Throughout history, agriculture has always been the backbone of mankind’s development.

It provides the essential ingredients to basic civilized life and raw materials for industrialization. With the jobs and productivity it yields, there’s no doubt that it’s also a leading industry for progress.

Unfortunately, agriculture has been plagued by harmful practices in the service of pure capital gain. Naturally, the big guys take the most out of the pie — leaving scraps to honest farmers. This forces them to adapt to the same harmful practices just to stay competitive. But the good news is: there are profitable ways to be sustainable as an industry, too. Sustainability is increasingly getting support from individuals and communities.

Being a sustainable farmer involves some big changes, depending on your operation. However, change doesn’t have to be drastic. You can slowly adjust to a sustainable operation as you build habits.

Here are a few changes you can implement after your next harvest:

3 Ways To Be Sustainable In Your Farm

Crop Rotation

Every crop takes specific nutrients out of the soil and leaves byproduct nutrients as it grows. Planting the same type of crop on the same fields depletes the same essential nutrients. This makes the soil less effective and healthy. Fertilizers do the trick, but crop rotation is a more sustainable option.

Crop rotation allows keeps the soil to benefit from diversity so you don’t have to use as many fertilizers as you usually do. Plus, specialized pests and weeds aren’t given time to accumulate and build a home among your crops.

Mulches

Mulch saves water by increasing soil capacity and reducing evaporation. It also suppresses weed growth. And if ever a stray weed makes it, mulches make it easier to pull it off the soil. Mulches contribute both to the farm’s productivity and sustainability, especially if it’s made from recycled materials.

One of the disadvantages of wood mulches is that it absorbs nitrogen out of the soil. Rubber mulches are recycled and repurposed to do the same job without this disadvantage. However, it doesn’t degrade over time so you’ll have to remove it. You can try to make your own mulch using this guide here.

Natural Pest Management

There are ways to stop infestation without using pesticides. It isn’t as easy as spraying chemical, but sustainability comes with effort. Here’s a comprehensible guide to natural pest management.

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