BIMF is highly productive and has been found to grow two to four times as much food per unit area as conventional agriculture. Cucumber yields have ranged from 9 to 15 times the national average. Carrots have not exceeded 2.5 times the national average in 17 years of evaluation. These figures came from attempts to provide a complete diet using BIMF in northern California. BIMF requires fewer off-farm inputs.
Many practitioners rely only on compost.
Those who employ other fertilizers use half the amount of organic nitrogen typically applied. After a balanced soil is achieved, BIMF also conserves energy. BIMF wastes little. Nutrients are recycled through the composting of all crop waste. Cover crops, plant diversity and limited tilled ground ensures little loss of soil and nutrients to erosion and leaching.