www.sare.org publications sustainable-agriculture-through-sustainable-learning Sustainable Agriculture Through Sustainable Learning This guide describes five best practices for adult learning that educators and farm advisors can use in their educational programs to enhance learning for farmers and others involved in agriculture. These best practices are grounded in adult cognitive psychology and neuroscience research, and thus are applicable to all adult learners. Along with explaining the science […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops introduction Introduction It is our work with living soil that provides sustainable alternatives to the triple crises of climate, energy, and food. No matter how many songs on your iPod, cars in your garage, or books on your shelf, it is plants’ ability to capture solar energy that is at the root of it all. Without fertile […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops putting-it-all-together Ch 24. Putting It All Together … generally, the type of soil management that gives the greatest immediate return leads to a deterioration of soil productivity, whereas the type that provides the highest income over the period of a generation leads to the maintenance or improvement of productivity. —Charles Kellogg, 1936 In this chapter, we’ll provide some guidance on promoting high-quality […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops how-good-are-your-soils Ch 23. How Good Are Your Soils? ... the Garden of Eden, almost literally, lies under our feet almost anywhere on the earth we care to step. We have not begun to tap the actual potentialities of the soil for producing crops. —E.H. Faulkner, 1943 An assessment of the current soil health status on your farm is a good way to begin. […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops soils-for-urban-farms-gardens-and-green-spaces Ch 22. Soils for Urban Farms, Gardens and Green Spaces From New York City to Chicago, Venezuela to Lima, … rooftop gardens and urban vegetable patches are growing fresh food close to the people. —National Geographic When most people think about where food is grown, their vision is usually of farms, large and small, in rural regions. The majority of these farms have been in […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops analyzing-your-soil-and-crop Ch 21. Analyzing Your Soil and Crop … the popular mind is still fixed on the idea that a fertilizer is the panacea. —J.L. Hills, C.H, Jones and C. Cutler, 1908 Although fertilizers and other amendments purchased from off the farm are not a panacea to cure all soil problems, they play an important role in maintaining soil productivity. Soil testing is […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops other-fertility-issues Ch 20. Other Fertility Issues The potential available nutrients in a soil, whether natural or added in manures or fertilizer, are only in part utilized by plants ... —T.L. Lyon and E.O. Fippin, 1909 Other Nutrients Additional nutrient and soil chemical issues remain important, although farmers understandably focus on nitrogen and phosphorus, because additions of these nutrients are commonly needed […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops management-of-nitrogen-and-phosphorus Ch 19. Management of Nitrogen and Phosphorus ... an economical use of fertilizers requires that they merely supplement the natural supply in the soil, and that the latter should furnish the larger part of the soil material used by the crop. —T.L. Lyon and E.O. Fippin, 1909 Both nitrogen and phosphorus are needed by plants in large amounts, and both can cause […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops nutrient-management Ch 18. Nutrient Management The purchase of plant food is an important matter, but the use of a [fertilizer] is not a cure-all, nor will it prove an adequate substitute for proper soil handling. —J.L. Hills, C.H. Jones and C. Cutler, 1908 Most of the essential nutrients for plants, animals and humans are derived from weathered minerals in the […]
www.sare.org publications building-soils-for-better-crops managing-water Ch 17. Managing Water: Irrigation and Drainage But the irrigation that nourished Mesopotamian fields carried a hidden risk. Groundwater in semiarid regions usually contains a lot of salts. … When evaporation rates are high, sustained irrigation can generate enough salt to eventually poison the crops. —David Montgomery, 2007 Growing seasons around the world rarely have the right amount of precipitation, and deficits […]