What is sustainable agriculture?
Laura's Lean Beef is committed to sustainable agriculture, a practical and philosophical system of farming and ranching which revolves around the responsible stewardship of land and animals. The goals of sustainable farming management practices are to produce food and fiber in a way which is environmentally sound, economically viable, and humane.
As sustainable farmers and ranchers, we recognize that we are resource managers. Our farms and ranches are managed so that the natural biological cycles of all resources (plants, trees, livestock, wildlife, water, soil, sunshine etc.) are in sync with one another to the benefit of all. The efficient use of non-renewable resources and the non-reliance on chemicals are also part of the system.
The post-World War II model of agriculture stressed technology as the best method for producing uniform, plentiful, and cheap food. Farmers and ranchers were encouraged to buy machinery to grow and harvest feeds which were then brought to the livestock. Specialized buildings, using new types of mechanization, were built to house and manage animals. New chemicals and drugs were invented and used in agriculture to control problems of pests and disease. Many farmers became highly specialized at producing only one kind of food or fiber, and because they had invested in specialized technologies, they were locked into a monocultural system.
Monoculture can have negative environmental and economic impacts. Raising the same products on the same ground year after year eventually results in the need to use more chemicals and fertilizers to get the same results because the nutrients have been already utilized. Commodity prices are cyclical and sometimes volatile, leaving farmers and ranchers in a dangerous financial situation if the price on their single product plummets.
Diversifying farms and ranches alleviates some of these problems. Crops do better when they are rotated. Soil fertility improves when livestock are introduced, because animal manure adds organic matter as well as nutrients to the soil. Several different species of livestock on the same property are mutually beneficial because they can occupy different ecological niches, thereby utilizing more resources. Wildlife can flourish on land which has a diversity of plants and animals. Farmers and ranchers therefore have more than one product to sell and are in less of a financially precarious position that comes from reliance on a single crop.
Laura's Lean Beef is committed to economically viable sustainable agriculture. We pay our farmers and ranchers a premium for lean cattle raised in a way which is not only healthier for humans, but also the environment.
