As we look at small farming today, we need to develop an alternative way of thinking about agriculture.
Agriculture is a way of life, and it is our livelihood.
We have only begun to see and feel the impacts of high rates of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on our farms and in our water supplies. Early in our history, Midwestern settlers tilled the soils and had excellent grain yields without fertilizers, without pesticides, without herbicides, and without genetically improved seeds. As they depleted the soils, they required fertilizers. We have become dependent on fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals to grow our food. The time has come to reevaluate our way of thinking and to reevaluate methods of farming.