Sustainable Agriculture

Many farm operations are already engaged in sustainable activities such as no-till, water conservation, reduction of harmful farm inputs which benefit the environment.
Further sustainable agriculture is achievable through composting, cover cropping, polyculture, crop rotation and agroforestry that have existed for centuries. Newer sustainable farming methods including IPM programs, eco-buffers, companion planting, organic and ecological farming, agroforestry and forest gardening and permaculture.

A gram of healthy top soil may contain up to 600 million individual and 25,000 species of bacteria. In comparison, conventionally managed soil may contain only a few million individual and 5,000 different species of bacteria.
Soils that are nutrient deficient have reduced capabilities for carbon capture.

Approximately 75% of food crops, such as berries, cherries, melons, apples, almonds, peaches, plums and coffee beans are pollinated by insects. Honey bee populations are declining.
There was an increased yield of 25-30% for soybeans, 25% for barley, 23% for winter wheat, 20% for mixed hay and 12% for corn when grown in combination with windbreaks.

In 2007, Canadians wasted 183 kilograms of food per person. As much as 40% of our edibles are wasted and approximately 50% of the wasted food was discarded by consumers at home.
Every month, Toronto residents throw out 17.5 million kilograms of food.

“If we throw Mother Nature out the window, she comes back in the door with a pitchfork.” ~ Masanobu Fukuoka