Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming entails taking steps to make as little of a negative impact on the environment as possible. Ultimately, principles of ecology are interwoven into the maintenance of agriculture in order to satisfy the basic human needs, while simultaneously enhancing the environmental quality and the natural resource base for farmers and society as a whole. Some of these methods include the utilization of organic fertilizers and pesticides, biodegradable shipping and packaging materials, local distribution vs widespread, and minimal use of machinery. All of these alternatives are used in an effort to reduce the overall "carbon footprint" of each farm. In regards to natural or organic foods, I personally do not purchase or consume very high quantities of them. I respect the idea of them and agree that more people should eat them, yet I honestly can't say that I live my life in accordance with the ideal that I claim to support. As a college student, I don't have a lot of money and I am constantly on the run. As a result of this, my diet consists of mostly cheap and "fast" foods. Consuming organic products is more expensive and less convenient for the phase of life that I am currently in. I think the idea of having a personal garden is noble and I appreciate it. I think it would be rewarding to put time and effort into planting some crops and then seeing them grow and getting to eat them. Unfortunately I must say that I have never actually done this before, but hopefully in the future when my life is a little less chaotic, I will try this.