New Release: What is Sustainable Agriculture?
College Park, MD – Say the word “sustainable,” and most people in agriculture agree it means increased profits, sound stewardship of the air, water and soil, and improved quality of life for farming communities. But how do you get there? There are almost as many ways to achieve these goals as there are farms and ranches in America. That is why the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program created What is Sustainable Agriculture?, a 12-page sampler of best practices in sustainable production. Along with descriptions of techniques, this full-color publication includes eight profiles from around the country of producers, researchers and educators who have implemented them to reap success.
What is Sustainable Agriculture? illustrates many of the tried-and-true methods for making agriculture more sustainable, including grazing, cover crops, on-farm energy conservation and production, marketing, conservation tillage, and more. In one profile, an Oregon couple used riparian buffers and rotational grazing strategies to triple their beef production while reviving their waterways. In another, a Connecticut Extension agent is showing local vegetable growers how to save money by slashing their pesticide use. In a third, a Texas researcher has spent years showing producers that they can help overcome a looming water crisis by establishing integrated cotton, forage and livestock systems.
What is Sustainable Agriculture? is not meant as a strict prescription for attaining better profits, better stewardship and better communities. Rather, readers will find it a concise and informative introduction to the widely varied landscape of sustainable agriculture. Hopefully, it will inspire producers across the country to see that they, too, can begin implementing sustainable practices on their farms and ranches.
Visit the Learning Center to download SARE’s What is Sustainable Agriculture? for free or to order free print copies. (Please specify title requested when ordering by mail.) Allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery. Call 301/374-9696 for more information on bulk, rush or international shipments.
Editors: Contact Sean McGovern to request review copies. Downloads of cover images are available.
Published by SARE Outreach for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and features work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA. SARE’s mission is to advance - to the whole of American agriculture - innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education. SARE Outreach operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland and the University of Vermont to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture. For more information visit www.sare.org.
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