our farm is sustainable. However, it goes to show how much variation there is on the subject.

Again, we have to be profitable to be sustainable. 

This is JPLovesCotton from Ag - It's a Colorful Adventure definition.

 That's a lot of sustainable, but I like it. Food, environment and economics all need to work together.

Boiled eggs, fires, and peta-supporting celebrities

Farm and Ranch Blogs worth reading 


I hope you are having an awesome weekend with your family and friends. I am traveling back to Iowa to celebrate Easter with the Boy and his family. Today there isn't a post from me rather 3 things that I thought you might find worth reading

The Perfect Boiled Egg - I never quite get boiled eggs right, however I really do love to eat them. Especially, on salads, and with Easter here this weekend 5 Chick and a Farmer's tutorial has perfect timing.

picture from Life on Kansas
Cattle Ranch

Pastures up in flames - Have you noticed pastures on fire in Kansas (and a few other places too) lately. That is because it is burning season. Debbie Lyons-Blythe of Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch does a great job explaining why burning last year's grasses is important for maintain good grass health and ecosystem. It's worth checking out the posts just to see the pictures.

10 Singers who support animal rights extremists - 10 misinformed celebrities that don't truly understand what HSUS and Peta are all about. They would love it if we were all vegans, and that means no more livestock. Celestet Laurent does a great job of identifying those that aren't supporting what my family does.

Feed Sacks Bags

Who knew feed sacks were so fashionable.

I have been seeing feed these pop up quite a bit lately in a variety of forms, but now farmers and ranchers have one more way to be environmentalists - by doing a little repurposing of feed sack and feed bags.

I love this travel bag made of burlap feed sack. Be sure to check out Lost Property of London they have a bunch of really cool feed sack bags of all shapes and sizes. I kind of have this things for burlap.

Source: etsy.com via Crystal on Pinterest

This is another really cool vintage feed sack bag that I found through my Pinterest account. 

I have seen lots of these plastic feed sack bags at the cattle events I attend. I think you could make these pretty easy. Check out this Etsy store to see lots of different feed sacks that have been turned into bags.

And here is an awesome tutorial on how to make feed sack bags from my friend at the House that Built Ag. 

Dan Dagget, Author and Environmentalist, has something to say about agriculture

A former member of the Sierra Club

What happens when cows graze the land? Do they do more harm than good? Would the land be better without them or human intervention? As a farmer and care taker of the land I don't think so, but let's hear was Dan Dagget (a former self-proclaimed "eco-radical" and member of the Sierra Club) has to say.



Livestock are amazing animals, and are important part of the environment. Most of the land that you will find cattle on isn't suitable for growing crops. And I would sure like to look a pasture full of cattle rather than another city spreading its fingers into rural areas.

I love Dan's line in the video about how the environmentalist have to be as accountable as the ranchers and farmers. Environmentalists and ranchers need to work together to create an environment that we can all continue to enjoy.

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