Sometime around October/November 2011 the population of Planet Earth is expected to reach seven BILLION people! Resource depletion and allocation, environmental degradation, human and animal health, pollution, energy availability, and many other issues are of critical concern in our food production methods and overall sustainability of the earth and humanity. As a consequence, how we produce our food, as well as the types of food produced, are issues that everyone is going to have to face and become intimately involved with. The core concept of a truly organic and viable ‘green’ ecology is what has been termed “deep organics”, or deep organic farming.
As more arable land is taken over by human populations and urbanization, the idea and application of shallow farming, where huge tracts of land are dedicated to food production, are no longer feasible. Pollution of water sources, such as streams, rivers, lakes, and aquifers, has accelerated to the point where some water sources around the world are now considered “dead zones”. One such area that has received much publicity is the Mississippi River delta that feeds into the Gulf of Mexico. Vast areas, both on the seabed, and along the coastlines of neighboring states, are now lifeless, from oxygen depletion. This dead zone of water has been directly attributable to the use of industrial chemicals and organophosphates by farms all up and down the Mississippi River basin.
All farming methods encounter problems, such as pests, weeds, disease, etc. How the farmer deals with the problems may distinguish ‘shallow’ from ‘deep’ farming. The shallow farming method will use quick-fix solutions that involve sprays, chemicals (even if designated “organic”), fertilizers, herbicides, etc. Conversely, the deep organic farmer strives for a more permanent relationship with nature, and uses approaches that are land- and people-friendly. Deep farming will use more benign interventions (biological controls, botanicals, etc.) and alternative strategies (repellents, traps, mating disruption, etc).
It can be observed that at its root, deep organics is going to involve a structural design/redesign of the systems currently in use for industrial farming methods. A key goal of deep organic farming is to have food production methods that are self-regulating, self-maintaining, and problem-proof. One aspect of this redesign approach is the permaculture method of shaping and forming the landscape itself. This has also been referred to as an “agroecosystem design”. There are specific methods that can be utilized and implemented that will maximize water usage, as well as water-capture systems, planting trees for wind breaks, and other various agroecosystem applications.
There are many positive benefits from switching to a deep farming approach. These advantages and gains can range from a personal one (less dependency on petrochemicals and fossil fuels, a sense of integration and connection, fewer adverse effects, and community involvement), to sociocultural (cutting out the middleman, a desire on the part of the individual to move to an urban environment, sustainable food system), to ecological benefits, i.e., a truly sustainable and ecologically managed ecosystem and healthy food production. The change to a truly organic and sustainable lifestyle is critical to fully implement and integrate our personal, social, and food system transformation. Our future depends on it!
By: David Hewitt
As more arable land is taken over by human populations and urbanization, the idea and application of shallow farming, where huge tracts of land are dedicated to food production, are no longer feasible. Pollution of water sources, such as streams, rivers, lakes, and aquifers, has accelerated to the point where some water sources around the world are now considered “dead zones”. One such area that has received much publicity is the Mississippi River delta that feeds into the Gulf of Mexico. Vast areas, both on the seabed, and along the coastlines of neighboring states, are now lifeless, from oxygen depletion. This dead zone of water has been directly attributable to the use of industrial chemicals and organophosphates by farms all up and down the Mississippi River basin.
All farming methods encounter problems, such as pests, weeds, disease, etc. How the farmer deals with the problems may distinguish ‘shallow’ from ‘deep’ farming. The shallow farming method will use quick-fix solutions that involve sprays, chemicals (even if designated “organic”), fertilizers, herbicides, etc. Conversely, the deep organic farmer strives for a more permanent relationship with nature, and uses approaches that are land- and people-friendly. Deep farming will use more benign interventions (biological controls, botanicals, etc.) and alternative strategies (repellents, traps, mating disruption, etc).
It can be observed that at its root, deep organics is going to involve a structural design/redesign of the systems currently in use for industrial farming methods. A key goal of deep organic farming is to have food production methods that are self-regulating, self-maintaining, and problem-proof. One aspect of this redesign approach is the permaculture method of shaping and forming the landscape itself. This has also been referred to as an “agroecosystem design”. There are specific methods that can be utilized and implemented that will maximize water usage, as well as water-capture systems, planting trees for wind breaks, and other various agroecosystem applications.
There are many positive benefits from switching to a deep farming approach. These advantages and gains can range from a personal one (less dependency on petrochemicals and fossil fuels, a sense of integration and connection, fewer adverse effects, and community involvement), to sociocultural (cutting out the middleman, a desire on the part of the individual to move to an urban environment, sustainable food system), to ecological benefits, i.e., a truly sustainable and ecologically managed ecosystem and healthy food production. The change to a truly organic and sustainable lifestyle is critical to fully implement and integrate our personal, social, and food system transformation. Our future depends on it!
By: David Hewitt
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