Re: farming systems comparison

From: Steve Diver (steved@NCATARK.UARK.EDU)
Date: Tue Nov 12 2002 - 13:06:26 EST


Hi Robert -

A comparison of alternative farming systems.... that is a big topic.

My work as a farm advisor in sustainable agriculture has called
for papers and workshops on these topics. The idea has
been to provide a synopsis of the principles and practices, and
to list key print and web-based resources.

The alternative farming systems are based on the wisdom
and experience of significant thinkers and practitioners. Most
importantly, they provide guidelines for practical implementation
of ecological and organic based agriculture. When farmers
"transition" to an ecological farming system, they want confidence
that it is going to work. Many farmers live on the very edge
of survival on both a subsistance and economic level and
they do not like to put a whole growing season at risk. The
alternative farming systems offer philosophy, concepts,
terminology, and practices based on years of experience
and research, and therefore farmers can work within a
philosophical and practical framework and adopt
ecological farming with a greater level of confidence.

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

First I would like to point to a few pieces from the Alternative
Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC) at the National
Agricultural Library (NAL). It should be noted that AFSIC
started working in sustainable agriculture and addressing alternative
farming systems in the 1986-88 era, and was recently honored by
USDA-ARS with an award that identified AFSIC as the very
first USDA department to address the emerging topic of sustainable
agriculture.

Tracing the Evolution of Organic/Sustainable Agriculture: A
Selected and Annotated Bibliography. 1988. By Jane Potter Gates.
National Agricultural Library, Bibliographies and Literature of
Agriculture (BLA) No. 72.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/tracing.htm
_____ This is a classic paper from AFSIC; well worth bookmarking

Adopting Sustainable Alternatives
AFSIC Notes No. 1 | January 1992
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/afnotes1.htm

Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Terms
Special Reference Briefs No. SRB 99-02
Compiled by Mary Gold, September 1999
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb9902.htm
_____ This is a great place to start for definitions, terms, and
_____ literature citations.

Also see:

Index to AFSIC titles on Alternative/Sustainable Agricultural
Systems
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/sbjsusag.htm

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For ATTRA, I compiled this 62-page resource guide
to organic vegetable production. It is just as relevant to
annual cropping systems like herbs, flowers, and
row crops.

It is intended as handy guide. It provides quick access to the
key print, video, and web-based resources on..........
sustainable, organic, soils, IPM, insects, diseases, weeds,
organic certification, economics and marketing, databases,
magazines and newsletters, journals, and publishers.

Resource Guide to Organic & Sustainable Vegetable Production
ATTRA
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/vegetable-guide.html
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/vegetable-guide.pdf

For example, see:
2.3 Literature on Organic Agriculture
2.4 Modern Literature on Organic Farming
2.5 Literature on Sustainable Agriculture
2.6 Literature on Alternative Farming Systems

Especially note:

Future Horizons: Recent Literature in Sustainable Agriculture
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center for Sustainable Agricultural
Systems
EXTENSION AND EDUCATION MATERIALS
FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: Volume 6
http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/csas/extvol6.htm

And the digital collections at:

*The Soil And Health Library (Steve Solomon in Tasmania)
*Journey to Forever Online Library (Keith Addison in Japan)
*The Core Historical Literature of Agriculture (Cornell)
*Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education | K-State

See:
Historical Ag Literature & Digital Archives
SANET
Tue, 24 Sep 2002
http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0209&L=sanet-mg&O=A&P=36213

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The following paper compares:

Organic Farming (Rodale, IFOAM style)
Biodynamic Farming
Biological Farming (Eco-Farming is a better, modern term)
Nature Farming (Mokichi Okada style)
Permaculture
Regenerative Agriculture.

It was compiled for a conference proceedings in 1994, then
published in 1996 by a magazine called New Renaissance which
keeps the item below as an online article. Thus, some of the
resource listings will be dated, but the synopsis and perspective
may be helpful for a comparison in a nutshell.

Towards a Sustainable Agriculture. 1996. Steve Diver.
New Renaissance, Vol. 6, No. 2
http://www.ru.org/artagri.html

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The following table on my home page provides a quick
glimpse at 11 alternative farming systems and approaches.
It was compiled for an organic farming workshop.

Comparative Summary of Several Alternative Farming Systems
Steve Diver, ATTRA
http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/alt-farm-syst.doc

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Biodynamics:

Biodynamic Farming & Compost Preparation
ATTRA
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/biodynamic.html
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/biodynam.pdf

Of special note, is the BD-Now discussion list.

It has leading thinkers and practitioners posting notes on
Biodynamic Agriculture, Vibrational Agriculture,
Quantum Agriculture, and the many phases and approaches
of humus management and soil foodweb agriculture.

