Article by Patrick Hope-Bailie
Photo: Courtesy of Allamakee Soil and Water Conservation District
”If we throw Mother Nature out the window, she comes back in the door with
a pitchfork.” Masanobu Fukuoka
H
olistic farming is an intriguing concept, and
one that has certainly
garnered more attention
in recent years. This is most commonly directed by the increasing
awareness of humanity’s collective,
and predominantly negative impacts on the natural environment at
large.
It is becoming increasingly well understood that the current methods
through which the majority of the
world’s food and commodities are
produced has pock-marked the
earth, drying and desertifying land,
removing acre upon acre of rainforest and despoiling soils to the point
where they have become sterile and
salted. In terms of sustainability,
commercial, chemical-based farming doesn’t quite cut it. But one can
understand why agricultural production has been moved in this direction.
In an increasingly globalised economy, the need to produce goods
quickly and efficiently with reduced
costs and increased profits has become our mantra. Modern modes
of production have become mecha-
nised and manufactured and the
cumulative effects of this way of
doing things, immaterial. Failing to
realise the extent of the damage
done, there’s a metaphor that
comes to mind – a frog and a hot
pot of boiling water, slowly getting
hotter. This is where holistic farming has the upper hand – a restorative, regenerative way of growing
that works “with” nature to help us
provide for both ours, and the
planet’s needs. As much as we may
wish them to be, the two are not
mutually exclusive.
Holistic farming, biological or nature farming, conservation agriculture, permaculture and biodynamic
agriculture - whatever floats your
boat – all appear to have one thing
in common; and that is an intimate
connection with the natural world.
It is a viewpoint that slants in favour of a symbiotic relationship, not
a controlling one. It is an understanding that nature, when keenly
observed, illustrates all sorts of interesting relationships and interdependencies. Nothing acts or exists
in isolation. Equally summed up in
the words of atypical agriculturalist
Albert Einstein, “Every action has an
equal or opposite reaction”. It is
unbelievably karmic.
Examining agriculture from this perspective, holistic farming describes
a method through which one attempts to understand and experience the cumulative effects of their
actions. A lot of thought goes into
the processes and methods of production. There is a clear intention to
integrate with the existing patterns
of nature – designing farms in such
a way as to mimic natural processes, enhance land-use potential, increase productivity and consciously
promote life in all its forms.
When we are able to approach
farming in this way, one immediately takes notice of the dominant
characteristics of the surrounding
landforms, rivers and waterways
and seeks to use them to their best
advantage, but without causing any
harm in return. The geography of
the land, the ridges and valleys,
give an indication of land use - the
best slope for grazing, the best site
for housing, the best position for
storing water and the best areas to
leave undisturbed. The dominant
vegetation will indicate what grows