Farming with the Wild
(Page 4 of 5)
December 2008/January 2009
By Daniel Imhoff
Rotational Grass Farming. Low-input, grass-fed beef and pasture dairy farms can essentially function as perennial systems of diverse grasses and vegetation, independent of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, antibiotic and other medicinal treatments. When field edges, riparian borders and forests are protected from grazing, these systems can improve forage for grazing wildlife, increase insect populations for birds and fish and provide nesting cover.
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The Future of Farming
The challenge of making agriculture more harmonious with biodiversity, particularly in the face of other social and economic factors, conjures more questions than ready answers. How wild is wild enough? Which species are benefiting and which species are losing from our management decisions? At whose expense should these efforts be made? What is the appropriate balance between agriculture and native biodiversity? Can we make a large-scale shift away from industrial feedlots and toward a more sustainable grass-fed meat economy dependent on deep-rooted perennial plants? Can a new conservation ethic muster the political, economic and cultural forces necessary to accomplish a vision of farming with the wild?
We are only beginning to understand this ecosystem-based approach to agriculture. The difficult task ahead lies in evolving ever-deeper ways in which the presence of native animals and plants can function as a benefit, rather than a threat, to agriculture. Adding to that challenge is the need for solutions to be cost effective and to fit appropriately within the hectic schedules of agricultural landowners.
After decades of working in relative isolation, conservationists, farmers and sustainable farming activists are beginning to view agricultural areas as critical terrain in the effort to restore large and healthy ecosystems throughout the continent. New dialogues, collaborations and programs indicate that such changes are indeed reshaping life down on the farm. We can only hope that time is on the wild’s side.
Benefits of Farming with the Wild
Conservation-based agricultural systems present many challenges, such as increased time commitment and additional short-term costs, but the benefits easily overshadow them:
- Enhanced wildlife habitat
- Erosion control and sediment filtration
- Lower long-term maintenance costs
- Aesthetic and ecological values
- Additional income
- Community interaction
- Enhanced public image
- Cost-share benefits
- Better market perception
- Increased land values
Resources
A large number of excellent publications, organizations and Web sites are available for further study of nature-integrated farming systems.
Wildlands Project: Encourages the development of wildlife corridors from Canada to Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.
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