Revolutionary Agriculture
Most people’s lives depend heavily on plant and animal based foods, however understanding the process of modern agriculture is not as common. Agriculture, the practice of farming including both the cultivation of crops and/or raising of livestock for food products is one of the most important aspects of our daily lives, yet we may forget the impact it can have on our environment and health, (www.dictionary.com). Agriculture in the United States markedly shifted in the 20th century from small commercial farms supplemented by home gardening to large scale commercial farming. The shift may not be sustainable using the current model, and there could be drastic environmental impacts if action is not taken. In the last century, many changes occurred in the 20th century that impacted agricultural production. First, the introduction of machines in agriculture and this revolutionized manual labor and the pace of food production. Following the introduction of mechanized farming tools, chemical agents such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides further sped growth and increased production of produce. Finally, nearing the end of the century bioengineering launched genetically modified organisms and pesticides to accompany these newly patented organisms. With each innovation came consequences on the surrounding world and people living in it. The resulting modern agricultural systems may not be sustainable and cause high risks to the environment as well as animal and human health. Shifting to support agricultural needs through home gardening and animal husbandry can support the current system’s sustainability and improve health for those who adopt these techniques into their lifestyle. The movement towards home based agriculture can support sustainable food production and prevent interruption in availability of essential food items. Additionally, accepting the idea of cultivating a home garden, composting, and animal husbandry offers many physical and emotional benefits on an individual basis. Most importantly, the adoption of such concepts can help prevent a second crisis such as the Dustbowl of the 1930s.
During the early 1900s, commercial farms required large quantities of hired hands and animals to meet production needs for the growing population in the US. However, by the end of the century, only a very small amount of the workforce continued to work in the agriculture industry, (Dimitri, Effland, & Conklin 2005). The lightening of the man and animal power needed, despite the increase in farm size, was primarily due to the invention of many new mechanized farming tools and machines. Inventions such as combines, tractors, and harvesters revolutionized the production of food because they reduced the need for manual labor and allowed farmers to be able to manage larger plots of land. However, they often were crop specific and promoted monocropping, growing one crop in large number repeatedly on the same plot of land. In addition to the invention of time and labor saving machines, another machine that impacted agriculture was the refrigerator. The refrigerator was launched in the 1920s and allowed consumers to keep fresh produce and dairy products fresh for longer, (Ross 2017). While this may seem petty compared to our modern standards, the widespread availability of refrigeration meant consumers may not need to supplement their groceries with a home garden. They now could purchase food to either be kept cold or frozen allowing them to rely less on fresh produce they grew themselves. Lastly, transportation methods increased in availability and speed during the 20th century due to railroads and roads peaking in distances allowed the increasing volume of produce cultivated on farms to reach the public faster and more efficiently than ever before, (Bellis ThoughtCo). This revolution of food accessibility allowed the public reduce independence and rely on the agriculture system more so than ever before.
Alongside the industrial revolution of farming was the introduction of chemicals into agriculture. In the first part of the 20th century, scientific discovery was held in high regard and because it often tied to the increase of productivity or improving systems, the development of innovative agricultural products fell in line with these goals. Many chemical agents came into use in the early 1900s such as nitrogenous fertilizers, copper based pesticides, and sulfurous insecticides. While each held a specific use, their overall purpose was to propel the ability to produce larger quantities of produce to increase profits for farming companies. Farmers often used chemical fertilizers because they caused plants to grow quickly, they are a cost effective way to increase yield, improved produce quality, and often were scientifically analyzed to identify the ideal quantity for use, (Day, Today’s Homeowner)(Aktar, Sengupta, & Chowdhury 2009). However, the longterm effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are potentially harmful and their benefits short lived. For example, they do not improve soil structure and therefore need to be reused season after season, they can easily disrupt the ecosystem by killing non-target organisms or causing minor species obsolescence, and could cause buildup of toxic substances such as arsenic, (Jayasumana, et al. 2015). The change in production of agriculture and high demand for increased output pushed for cheap, fast fixes such as these, but they came at a cost to our environment and health.
While we may not believe devastation of the modern agricultural system could occur, one such event already took place in the last century and signs of impending disaster have started rearing their head. For example, the Dustbowl that included multiple layers and years of catastrophe wreaked havoc on the United states in the early 1900s. During the 1930s, farmers began to see the effects of increased farm size and monocropping that grew out of proportion destroying many of the prairies of the mid-United States.
“Crops began to fail with the onset of drought in 1931, exposing the bare, over-plowed farmland. Without deep-rooted prairie grasses to hold the soil in place, it began to blow away. Eroding soil led to massive dust storms and economic devastation—especially in the Southern Plains.” (www.history.com)
In 1932, 14 dust storms strolled across the midwest and caused even more destruction to the already damaged and drought ridden land. The following year, 1933, 38 dust storms plowed through and ensured the start of the Great Depression was in full swing with a major hit to food production and farmers who had previously earned great success.
