Exactly what is "Sustainable Agriculture"?
Sustainable agriculture is the pursuit of an ever-evolving goal to
embrace a viable rural and urban community, economy and environment. It
has been variously named organic, alternative, regenerative and low-input
agriculture, but all apply to a new set of values emerging out of concerns
for modern agri-business. CWH has adopted the term sustainable agriculture
as it sums up the overall objectives of a number of private groups, farmers
and governmental organizations. These people are applying a change of methods
in land stewardship, management and ecological concepts to agri-business,
steering toward a more nurturing style of farming.
What is "no-tilling"
No-till conservation tillage involves leaving a surface residue on
the field with no disturbance to the plow layer. This helps reduce soil
erosion. Combined with band-spraying of herbicides in just the planted
row itself, the weeds between the rows can be cultivated with a no-till
cultivator.
What is "banding"
Banding is the spraying of pre- and post-emergence herbicides over just
the crop row. Banding allows for the reduction of up to 2/3 of applied
chemical herbicides, providing economic savings to the farmer.
What purpose does winter cover cropping serve?
Winter cover crops hold and protect topsoil, increase organic matter,
take up excess nitrogen and also provide wintering food for migratory geese.
In the Delmarva area there are two types of cover crops, small grains such
as rye, barley, and wheat and legumes such as crimson clover. |