What is agroforestry? Many people do not know what exactly agroforestry is. The answer is simple. Agroforestry is the combination of trees, crops, and/or livestock into a system which focus on the interactions between the components rather than the components themselves (Sharrow 1997). It is mostly practiced in developing countries where its ability to be used to produce several different outputs is critical to the farmers. Agroforestry is not practiced on the same scale that monoculture agriculture is practiced in the United States. It has several different systems that incorporate the different components in different ways. There are several different applications of agroforestry in the United States, however, silvopastoral agroforestry in the United States is the focus of this paper. Silvopastoral systems combine trees with animal agriculture for several different outputs (Sharrow 2008). It can be used to produce timber outputs such as lumber, pulp, or biomass. It also allows for livestock agriculture outputs to be generated as well. Silvopastoral agroforestry provides many benefits that single resource management cannot provide such as more efficient nutrient use, increased revenue flow, increased diversity, increased resilience, increased livestock productivity, increased tree productivity, increased sustainability and environmental benefits (Cubbage, Balmelli, Bussoni et al. 2012). This paper discusses the benefits that can be provided by practicing Silvopastoral agroforestry in the agroforestry, and the incentives provided by application of Silvopastoral systems in the United States; particularly the benefits associated with livestock productivity and timber production.
What is silvopastoral agroforestry? That is a question...
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...ry it is clear that it is not for everyone. That is most likely the reason behind why it is not practiced throughout the United States. One must also realize that education is another aspect behind agroforestry. Practitioners must be aware of the interactions between components, and understand how they work to best manipulate the components to optimize productivity. Understanding of how silvopastoral systems work is critical being able to properly manage a silvopastoral system, and many do not have this understanding which limits the ability of silvopastoral systems being practiced. In time silvopastoral systems will likely expand as the search for more sustainable practices continues. It because of the benefits, and sustainability of silvopastoral systems that this remains a feasible alternative to conventional methods of forest farming, and livestock agriculture.
Sidney Investments, a firm based in Dallas, Texas, is considering the purchase of a 360 acre parcel of forested land located in the Quachita Mountains of eastern Oklahoma. This land has been under timber production through one rotation to this point. Sidney Investments would like to be advised on the possibilities of keeping that land in timber production and the operations necessary for the management of shortleaf pine. Sidney has come to Hall-Tree Silvicultural Consultants for a description of the silvicultural procedures involved, and the firm will then perform an economic analysis, checking the current market prices for the implementation of those procedures before making a decision on the purchase of this property.
On January 30th of the year 2018 the Shasta County Board of Supervisors conducted a meeting to cover a broad range of topics concerning the county and its citizens. The meeting began with the discussion of agritourism in the county. Richard Simons, the Resource Management Director, gave a presentation that highlighted his goals and suggestions to improve viability and the functionality of agritourism in the county. The board members were very engaged with his presentation and asked many thoughtful and provoking questions. They were especially concerned with how the citizens and land owners involved in agritourism would be affected by these new propositions. After the supervisors were satisfied and their questions were answered they unanimously supported the decision and the next topic was addressed.
Traditional agriculture requires massive forest and grassland removal to obtain land necessary to farm on. Deforestation and overgrazing has caused erosion flooding, and enabled the expansion of deserts. But with drainage systems, leveling, and irrigation provided by the Green Rev, all this terra deforming will unlikely happen again. We can retain clean air and lessen the global warming effect caused by deforestation.Many people argue that a revamp in agriculture will be way too expensive and unrealistic especially for those poor farmers in third world countries. However many times, they exaggerate the price.
Rain Forest Action Network. (2004). Wake Up Weyerhaeuser. RAN. Retrieved March 30, 2004, from http://www.ran.org/ran_campaigns/old_growth/
Such efficiency will allow for a mass amount of crop production through less water use and provide Mother Nature with enough time to restore what is used in a natural manner, thus disproving Hardin’s fear of running out of the most essential natural resource, water (Gul).