Additionally, in our modern day we are beginning to see the tip of the iceberg, and whether we hit it head on and flounder titanically or turn out of impending disaster is in our hands. The first step is to start listening to the far off cries of nature when it shouts of imbalance. While we may not be facing exactly the destruction of the 1930s, our modern agriculture practice of widespread chemical pesticides is affecting the bee population. Bees are vital to the growth of plants because they are effective pollinators and without them many common food items such as, apples, almonds, blueberries, onions, and more would not grow to fruition successfully, (www.foxnews.com). The most prominent issue is that of neonicotinoid pesticides that are suspected of causing issues with colony collapse disorder. Colony collapse disorder is when a bee colony dies off for unknown reasons without factors that would warrant the colony leaving. A study by Yale University aptly describes the pressing issue:
“...a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, now the world’s most widely used type of insecticide. Neonicotinoids are one of the leading suspected causes of colony collapse disorder, and the European Commission announced its controversial decision three months after the European Food Safety Agency concluded that the pesticides represented a “high acute risk” to honeybees and other pollinators.”
(Grossman 2013)
The reason bees may be affected more so than other insects is because bees are in direct contact with the pollen of plants treated with neonicotinoids as described in an article by Nature magazine:
“In recent years, concern has grown among scientists and policymakers that neonicotinoids harm bees; the pesticides are often applied to seeds before they are sown, and can later be found in pollen.”
Despite the idea that the pesticides may be washed off or wear off over time, it’s proving to enter into the plant during development and the pesticide can later be found in the plant’s pollen. Bees collect pollen on their bodies and use it to produce food for themselves and larvae. Therefore, they are exposed to high doses of the pesticides in the pollen and this may cause their death or illness. Due to the small size of bees, they may be more sensitive to the effects of these pesticides, but larger animals may also experience health issues due to exposure to chemical pesticides such as this.
The cries of nature due to modern agricultural production and farming also affects the health of humans no matter how we attempt to avoid the issue. Because many crops are grown repeatedly on the same farm for years, possibly centuries, the topsoil can begin to decrease in nutrient value. While this effect evidently had an environmental effect in the 1930s, it certainly can impact human health if this is the produce most Americans rely upon. Due to the urgency to produce large quantities of produce and farming tools catering to monocropping, soil may not be allowed to rest adequately from year to year and this can result in poor health of plants and lower quantities of essential nutrients. Because people eat these plants that may be deficient, it could result in deficiencies from a lack of essential dietary nutrients. Decreased quantities of essential nutrients over long periods of time can impact a person’s health causing issues such as scurvy, rickets, hypocalcemia, anemia, and even depression, (www.merckmanuals.com)(www.healthline.com). Additionally, conventionally grown produce where chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides were used often contain residues of these chemicals. The complete and long term health effects of many have yet to be adequately tested, and therefore could cause health issues due to exposure. In an educational document written by the Washington State Center for Ecogenetics & Environmental Health it was stated that those who are exposed to these chemicals may develop chronic diseases, and even small exposure repeated over long periods of time can result in poor health or even diseases:
“These studies have found that chronic, lower dose exposure is associated with respiratory problems, memory disorders, skin conditions, depression, miscarriage, birth defects, cancer and neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease. There have been fewer studies of people without known occupational exposures, but one study with a nationally representative sample showed increasing odds of ADD/ADHD for 8-15 year olds with increasing levels of OP pesticides metabolites in urine.”
No matter the amount of issues, our focus should stay on solutions to prevent or reverse issues involving environmental harm and human health effects due to modern agriculture.
As any revolution, the fight often begins on the homefront and to take up arms in the battle against poor agricultural standards I propose the incorporation of more home gardens, also called Victory Gardens, and animal husbandry. Supplementing one’s diet with home grown foods and products from your own animals can enable people who otherwise could not afford organic meals the ability to grow organic food and support sustainable agriculture. A study done by Oregon State University as part of their Master Gardener Program compared the costs of home gardening and maintaining the garden with purchasing the same amount of produce: “...vegetable gardening can help a family save money on their food budget, particularly if household members (rather than hired help) maintain the garden.” (www.joe.org). Therefore, cost should not prohibit a shift to home gardening and avoiding chemically treated foods. However, not everyone has the space or physical capability to keep a home garden or farm animals. For those who still want to benefit of small scale organic gardening they can seek an urban or public garden where communal gardening is encouraged and the harvests shared among members. One resource to find community gardens is: www.communitygarden.org/find-a-garden/. Participants simply search their local area using their zip code for community gardens. Additionally, those who cannot garden, but have available land can connect with people interested in gardening. A program that helps connect gardeners with landowners is Shared Earth, where participants register whether they have land they want gardened or they are interested in gardening and find someone with the complementary desire. Interested individuals can learn more about Shared Earth at: www.sharedearth.com. Programs such as community gardening and interconnecting gardeners with available land further reduce the need for large scale farming and create sustainable agriculture. It also allows for cultivation of foods that are nutrient dense and grown in topsoil that has not yet been depleted. In addition to small scale gardening, the reduction of the need for dairy, eggs, and meat can also lighten the load on conventional agriculture. A large portion of corn and wheat are used to feed animals used for the production of culinary items such as milk, cheese, and eggs. Therefore, if a person is able to keep chickens, goats, sheep, or even a small cow they would make a great impact on the protection of topsoil if they are able to feed these animals grass or other foods that are not high demand crops. Even though animal husbandry can reduce pressure on conventional agriculture, ultimately the reduction and/or elimination of animal based foods makes the most impact on reducing the use of monocrops that are used to feed farm animals. Eating a vegetarian or vegan diet cuts out the need to grow large quantities of grains to feed meat and dairy animals. Overall, home gardening and animal husbandry help prevent widespread environmental disasters by decreasing the demand on large scale farms and allows individuals food independence. Additionally, it decreases the need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides by lowering demand for commercially farmed produce. Less food produced using conventional methods means that less chemicals will enter the environment and cause harmful effects to soil, animals, and insects that may suffer from exposure to these agricultural chemicals.
A simple way to begin a home garden is to create a compost bin or worm composting container. While this may not directly appear to aid in the efforts of producing food on one’s own, creating sustainable sources of nutrient rich fertilizer is a vital step in the process. Once a person has well developed compost, they can use this to grow produce in larger quantities and of better quality. When an agricultural revolutionist is ready to dive into growing their own food, they can choose whether they prefer to begin gardening in the ground or in pots based on their available space and needs. Gardening in the ground is fairly simple and often purchasing plant starts at a local nursery is a wonderful way to begin with a few simple plants that already reached a stable point in their development. However, not everyone is able to begin gardening directly in the ground and some may need to start their plants in pots. Though this may not be as ideal for the plant, it can provide the opportunity for edible interior decorating! A few simple plants to begin growing indoors are: sweet peas, rosemary, green beans, and summer squash.
Home gardening and animal husbandry appear to be the logical solution to support sustainable agriculture, they also are accompanied by tremendous health benefits in addition to environmental benefits. For example, gardening can offer lower risk of obesity, dementia, improved immune function and support of healthy gut flora, as well as aid in decreasing stress levels, (Van Den Berg & Custers 2010)(www.ideas.ted.com). In addition to these benefits, gardening has even proven to be a strong method of recovering from stress as stated in the following quote from a study by the Journal of Health Psychology:
“Gardening and reading each led to decreases in cortisol during the recovery period, but decreases were significantly stronger in the gardening group. Positive mood was fully restored after gardening, but further deteriorated during reading. These findings provide the first experimental evidence that gardening can promote relief from acute stress.” (Van Den Berg & Custers 2010)
Decreased stress levels can not only play a role in better physical health, but improving psychological health. Both aspects can greatly support better social interaction and overall improve society from the ground up. In addition to the health benefits, keeping a garden allows a person access to consistently affordable organic produce. For drastically less, a person can grow organic tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and more to help lighten the load on their grocery bill and ensure the money they do spend can be put to good use supporting sustainable agriculture. In addition, growing food yourself empowers the individual to grow food according to their personal standards. For some, they value the lack of chemical pesticides and fertilizers while others may prefer to enrich soil with compost and nutrients to produce plants of strong nutritious value.
Overviewing the changes of the previous century offers perspective to our place in the agricultural cycle and brings to light potential problems we can avoid. While the introduction of machinery in farming held many benefits and allows mass production of goods, we have grown accustomed to the availability of produce that may not last long term. Additionally, the continual use of chemical pesticides and herbicides may further deplete soil and cause future harm for human and animal health despite the short term benefits. The environmental and health impacts of these agricultural changes are undesirable and have lead to questionable reliability and nutrition of food produced in the modern agricultural model. One proposed solution is home gardening and animal husbandry to supplement food in the home. The production of food locally can help prevent full dependence on mass food production, and in the event of a food crisis mediate some immediate food needs and empower individuals to provide their own food. Along with the prevention of a food emergency, home gardening provides excellent stress relief and health benefits. A few simple steps make starting a garden an easy task and achievable for even those who live in an urban setting. Due to the shift in 20th century agriculture to large scale commercial farming, the public has become responsible for shouldering the shift back to supplementing purchased food with home gardening. Otherwise, the current agricultural model may not be sustainable, and we may find ourselves in a second wave of the Dust Bowl or other form of food desert. Taking one small step towards decreasing dependence on large commercial farming and towards home gardens, even keeping a small culinary herb is a valuable challenge to readers of all ages and walks of life. We all eat, and what we choose in this impacts our health and our world. It’s our deep responsibility to care for the environment that so graciously supports the growth of our food and our lives.
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