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Jul 19, 2017
Episode 106
The future of humanity may very well rest on the success of the small, sustainable farm.
If that sounds like a severe exaggeration to you, consider the following:
- Industrial agriculture uses excessive amounts of chemical pesticides, herbicides and hormones that end up in what we eat, drink and breathe
- Factory farms and industrial slaughterhouses often create unsanitary conditions that cause food contamination, sickening 76 million people in the U.S. yearly.
- Topsoil erosion and aquifer depletion caused by industrial agriculture undermines genetic diversity, and pollutes air, water, and soil with toxic chemicals, causing $34.7 billion in environmental damage annually in the U.S. alone.
- Management of animal waste at factory farms often contaminates nearby soil and water with pathogens, heavy metals, and excess nutrients that can sicken neighboring residents.
- Industrial agriculture contaminates ground and surface water with toxic pesticide and fertilizer runoff, hormone and antibiotics residue, heavy metals and harmful pathogens.
- Industrial farming often results in dead soil due to extensive plowing, constant planting and reliance on toxic chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
- Routine use of toxic pesticides by industrial agriculture pollutes air, soil and water, and damages human health.
- Antibiotics regularly fed to industrially raised animals to promote growth and keep them alive in unsanitary conditions contributes to the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria, an increasing threat to human health.
- Hormones routinely fed to livestock in factory farms have been linked to illness in animals and humans.
- Genetically engineered monoculture crop systems favored by industrial farms drain nutrients from the land, allow pests and disease to flourish and undermine genetic diversity.
- Large amounts of fossil fuel are required to plow fields, transport foods over long distances, and produce fertilizers on industrial farms.
- Factory farmed animals are subjected to cruel and unsanitary conditions that cause widespread disease and aggressive behavior.
- Factory farms hire as few workers as possible and do little to support the local economy.
- Industrial and factory farm workers often endure unhealthy and dangerous working conditions for unlivable wages and are denied access to unions, overtime pay, safety training and worker compensation.
The Small, Sustainable Farm
It's clear that damage done to humans, animals and Mother Earth by industrial farming is massive and if left unchecked, could spell disaster for all three.
But small, sustainable farmers are changing this paradigm.
In her book "Why We Farm: Stories of Farmers from the Capay Valley" Elvira Di'Brigit shares accounts of small farmers drawn to a Northern California community to grow food as serious "stewards of the land."
In this episode of the podcast, Elvira and I discuss how these amazing farmers have found success using sustainable growing techniques and non-traditional business models that connect them directly to consumers.
Farming is hard work and small farmers face many obstacles not shared by their industrial counterparts. But these folks revel in it and enjoy their lives in the Capay Valley.
It makes me wonder why. Is it the joy of using their ingenuity to solve problems in novel ways? Is it the satisfaction of knowing their work is helping to heal people and the planet? Or is it just the peaceful, bucolic life in the Capay Valley? Perhaps all three.
If you'd like to learn more about these fascinating farmers, you can pre-order Elvira's book here.
You can follow Elvira's work and connect with her online at the following sites: