Farming sustainability helps the planet to cater to the natural ecosystems and boost the quality of life for both the present and future generations. It implies the development of products and services that meet the current needs of the population without making a compromise on the capacity of the future people to fulfill their needs. It values the planet as a resource that is exhaustible, and so it is essential for humans to protect and use its resources rationally for future generations to enjoy.
Hillandale Farms-sustainability is its core value
Hillandale Farms is a family-owned food production company that specializes in eggshells and food products. It is located in Spring Grove in, Pennsylvania, in the USA. According to the experts here, one of the key distinguishing traits of industrial farming from sustainable farming practices is its heavy dependency on machinery that extensively deploys energy, especially fossil fuels. In fact, industrial agriculture is the primary source of greenhouse emissions across the globe today.
On the contrary, sustainable farming practices endeavor to reduce the use of energy during production. It embraces tools that are less energy intensive for agriculture production but, at the same time, embraces innovative systems for farming. By removing the deployment of fossil fuels and decreasing the use of energy, the practice of sustainable agriculture reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It plays a vital role in stopping climate change.
Conserves water
Conventional farming practices use water extensively for irrigating the vast land tracts that are under cultivation without focusing on conservation. Unlike traditional farming methods, sustainable systems for farming deploy multiple techniques for conserving water, like drip irrigation and the process of mulching. Besides the above, it also focuses on the plantation of perennial crops like deep roots that do not need a lot of water sources.
On top of this, sustainable farming adopts methods to protect water sources from the threats of pollution. The farming system deploys practices like filter strips and contour farming close to rivers to reduce the contamination of the water body.
Gives value to diversity
The defining trait of industrial agriculture is the concept of monoculture, which refers to a system of farming that, entails the planting of extensive land tracks with one breed of plant. The dependence on just a single species of plant boosts the plant’s vulnerability to diseases that quickly spread from one plant to another without wiping off the whole plant. Because monocrops are vulnerable to diseases and pests, big industrial farms depend heavily on pesticides and herbicides to keep their plants healthy. Unfortunately, these chemicals are dangerous for people, wildlife, and for pollinators.
The team of experts at Hillandale Farms states that, unlike industrial agriculture, the practice of sustainable farming concentrates on diverse systems of farming that deploy a variety of crops. This diversity of crops in the system ensures they are more resilient to diseases, pests, and droughts. Moreover, sustainable farming is cooperative in nature because it blends animal and plant production well to offer them a conducive environment for people, pollinators, and wildlife.