Our family farm stretches over 100 acres with a 250-foot elevation change throughout the property. At the highest point, the soil is tough clay and limestone rock—challenging to work with and always keeping us on our toes. But as you head towards the bottom of the property, the landscape transforms- the county survey describes it as ‘prime farmland’ and it supports our pecan orchards beautifully. Here the soil is incredibly fertile with a 20% silt content. This contrast in soil type and structure inspired me to learn more about silt erosion’s impact on farmland throughout history and how farming practices can maintain soil health.
Every land owner and farmer/rancher should ask themselves, “how do we farm in such a way that the land is improved upon for future generations?” This question isn’t just theoretical; it’s deeply personal for us on our farm, and for all farmer/ranchers . Our experiences managing these contrasting terrains have highlighted the delicate balance between maximizing productivity and preserving the natural resources that sustain us. To delve deeper into this issue, it’s essential to understand the current paradigms of agriculture and how they intersect—or often clash—with environmental conservation efforts.
Types of Agricultural Practices Today
Sustainable Agriculture: This approach seeks to balance the needs of agriculture with the preservation and enhancement of environmental quality. It emphasizes practices that maintain soil fertility, conserve water, and promote biodiversity, aiming for long-term viability without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their needs. Permaculture is a sustainable agriculture practice.
Conventional Agriculture: Often synonymous with modern industrial agriculture, this approach prioritizes maximizing yields through intensive practices such as monoculture, heavy chemical inputs (fertilizers, pesticides), and mechanization. While efficient in the short term, it often leads to soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity decline.
Environment: Refers to the natural surroundings in which we live, encompassing land, water, air, plants, and animals. The environment provides essential resources and ecosystem services that support life and agricultural productivity.
These terms are often used in the agriculture industry and depending on your preferred method you might notice the “other method” is used like a four-letter word. But rather than pitting one way of farming against the other, it’s important to find common ground, understand the history of how each method came into popularity, and the environmental and economic impacts of each.
History of the Types of Agriculture
The history of sustainable agriculture spans centuries, evolving in response to environmental challenges and societal needs. Ancient civilizations such as those in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley practiced early forms of sustainable agriculture by using crop rotation, irrigation systems, and organic fertilizers to maintain soil fertility and productivity. These practices were integral to their survival and prosperity, demonstrating an early understanding of the need to balance agricultural production with environmental stewardship.
Conventional agriculture and the Green Revolution began in the mid-20th century with Norman Ernest Borlaug a “research scientist in charge of wheat improvement for the Rockefeller Foundation’s Cooperative Mexican Agricultural Program in Mexico, where he worked from 1944 to 1960.” Borlaug’s findings have been credited for increasing food production in India and Pakistan by 60% and saving as many as one billion people from starvation and death.
That’s no small contribution to humanity, and yet the monoculture crops that became the focus of the Green Revolution- like wheat and rice have led to the loss of soil nutrients, less land being farmed, and increased farmer debt (The impact of the Green Revolution on indigenous crops of India).
In response to these challenges, the concept of sustainable agriculture gained momentum in the latter half of the 20th century and continues to evolve today. Permanent agriculture or ‘permaculture’ began as a concept in the 1970s founded by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren.
The 1980s saw the emergence of agroecology, which integrates ecological principles into agricultural systems to enhance resilience and sustainability. Organic farming movements gained popularity, promoting practices that minimize external inputs and prioritize soil health, biodiversity conservation, and animal welfare.
Today, sustainable agriculture encompasses diverse practices such as agroforestry, permaculture, precision farming, and integrated pest management, tailored to local ecological conditions and socio-economic contexts.
How Have Farmers Preserved Soil Health for Future Generations
From the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt to medieval Europe, the expansion of agricultural frontiers frequently disregarded the delicate balance of natural ecosystems. The consequences of these actions, chronicled in “Conquest of the Land Through 7000 Years” by Dr. Walter C Lowdermilk, reveal a pattern of soil degradation, deforestation, erosion, and loss of biodiversity.
The following historical accounts serve as poignant reminders of the importance of integrating environmental stewardship into agricultural practices to ensure long-term food security and ecological resilience in a changing world.
