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Pathways to Farming Preparing to Grow

This session covers various topics such as food systems, different agroecological systems, soil care and improvement, green manures, and nutrients and fertilizers. It also explores the challenges faced by modern agriculture and the need for sustainable and organic farming techniques.

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Pathways to Farming Preparing to Grow

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  1. Pathways to FarmingPreparing to Grow Emma Maxwell

  2. Todays session • Food systems • why you are here • Different agroecological systems • Soil • Ground preparation • Soil care & improvement • Green manures • Nutrients • Fertilisers

  3. Food systems for the 21 centuryTime for change

  4. Agricultural challenges ahead….. High input monoculture- post war green revolution, is it yesterdays approach? High risk of crop failure Inputs more expensive & less available Increase productivity - a growing populationBetter resource use Protect & enhance soil and biodiversity

  5. Climate change Soil, water & resources

  6. Soil erosion - a serious issue!

  7. Factory farming is destroying our soils

  8. Reduced soil life Rebecca Hosking’s excellent BBC documentary “A FARM FOR THE FUTURE”

  9. Sustainable intensification

  10. Organic & small scale production • India, Kenya, Brazil, Guatemala and Honduras have doubled or tripled yields by switching to organic or semi-organic techniques. • Cuba, forced into organic farming by the economic blockade, has now adopted it as policy, having discovered that it improves both productivity and the quality of the crops http://www.nordicom.gu.se/common/publ_pdf/283_shiva.pdf

  11. Polyculture • Polycropping • Square foot gardening • Forest gardening

  12. Agroecology • Agroecology is the study of ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems. • in common with organic and integrated farming • Many different growing systems • What’s right for you???

  13. Agroecological systems • Organic • Biodynamic/ dementer • Vegan • No dig/ Minimum dig/ Minimum tillage • Hydroponics • Aquaponics • Permiculture • Forest gardening • Agroforestry

  14. Agroforestry has enhanced biodiversity biological control of aphids and caterpillars. Reduced pesticide use?

  15. Carbon sequestration • Wind speeds reduced • Improved soil & water quality protection • Reduced evaporation and water loss from crops • Microclimate modified

  16. Agriculture 0.8 ha Land equivalent ratio of productivity Mixture Grown separately 1 ha = Agroforestry Trees LER = 1.4 0.6 ha An LER of 1.4 means 100 ha of agroforestry produces as much crop & tree products as 140 ha farmland where trees and crops are separated Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) (Mead and Willey, 1980)

  17. Diversity • Bee pollination is priceless • Humanity has eaten more than 80,000 edible plants through its evolution. More than 3000 have been used consistently. • 30 crops provide 95% of the worlds food • 8 crops provide 75% of the world’s food • 4 crops provide 60% (maize, wheat, rice and potato) • Monocultures are destroying biodiversity, our health, and the quality and diversity of food.

  18. http://collapseofindustrialcivilization.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/food-variety-tree-754.gifhttp://collapseofindustrialcivilization.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/food-variety-tree-754.gif

  19. Companion planting National botanic gardens of wales

  20. Shallow roots with deep roots • Water and nutrients shared • Lettuce and carrots • Beans and beetroot • Turnips and nasturtium

  21. Heavy feeders with nitrogen fixers • Sweetcorn and squashes with legumes • 3 sisters • Courg/ pumpkin • Sweet corn • beans

  22. Diverse systems • Variety of plant types • Evergreens • Flowers and berries through the year • Different shape flowers • Water • Wood and leaf piles • Not too tidy

  23. Observation • Scientific research • Really know your garden and it’s interactions • Keep records • Combinations • Weather • Dates • Wildlife

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