Re:The U.S. corn belt has lost a third of its topsoil
by stefs on Thursday April 15, 2021 @06:47PM
(#26827159)
it's a wonderful feel-good movie (i loved it), but i'm not sure whether this is actually a sustainable farming solution. afaik they make the farm profitable tourism, i.e. the guided tours, which wouldn't scale.
Re:The U.S. corn belt has lost a third of its topsoil
by datavirtue on Thursday April 15, 2021 @07:55PM
(#26827629)
When I think of sustainable farming I envision the explosion of production coming out of the Amish community in south eastern Ohio (the area I know) right now. Long green houses (high tunnels) bursting with crops, solar panels everywhere, and markets and stores established nearby to make and sell value added goods from that food and to sell it fresh. These people are literally getting rich and they barely use any fossil fuels and they are merely a blip on the food radar.
Re:The U.S. corn belt has lost a third of its topsoil
by Scoundreller on Thursday April 15, 2021 @09:34PM
(#26828349)
Probably depends on the exact practices. If they till a lot to work manure into the ground, that loosens the soil allowing it to blow away.
Others use tractors, buy fertilizers and other crop treatments like anyone else.
https://www.biggestlittlefarmmovie.com/
Your dad might love it, even if just for the nostalgia.
That said, I think some of the lessons in there are awesome. Both the ones about biodiversity but also perseverance in the light of 'disaster' striking and staying strong and going on with the biodiversity path instead of just resigning and saying "yep, alright, Big Farmer is right, this doesn't work".