Farming for the Long Haul: Resilience and the Lost Art of Agricultural Inventiveness

The next fifty years will bring enormous disruptions to our present way of life, including the exhaustion of world oil reserves and lithium, and the depletion of topsoil in sixty years. Farming for the Long Haul is about building a viable small farm economy that can withstand these shocks, drawing on the experiences of farmers around the world who have maintained resilient agricultural systems over centuries. The book presents strategies and tools that can help farmers today and in the uncertain future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2019
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Co

The next fifty years are expected to bring significant disruptions to our current way of life, with the exhaustion of world oil reserves and lithium powering advanced batteries, as well as the looming threat of topsoil erosion in sixty years. Fresh water sources are also at risk. The large-scale agricultural and food delivery system, as we know it, has a limited lifespan before it exhausts itself and the planet.

Farming for the Long Haul is a comprehensive guide aimed at building a resilient small farm economy that can withstand the challenges posed by the twenty-first century. It draws on the innovative work of contemporary farmers and shares the experiences of farming societies around the world that have maintained sustainable agricultural systems over centuries of change.

Indigenous agriculturalists, peasants, and traditional farmers have developed broad strategies for survival through good times and bad, and many of them have prospered. They have also developed specific techniques for managing soil, water, and other resources sustainably, some of which have been adopted by organic agriculture and permaculture, while many others remain relatively unknown among alternative farmers.

This book aims to present these strategies and tools, which can be valuable to farmers today and in the uncertain future. It explores various techniques for sustainable soil management, water conservation, crop rotation, and livestock management, among others. It also provides insights into the importance of community-based agriculture, organic farming practices, and renewable energy sources in sustainable farming.

By adopting these strategies and tools, farmers can create a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system that can provide food security for generations to come. Farming for the Long Haul is a timely and essential resource for anyone interested in sustainable agriculture and food production.

Weight: 370g
Dimension: 144 x 215 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781603588003