Mesopotamia and Soil Salinization: In ancient Mesopotamia, intensive irrigation led to the buildup of salts in the soil over time. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers carried sediments and salts, which were deposited on fields during irrigation. Without proper drainage and management practices, these salts accumulated, rendering the land infertile—a process known as soil salinization.
Ancient Egypt and Nile Delta Flooding: In ancient Egypt, annual flooding of the Nile River was essential for replenishing soil fertility through natural sediment deposition. However, as populations grew and agricultural demands increased, the construction of dams and levees disrupted this natural cycle. The reduction in flooding and sediment deposition eventually led to soil fertility decline and the need for artificial fertilizers.
Ancient Greece and Deforestation: The ancient Greeks extensively cleared forests to create agricultural land and provide timber for shipbuilding and construction. This deforestation led to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and changes in local climate patterns. The loss of forest cover also affected water retention and soil stability, impacting agricultural productivity in the long term.
Roman Empire and Soil Erosion: During the expansion of the Roman Empire, extensive land clearing and intensive agricultural practices contributed to widespread soil erosion. Deforestation, coupled with large-scale cultivation on steep slopes without adequate soil conservation measures, caused significant erosion of topsoil. This erosion reduced soil fertility and productivity, impacting agricultural sustainability in the affected regions.
Medieval Europe and Overgrazing: In medieval Europe, the growth of population and livestock numbers led to overgrazing in many areas. Overgrazing resulted in the degradation of pastures, loss of vegetation cover, and soil compaction. These impacts reduced soil fertility, increased vulnerability to erosion, and contributed to the decline of agricultural productivity in affected regions.
The Impact on People and Land
The impact of farming to the point of degrading soils is not just an issue for the one farmer, but rather an issue that has detrimental impacts on the nation and generations to come. And while initially conventional agriculture practices increased food production, degraded soils often led to reduced agricultural productivity. This directly affects food security, as crops yield less and may be of lower nutritional value. This can exacerbate hunger and malnutrition, particularly in regions where agriculture is a primary source of food.
There are dire economic impacts on the farmer as well. In 2017, the average farm was $1.3 million in debt according to Nebraska Farm Business Inc. The heavy debt load puts farmers in a challenging spot; they need government subsidies, insurance claims, and partnerships with large corporations just to make their overhead and to keep farming for another season.
Four Things You Can Do to Reduce Soil Erosion
- Managing watershed. Having a steep elevation change on our property means the most important thing we can to do reduce the amount of erosion on our farm is proper watershed management. We’ve dug ponds in places where water runoff if it’s most intense. We’ve created swales and culverts to direct the water where we need it to go. Managing the watershed has allowed us to
- Plant native grasses, shrubs, and trees. One of the most important and impactful ways to eliminate soil erosion is by planting native grasses, shrubs, and trees. The native plants have deep and complex root systems that are adapted to our high heat and drought conditions. The deep roots serve to hold onto the soil, cool the soil throughout drought months, and introduce biodiversity.
- No-Till Farming. We have over 30 acres of pecan orchard and are expanding to include a flower and vegetable garden (for a small kitchen garden). And each season we use our chickens, pigs, and cattle to clear the land, minimize weeds, and prep the soil for planting. Choosing not to till and reseed our pastures each season means the land stays covered consistently, which also helps with biodiversity and soil health.
- Cover Cropping. Keeping the land covered at all times is crucial to the biodiversity and health of the soil. Choosing cover crops that work well between the conventional crops can increase soil health and crop outputs. I use oats and peas as a cover crop in my kitchen garden in the fall, and it’s worked wonderfully to help break up the heavy clay soil.
Using these four methods is how our farm is managing soil erosion and hopefully expanding the life of our farm for future generations. Sustainable farming is like finding the sweet spot where we can grow plenty of food without wrecking the planet. It’s all about making sure we can feed ourselves now without messing things up for tomorrow. Knowing how agriculture has evolved over time and how it fits into our world today shows us just how much our actions affect nature. If we put sustainability first and rethink how we grow our food, we can cut down on our environmental footprint and set up farming that lasts.
