Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
by carefully targeted loosening. I think that there is a parallel between this type of
tillage and counselling which can free up hard, inflexible areas in our minds to allow
creative, positive thinking and awareness of our self-integrity.
In North West Scotland and in the Hebrides, crofters are starting to restore peatland
abandoned by their predecessors over the last 50 years to agriculture. The landscape
begins to look alive once more. Restoration by drainage, tillage, and liming needs to
be guided by the depth of the peat, by the vegetation cover, and by the drainage status,
all of which can vary widely over short distances. As with organic farming, a mixed
farming system is used, and animals are involved. The overzealous enforcement of
environmental pollution regulations, usually designed for large-scale enterprises, to
crofts can cause despair and abandonment of the effort. Restoration should aim for
the best for the soil, the landscape, and the people dependent on local conditions.
The people involved in land restoration often include volunteers who become
aware of the abuse that the soil has suffered and feel the healing of the land and bond
with it. Shapiro (1995) considers that this brings connection at a deep level and feel-
ings of pleasure and release, opening up channels to allow the loss of guilt, shame,
grief, loneliness, or despair. She also believes that working to restore the land shows
our forgiveness and enables us to feel forgiven. The healing of the people and the
planet belong together.
11.6.2 S
oil
C
onSeRvation
Carter and Dale (1974) described the basic principle of conservation as “using soil,
water, plant and animal resources efficiently in a way that will last and become more
productive.” They also realized that man needs to cooperate with Nature to achieve
this and not assume that he is the master. They astutely observed that “no ancient
civilization (that survived) had an effective soil conservation policy.” Conservation is
considered as being economical or sparing with a resource such as fuel or water. Our
parents or grandparents naturally conserved things, turning off lights and heaters
without thinking, perhaps prompted by unconscious memories of scarcity, expense,
or value. This type of conservation is relatively easy, though many of us choose not
to practice it. Indeed, Hartmann (1999) believes that living frugally leads to a feeling
of accomplishment and independence.
The farmer is central to the conservation process. Berry (2009) considers that
farmers not only produce food but also, by default, conserve soil, conserve water,
conserve wildlife, conserve open space, and conserve scenery. Conservation also
means asking of soils, agriculture, and people not what we can get out of them, but
what we can give back. As soil scientists, we might ask, “What can I learn from this
agricultural system that will allow me to manage it for maximum yield?” Instead,
we need to ask, “What can I learn from this agricultural system that will enable me
to serve it, or conserve it, better?” (Berry 2009). The primary aim of management
should be toward sustainability by conserving the soil, which leads to a “win-win”
because improving soil quality can increase carbon storage, reduce runoff, and, as a
result, improve soil productivity. Berry (2009) considers that conservation involves
more than just changes in management; it also involves the heart of the man manag-
ing the land. If he loves the soil, he will save it.
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