Sustainable Agriculture
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Strip Cropping
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is comprised of a system that provides a reasonable yield of food while protecting environmental quality, community social welfare, and farmer livelihood. Generally, chemical pesticides or fertilizers are not required, irrigation water is obtained from precipitation, and crop diversity is encouraged rather than the conventional monoculture crop of modern agriculture. Instead of highly mechanized till-farming where topsoil is disturbed every season, sustainable agriculture encourages no-till farming to protect valuable soil fertility. Crops are rotated frequently and mixed throughout smaller fields to encourage natural pest resistance. With sustainable agriculture, our environment is protected and the land will remain healthy and productive for future generations.
The health of farmers and the community are also protected within such a system. Crops are kept local and sold at venues such as farmers markets, where farmers retain more of the profits from the sale of their harvests. Because organic farming operations are more labor intensive, more people are required to work the land. The system typically requires 2.5 times more labor than conventional farming, but it yields 10 times the profit with a rise in crop yields and the elimination of the need to purchase expensive chemicals (Michigan Land Use Institute). With today's high unemployment levels, this system makes sense solely from an economic perspective. Sustainable farming encourages a livable wage for the people who provide us with a vital staple of life.
"A sustainable agriculture is one that depletes neither the people nor the land." ~Wendell Berry, 1984
Provided by the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, click on the months listed below to find in-season products grown in Michigan:
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The thoughts advanced in this paper are based on existing data and information on organic agriculture in developing countries which are, as many would expect, rather scarce. More focused statements would need extensive field research. This paper has therefore attempted to offer a conceptual framework that could be used for evaluating the sustainability and productivity of existing or potential organic agriculture systems, under different bio-physical and socio-political settings.
Certified organic cow shares available through Green Pastures
Green Pastures, LLC, a program of the Grassfields farm in Coopersville Michigan, now offers cow shares to local residents. Purchasers of the cow shares are able to pick up fresh (organic) milk every week from Grassfields Farm. Natural cheeses, beef, poultry, and eggs are also available for purchase from the farm. For more information, contact Jesse and Betsy Meerman at 616.997.1306 or migreenpastures@gmail.com.
Certified Organic Farmers in Michigan
This page provides a listing of all certified organic farmers located in Michigan including the name, location, contact information and the produce grown. Click here to find an organic farm near you!
A project of Sustainable Table, the Eat Well Guide allows users to enter their zipcode and find local farms, stores, and restaurants selling humanely-raised animal products and organic produce.
Farms without Harm is a network of concerned citizens and groups promoting safe, sustainable farming in Michigan. It educates the public through speakers, workshops and other programs. Check out their web site for upcoming events and meeting information. To contact the organization, send an e-mail to fwh@ameritech.net.
The Alliance includes farmers, processors, distributors, grocery stores, and consumers in the Midwest region who promote sustainable agriculture techniques and products. The organization provides certifications to farms/ranches and food handlers who provide food to society that is humanely produced and environmentally responsible.
The Local Harvest community level map on this site allows users to enter a city or zip code to find sustainable farmers, farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture projects (CSAs) in their area!
This site is managed by the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, an organization working to build a sustainable food system in West Michigan. The web site provides a wide variety of information on local agriculture and other food systems, upcoming news and events, and the 2005 guide to local food. The guide contains an excellent table showing when particular foods are in-season in Michigan. If they are not on this list for a particular month and yet you can still buy them, they were grown in another state (or even country!) and transported here. Support local agriculture by purchasing in-season fruits and vegetables.
The GRACE Project is working hard to educate consumers on the problems associated with factory farms and promote the use of sustainable farming operations. The site contains news, information on factory farms/CAFO's, press releases, photo galleries, and many other resources.
Growing Power is "a nationally recognized leader in urban agriculture, which provides hands-on training and technical support for community projects". Located in Milwaukee and Chicago, the organization hosts workshops and demonstrations for aquaculture, aquaponics, vermiculture, horticulture, small or large-scale composting, soil reclamation, food distribution, bee-keeping, and marketing. Check out their web site for information on upcoming workshops, collaborative projects, selected articles, and other useful information.
Check out this great site by the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council. It contains information on the locations of community gardens in the Grand Rapids region with maps showing the locations of each. The list is by no means comprehensive, so feel free to contact WMEAC (info@foodshed.net) if a garden is missing.
Local Harvest features a national database of organic establishments and an online store to buys seeds, crafts, soaps, and other products. The site allows consumers to search regionally for restaurants serving local organic food, farmers markets, family farms and CSA's, and grocery stores with local, organic, and humanely raised meat and dairy products.
Mixed Greens and the Blandford Nature Center have combined and now share a common mission to invite children and the community to connect to the land, to food and to their surroundings through meaningful hands-on experiences that lead to sustainable and healthy choices.
Located in Londonderry, New Hampshire, Stonyfield Farm is committed to keeping artificial ingredients out of their food products. They use only pure, all natural and organic ingredients; and never any preservatives or artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. They also use premium milk from farmers who have pledged not to use the synthetic bovine growth hormone, antibiotics, synthetic hormones or toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Click here to learn more about Stony Field Farm’s sustainable products and initiatives.
Sustainable Table provides information to promote healthy eating habits in America, including sections devoted to the concept of sustainability, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable school lunches and education. This is a very useful resource to the consumer who wants to learn how to make smart choices at the grocery store.
The Sweetwater Local Foods Market is "Michigan's first farmers market to exclusively sell certified organic/organically grown fruits and vegetables and meats, eggs, and cheese from humanely raised animals". Beginning January 5th, 2010, the market is open every other Saturday from 9am to 1pm at Hackley Health (Muskegon, Michigan). Check them out!
The West Michigan Cooperative (WMC) is the region's first-ever online farmers market, brought to you by Farms without Harm, the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, DeLeeuw Digital, LLC and Media Rare. The WMC serves as a way for local farmers and consumers to stay connected all year long.
Funded by the Steelcase Foundation of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Header photo
courtesy of Bigfoto
Site by CMC/GrandNet