4. For us, ‘wealth’ is not only measured in
terms of money, but includes :
a healthy lifestyle,
being immersed in beauty and close to nature,
building community,
stewardship of the land and buildings,
intellectually and physically challenging work
7. What is a sustainable
agroecosystem?
A sustainable agroecosystem is environmentally
sound, economically viable, socially just, and
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
8. What is a sustainable
agroecosystem?
a) Maintains the resource base on which it
depends
b) Relies on a minimum of artificial inputs
c) Manages pests and diseases through
internal regulating mechanisms
d) Is able to recover from disturbances caused
by cultivation and harvest
(Edwards et al. 1990, Altieri, 1995)
9. Sustainability Indicators for TFB compared to
Industrialized Agroecosystems
Sustainability indicator TFB Industrialized
Species Diversity Higher Lower
Stability Higher Lower
Internal Nutrient Cycling Higher Lower
Complexity of Species Higher Lower
Interactions
Net Primary Productivity Lower ? Higher
Energy Output/Input Higher Lower
Soil Organism Activity Higher Lower
Modified from Gliesman (1997)
10. Diversity = Stability = Resilience
Integrating Livestock
Multiple crops and successions
Temporal and spatial rotations
Enhancing Biodiversity/heterogeneity
with Weed and Cover Crop Mgmt
Multiple Markets
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18. Example of use of cover crops
and grazing in rotations
Spring Summer Summer Fall
Peas, oats Grazed Buckwheat Rye/vetch
Year 1 or PW, LQ
barley
Grazed
Year 2 Rye/vetch Pumpkins Pumpkins Rye/vetch
(continued)
Rye/vetch Vegetables Vegetables Rye/vetch
Year 3
19. Our Markets
• CSA – 25 families
• Farmers’ Markets
• Local general stores and restaurants
• Wholesale black currants to winery
• Intervale Food Basket
• Rabbits and chickens
20.
21.
22. Why Livestock?
• I love animals
• I love knowing where my meat comes from
• I love manure
• I love to try to mimic natural systems
• I hate mowing
• I hate waste
23. There is no such thing as waste in
natural systems
24. Stacking Functions
When a component (element) of the farm
has multiple beneficial functions.
How to get the most bang for your buck
from a farm element.
Nature stacks functions, so should a
practicing agroecologist.
65. The Laws of Nature
Everything is connected to everything else
Everything has to go somewhere
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Mother Nature bats last!
