History « Sustainable Farming

History

From the foundation of the United State, up through the 19^th century, life in America largely revolved around agriculture. Farms were generally small scale operations, sometimes only producing enough to feed a single family. Even at the turn of the 20^th century, about 30 percent of Americans worked on farms and 50 percent lived in rural areas (1). Any fresh produce that was consumed had to be locally grown and in season.

With the advent of the industrial revolution, several major changes occurred in farming methods. Tractors gained widespread popularity in the 1910s, allowing one person to cultivate much more land than before (2). Pesticides and chemical fertilizers began to be used in large amounts in the early 19^th century, vastly increasing the yield (3). Refrigeration also became increasingly available in the mid 1900s, allowing fresh produce to be shipped for thousands of miles (4). These innovations allowed fewer farmers to produce more food, with the result that today, farmers make up only 2 percent of the US population (1).

Early on it became clear that these advances in farming techniques had some negative side effects. In the 1930s, over-cultivation and failure to plant cover crops contributed to the Dust Bowl, where vast amounts of topsoil were stripped from the land by strong winds (5). It also became increasingly clear that many pesticides and chemical fertilizers were adversely affecting humans and animals. Many of these chemicals linger in the soil and contaminate streams and groundwater (6).

In answer to these and other concerns about effects of modern agriculture, a movement has been developing to encourage sustainable farming procedures. This trend has been multifaceted, with focus on organic farming, crop rotation, responsible water usage, and local distribution of produce (7). Farmers in different areas have often had to experiment and develop their own procedures for making sustainability a more viable option. Lately, there have been an increasing number of success stories as more farmers and consumers see the value of sustainable food production.