Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
against them. Ponds, of which there are many, are sited within an overall plan which makes
the most of the natural flows of water over the land and protects the soil from erosion. The
careful placement of different kinds of vegetation encourages a steady growth in soil fertil-
ity over the years.
“This farm is now an integral part of all of our lives. It exists not chiefly to provide
us with a living, nor to earn us fame by dramatically changing the world, but to recre-
ate a bond between ourselves and the land. Each person has to create his or her own
individual bond both with the land and also with the other members of the commu-
nity. Initially we did not realise how dramatically the farm would be affected by these
new practices. Usually farming today is thought of as an economic activity aiming for
profit. Our aim is to produce the greatest variety of crops adapted to the needs of our
local community. This concept is in fact much closer to a healthy way of farming, be-
cause an ecologically sound system has to be based on diversity.”
Christina Groh, one of the founders of a community supported farm in Germany
[as quoted in
The Politics of Industrial Agriculture;
Tracey Clunies-Ross and Nicholas
Hildyard; Earthscan Publications].
