Careers in Sustainable Agriculture

One of the first things you’ll notice when you ask people about sustainable agriculture are their opinions of what it is exactly, vary widely. It may include compliance with organic standards, integration of perennial and annual crops, forage animals, aquaculture, composting, intercropping and ground cover use, tree lots and an idea of how to integrate a long-lasting system for the ecology of the farm as well as one’s place on it. Also encompassed in this “movement” is a critical look at the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which use beneficial aspects of another species engineered on the molecular level into a host species, such as the case with BT maize.

So why would anyone want to become involved in something so open to interpretation? Well, perhaps that’s exactly what appeals to some. It is an idea that encourages people to be creative and try to do things better than they’ve been done before. This lifestyle seems to challenge farmers to try and become the best stewards of the land that they can. Many practitioners are moved by the political implications of a system of agriculture that can produce “guilt-free” food. Perhaps the motivation is saving the small family farm. Some find this vocation spiritual -- the idea of turning a little seed into sustenance. Some simply enjoy working outdoors. Some respond to the challenge of self-employment – checking their abilities against yield and profitability.

Humans have been improving farming through selective breeding and refinement of technique for over 13,000 years. One could argue the tiny population of professional farmers who work enormous mono-cropped acreages are symptomatic of a larger imbalance in Western thought. True or not, someone will claim stewardship of the land as long as people eat. Farms have been used as social and agricultural laboratories throughout the 20^th century. Demonstrating a profitable balance of ecologically sound management.

We have already seen in the “green revolution” that simplistic systems, which rely upon singular inputs and genetic advances, have produced unforeseen results that have doomed entire projects, regardless of their creator’s good intentions. Loss of genetic diversity, unsuitable crops for existing eco-systems, decimated natural buffer zones of wild and cultivated lands, reliance upon petrol derived fertilizers, increased herbicide and pesticide usage, contaminated watersheds, and pathogen resistance have all been results of such modes of thinking.

There are a few things that someone wanting to take on the challenge of building a sustainable system must adhere to for any chance of success. Firstly, you have to learn all you can about the all the elements of your system. This includes the water, pests, natural ecology, your potential market, and materials.

While there are apprenticeships available, they are mostly geared towards teaching you how to run your own farm in the future and not towards recruiting you for the organization. If you can afford it, a piece of land that you own allows you to set down roots and become part of the permaculture. You’ll be living at work – if this will be a problem, the sustainable lifestyle may not be for you. If you don’t have much experience, it may very well be prudent to rent a space until you’re sure. You’ll have to be prepared to put in a whole lot of hard physical labour.

You may want to have a second job to get you through the first few years, which may not be particularly productive. Building a dynamic system takes some time, and you need to be prepared for some setbacks. Having an understanding of what alternatives you have and how the parts of your system can work together to be mutually beneficial are all a part of holistic resource management.

Lastly, you really have to believe in what you’re doing, and that may very well be what will sustain you when faced the challenges of starting up a farm in the 21^st century. Everyone eats, but not everyone cares so deeply where that food comes from. You must care, and you must have the desire to try something new.

Bibliography

Adam, Katherine L. “Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships.”

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas. December 1999. Online. Internet. Available: http://www.attra.org/attra-rl/intern_west.html.

Bones, Jim. “On a Green Mountain With Masanoubu Fukuoka Sensei of Natural

Farming.” 1995. Online. Internet. Available: http://www.seedballs.com/gmmfpa.html

Hall, Bart and George Kuepper. “Making the Transition to Sustainable Farming.”

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas December 1997. Online. Internet. Available: http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/trans.html.

Stone, Dr. Alexandra. Personal interview. 20 November 2000.