“Sustainable agriculture involves food production methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment, respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities” (Table, 2009). Local farming methods do not always use sustainable methods. Researching about the methods local farmers use is important in the decision to buy locally.
For years organic farmers and conventional farmers have feuded over which is superior. Organic farmers argue that their product is more eco-friendly because they do not use the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers conventional farmer’s use. Conventional farmers argue that their product is healthier and yields more. People tend to have stereotypes regarding the two types of farmers. Organic farmers are usually thought of as liberal, hippy, tree-huggers while conventional farmers are usually thought of as right-wing, industrialists. Obviously, some do adhere to this stereotype, but a majority of these farmers are normal, hardworking people. Although these farmers, both believe in their methods, one is no better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is no true superior method of crop farming.
“Everyday, everyone is affected by agronomy. The food you eat, the coffee you drink, the ethanol-based gas in your car, the grass on the golf course, the natural fibers of the clothing you wear-are all products of agronomy and the work of agronomists.”(Illinois State University) An agronomist even finds the best way to plant and harvest any source of food. Agronomy is a science in which an agronomist views agriculture in an integrated perspective.(Agronomy.org)
...t too expensive for the farmers. The second step is that broader awareness is required. According to Sarah Alexander, “different farmers trust different sources, such as vendors, crop consultants, and university extension services.” Farmers are going to need to be open minded to new things, in order to feed the human race. The last step is farmers need the right incentives. Farmers want to know about the good that they are doing. Farmer’s want to know how they are saving the environment, and how they are producing more food, and feeding more people than they were before.
“Currently 80% of the world’s agricultural land is used directly or indirectly for animal production. In the US over half the total land mass is used for the production of meat and dairy products” (Clarke).
...tead of machine power, and it truly provides more yields than green (GMO) farming. Other methods such as hydroelectricity, using more timber in architecture to sequester carbon, wind energy instead of modern high polluting techniques to help enhance our environment.
Agriculture is quite possibly the most important advancement and discovery that humanity has made. It produces the one thing that we need the most: food. It has been around since 9500 BC, and can be the oldest sign of mankind’s acumen and the development and evolving of our minds and creations. Agriculture has been mastered throughout hundreds of years and is one of our most important resources on Earth, along with water and fossil fuels. Although the older farming methods from ancient times seem somewhat mediocre and barbaric, they were very ingenious and advanced for that time period. Over thousands of years, we have improved the way agriculture is used, how land is cultivated, the various techniques of farming and irrigation, and the tools and mechanics used. Numerous things that we see as aboriginal today, such as using a hand plow, were extremely contemporary in ancient times, and played key roles in the development of man and society, since quick labor was not abundant before this time. We are now extremely advanced in agriculture and irrigation and the tools used to farm and grow and harvest crops. We have learned from our past and ancestors how to grow and evolve in our methods and have advanced forward greatly.
First and foremost is the establishment of Forest Protection Schemes, which mainly aim at setting up National Parks and Forest Reserves. Although this is a very effective method it is not enough and such schemes tend to be used to justify destructive exploitation of unprotected areas of forest. Farm Forestry generally refers to the incorporation of commercial tree growing into farming systems. Farm Forestry is as effective as it is because it takes the load off old-growth forests.
People have depended on agriculture for years as the primary source of getting food. We have developed all kinds of ways to manipulate nature so what we can produce higher yield crops, more nutritious crops, bigger crops, crops that withstand cold, and farming equipment that allows us to manufacture these crops with relative ease. Why then are there five billion people being malnourished and forty thousand children dying each day from hunger? It seems as though world hunger is more a result of the lack of distributing the food properly than the lack of quantity. agriculture has turned into a high profit business and biotech companies like Monsanto are constantly trying to come up with better and more efficient ways of farming. Are they doing this to try to solve the world hunger crisis, or merely to make a profit?
There are a number of sustainable farming practices and some of these are in place on my