BD-Now
http://csf.colorado.edu/biodynamics/
bdnow@envirolink.org/maillist.html ">http://www.mail-archive.com/bdnow@envirolink.org/maillist.html

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Permaculture:

Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources
ATTRA
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/perma.html

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Nature Farming / Mokishi Okada, Dr. Teruo Higa,
EM (Effective Microorganisms), see:

Nature Farming and Effective Microorganisms
Steve Diver, ATTRA
http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/Nature-Farm-EM.html

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Natural Farming / Masanobu Fukuoka, see:

Fukuoka Farming on Yahoo!Groups
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fukuoka_farming/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fukuoka_farming/links

The Fukuoka Farming Website
http://larryhaftl.com/fukuoka/
http://FukuokaNaturalFarming.org/

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Natural Farming / Korean Natural Farming, Han Kyu Cho,
IM (Indigenous Microorganisms), see:

Korean Natural Farming Association: A Comparison of Selected
Performance Factors with National Farming Data
By Matt Baker, Atsushi Koyama, and Peter Hildebrand
Journal of International Agriculture and Extension Education
Volume 6, Number 1 | Spring 1999
Article download:
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/ais/8103/pdf/12baker.pdf
Article in Journal download:
http://ag.arizona.edu/aiaee/journals/Vol-6.1.pdf

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Biointensive / John Jeavons, Alan Chadwick, see:

Ecology Action
http://www.growbiointensive.org/

Bountiful Gardens
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/


Highly recommended bookmark:

What is the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Food-Raising Method?
http://www.growbiointensive.org/biointensive/GROW-BIOINTENSIVE.html


Highly recommended books:

How to Grow More Vegetables, by John Jeavons, 6th Ed.,
2001.

The Sustainable Vegetable Garden, John Jeavons and Carol
Cox, 1999.

Soil, Food and People Conference proceedings

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Eco-Farming / William Albrecht, Carey Reams, Gary Zimmer,
Neil Kinsey, Arden Andersen, Phil Wheeler, Phil Callahan

Acres USA magazine & bookstore
http://www.acresusa.com/magazines/magazine.htm

Alternative Soil Testing Laboratories
ATTRA
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/soil-lab.html

An Eco-Farming Primer: Mineral Balancing, Humus Management,
& Energy
Steve Diver, ATTRA
http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/efp-acres-print.pdf

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For Agroecology / Miguel Altieri, Stephen Gliessman

Agroecology in Action
Miguel Altieri, UC Berkeley
http://www.CNR.Berkeley.EDU/~agroeco3/

Agroecology Home
UC Santa Cruz
http://www.agroecology.org

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Robert Verzola mentioned Ecological Synergy (Kuntz)

This is a proposed collection of ideas and practices
from a SANET poster, not an established farming system
that you can visit or learn about from first-hand experience.

Nevertheless, here is an access point.

Ecological Synergy (Lion Kuntz)
http://lifesaviors.users2.50megs.com/

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Market Farming / Eliot Coleman, Jean-Paul Cortens,
Alex Hitt, Eric Kindberg, et al

In addition, there are dozens and dozens of farmers
in every state, in every province, in every country who
have put together a farming system that works
for that location.

The farming system is matched to the goals of the farm,
the equipment on hand, local resources, financial resources,
horticultural skills, tools and techniques, and practical
approaches to raise crops with a series of production
and marketing schemes.

This is where the rubber meets the road. What works!

There is a SARE publication that provides a glimpse at
dozens of sustainable farmers and their approaches.

The New American Farmer: Profiles of Agricultural
Innovation
http://www.sare.org/newfarmer/
http://www.sare.org/newfarmer/toc.htm

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hope these resource pointers are helpful.

Steve Diver
ATTRA
==================================================
==================================================

Roberto Verzola wrote:

> I am looking for a piece that makes a clear comparison between
> ecological farming systems. These are the systems I am aware of
> so far:
>
> organic farming (IFOAM, Rodale, etc.)
> biodynamic farming (Steiner, Pfeiffer, et. al.)
> biointensive farming (John Jeavons, Ecology Action, etc.)
> natural farming (Fukuoka)
> agroecology (Altierri et al)
> permaculture (Mollison)
> ecological synergy (Kuntz)
> integrated biological systems (?)
>
> Is there a piece or collection somewhere I can download which can
> give me a good summary of the similarities and differences among
> the systems above, as well as other systematic farming approaches
> that claim to be ecological?
>
> Thanks to all,
>
> Roberto Verzola
> Philippines

.



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