Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
consumed in the United States. These numbers reflect my own experiences and show that a return
to the simple backyard farm can make a huge impact in the level of food available in the United
States today.
Eggs collected fresh every day right out of the backyard. It's only the beginning of what is available to you
right outside your back door if you're willing to stretch your comfort zone a little.
An Earth-Friendly Lifestyle
This isn't about a fad or “going green” or anything like that. Backyard farming to support an
Earth-friendly lifestyle is about developing a system that is sustainable for the long term. And part
of that is understanding how our current food industry is not.
When I married Sidney and learned more about country living, I discovered what a long-term
mind-set homesteaders have, even when operating on a small scale. You rotate your crops because
that is better for the land three or four years down the road. You don't pollute your land because
that can ruin it for decades, and then what will your grandchildren live on? I think in many ways,
getting closer to my food at its source, and paying close attention to the land itself, has made me
more aware of the damages wrought by modern agricultural methods.
One of the biggest factors in this destruction is the separation of plant production and meat
production. We have a system where thousands upon thousands of animals are housed and raised
in very small spaces, creating a huge amount of manure and waste. Meanwhile we have farmers
growing a huge amount of grain crops on soil that is being rapidly depleted, causing them to use
