Sustainable farming..

In trying to work out how to actually farm sustainably and more efficiently i've come across some really effective diagrams looking into integrated farming systems and working towards a closed loop system which is what i'd love to be able to succeed with in my proposal.


In trying to find more sustainable farming techniques, I looked into the idea of integrated and polyculture systems we had talked about.
 

(Preston 1995)

This document listed all kinds of techniques as to exactly how some of these sytems can be impolemtned, looking at how every part of the system can work together easily.

"Sustainable use of natural renewable resources will be facilitated when the feed is grown, the animals are fed and the excreta is recycled on the farm in ways that minimize the use of imported inputs including energy. Integrated farming systems that embody these concepts are seen in many parts of SE Asia and have developed in response to increasing human pressure on land resources " (Preston 1995)

This seems like the best direction to go in and solves my problem of climate refugee influenced systems along with finding efficient farming to use. This is as close as I might be able to get to a closed loop system.


Polyculture seems to be the only and obvious way to go.

"Plants, like people, have tastes and requirements for certain nutrients as well as differing root depths; a diverse group, by definition, can make better use of the soil conditions in a place than a single species can." (Fears 2008)

This article is really interesting and makes such a strong argument to all the benefits of polyculture farming such as:

• maintaining topsoil
• increased soil nutrients
• greater farming yield

Also interesting to consider is the point that

"Inclusion of fauna and the diversity of plant species makes such a “farm” far less of a target for pests and improves its ability to weather disease." (Fears 2008)

 It really makes me wonder why we're not doing it already.


Aquaponics

 

http://www.suburbanfarmer.com.au/fish-farms/fishcycle.jpg

The polycultre farming article also touched on the possibility of aquaponics and fish farming which I think is a great idea.

There are even success sotries of rice farming in Queensland, so what's to say that I couldn't have that at Woodfordia too? A site that teaches every type of farming.

This article talks about rice farming in conjunction with a refugee program for Japanese peole affected by nuclear disaster and need respite and relief. It has a really interesting correlation to my site with climate refugees and essentially replanting them into Australia using their own farming techniques.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2012/s3511309.htm



 

References:

Fears, S. 2008. Monoculture vs. Polyculture Farming Methods. Accessed September 8, 2012. http://true-progress.com/monoculture-vs-polyculture-farming-methods-84.htm .

 Preston, T.R. 1995. Tropical Animal Feeding. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations: Rome. Accessed September 8, 2012. http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/v9327e/V9327E07.htm#ch7.