Althea Ericksen
Soil Health Related To Farming Practices
For my aspect of this final project, I contributed a patch to weave together with other patches to build a quilt examining the many aspects of climate change. For my patch, I used unstretched canvas as my medium and painted on it with acrylic paint. The patch was then sewn together with my other group members' patches (Figure 1). For context, the left side of my patch shows traditional industrial mechanized tilling of soil and the right shows hand-done tillage on a regenerative farm, take note of what is going on, or not going on under the soil on each side.
Understanding the background of farming in the US is important in situating ourselves, so a very brief overview, previous to the 20th century farming was primarily subsistence farming, meaning that the majority if not all produce grown went to the people growing it. As a result of industrialization, in tandem with a growing population and wars, this method was challenged, and the idea of farming working more as a business became increasingly valued. This led to increasing funding for industrial agriculture ventures, along with social programs like H-4 offering farming and business knowledge to high school students. This push sparked other coinciding industries, like seed business and fertilizer business to reevaluate their practices and goals. By the 1970s the green revolution was in full swing bringing synthetic fertilizers, largely nitrogen-heavy, to the market, and allowing food growth like never seen before. For population growth these methods were great, however beyond plentiful harvests (which were and are needed) the quality of the crops, land, and people would suffer. Looking present day the vast majority of produce we interact with comes from industrial agriculture systems, these systems generally use large tillers that cut through the ground to flip the soil quickly for quick turnaround between plantings, however, this method destroys underground soil systems and the living connections (mycorrhizal network). This in combination with synthetic fertilizers and monoculture plantings causes complete depletion of certain nutrients in the soil (from monoculture plantings) and reliance on only synthetic fertilizers to have successful future plantings.
Way before industrial agriculture emerged and presently alternative farming is being practiced with different methods and goals. Looking specifically at regenerative farming, which aims to not just grow food but also build soil and land health, for future harvests with focus on the potential of soil and land to sequester carbon as a form of climate mitigation. According to Renée Johnson, a specialist in agricultural policy, “Carbon sequestration in the U.S. agriculture sector currently offsets only about 5% of the carbon-equivalent of reported GHG emissions generated by the agriculture sector each year. Thus the sector remains a net source of GHG emissions” (Johnson et al, 2014). Based on this background I wanted to engage with different farming practices and explore their effect on soil health and in turn produce health, looking specifically at the potential benefits of regenerative practices in farming.
First delving into industrial agriculture and its effects on soil and produce health, as I stated above the usage of industrial tillage and synthetic fertilizers has been detrimental to soil and ecosystem health.
Looking specifically at the soil, if we continue our industrial practices, business as usual, which in practice contributes to soil acidification, nutrient imbalance, soil pollution, decline in organic matter, and salinization, to name a few. This could lead us towards a reality according to Li Wang, “Recent estimates show a loss of 24 billion tons of fertile soil every year, an alarming trend that could have more than 90% of Earth’s land area degraded by 2050 (Gomiero, 2016)” (Wang et al.). This is to highlight the serious need for a transition away from our current practices.
Focusing now on produce health, which could also be looked at as nutritional health. Due to factors within the growing lifecycle, like nutrient-depleted soils and synthetic fertilizers, along with the transportation of produce- the quality of said produce is greatly affected. To think about this in simple terms it's like putting a sponge in an empty cup, the same could be said in planting crops in soil depleted of nutrients- there is nothing to soak up, and this affects nutrient value and taste. While synthetic fertilizers are added in these don’t offer the same value as organic fertilizers and create a cyclical reliance where transitioning away from the usage of these fertilizers will create an environment where other crops cannot grow for years.
Looking at my first incorporated art by Alexandre Hogue titled Erosion No. 2-Mother Earth Laid Bare, done on canvas with oil paint in 1936. I found this piece quite interesting and particularly relevant to industrial farming practices as this piece came right after the Dust Bowl which partially occurred as a result of poor farming methods. It’s interesting how an issue so old can still be prevalent and worse today. I appreciated the centrality of a body as I find environmental work sometimes distances itself from the people, which is curious as they are central to upholding our farming methods.
Now look at Farm Yard by Frances Hodgkins, made with oil paints on canvas in 1940. This piece stood out to me with its focus on the machinery you find on a farm. Actually, in the piece you don’t see any humans or plants just machines and buildings. This piece evoked an uneasiness, something so vital to our survival being not in the hands of humans feels wrong. Just considering that I tied this to our broader reliance on technology and thinking about the gaps, one being to me agriculture, that humans are still central to.
Conversely looking at regenerative farming, the focus in this type of farming is centered on quality over quantity in produce, practicing methodology that builds soil and land health which also benefits produce health. This framework doesn’t just look at current issues, but also what will come in the future and how we can adapt and fight the climate crisis. Specifically focusing on soil health, understanding the value of quality soil is crucial, a passage from Merlin Sheldrakes, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make our Worlds, Change our Minds & Shape our Futures, illuminates this potential, “He (Albert Frank) performed elegant experiments with pine seedlings. Some he grew in sterilized soil; some he grew in soil collected from a nearby pine forest. Those that grew in forest soil formed fungal relationships and developed into larger, healthier saplings than those grown in sterile conditions” (Sheldrake, pg 129).
In terms of produce health, generally, regenerative farming practices are more tied to their local community and as a result have to deal less with issues related to transportation. The produce also generally is higher in nutrients due to practices like the 3 C’s (cover crop, compost, and crop rotation) which all address nutrient depletion in the soil. Along with practicing biodiverse methods that are I would say more traditional to the way the land was before industrialization. This idea elaborated on by Jessica Horton and Rose Simpon, “Understanding how life on Earth naturally finds the path of least resistance, permaculturists adapt their agricultural techniques in sustainable ways to different landscapes through observation and biomimicry” (Simpson and Horton, pg 314).
While practicing these methods is extremely valuable, I think the viewpoint we come at these issues with is just as valuable, a passage from Jeremy Rifkin that spoke directly to the approach was, “In the Age of Resilience, we will need to deepen our empathic drive and reach out to the next stage of empathic extension—a biophilia consciousness that brings our species back into the family of life. The litmus test will be how we nurture and prepare our children and their children to let the sense of awe awaken, even to the terrifying ways the earth is convulsing. That renewed sense of awe, although frightening, is also potentially liberating. If met head-on, it can trigger a new and more enveloping sense of wonder, spark our collective imagination, ready us to explore new paths toward adapting to nature’s calling, and become resilient—to not just survive but to flourish in unexpected ways with our extended evolutionary family” (Rifkin, pg 252). This value in an empathetic approach I see as important in farming and general environmental frameworks, centering humans is essential to thinking about climate issues in a just way. It is untrue and less valuable to come up with solutions that require extreme human change or elimination, while addressing climate change does require immense change, shaming folks of all different backgrounds will generally not lead to the change we need and if anything be offputting.
Looking at the piece Oxen Yoked and Plowing by Guruprasad N Bhat, a photograph, we witness traditional plowing methods, which have been used for thousands of years. I appreciated the animal's centrality in this image. I think even acknowledging that up until the last century methods for producing food were vastly different- yet people still had access to quality food is valuable. Just because we have a status quo doesn’t mean we need to uphold the system or sit back and not do anything.
Next look at Paradoxes of Plenty, by Marzia Migliora, a multi-media piece from our course book which chooses to center bags of synthetic fertilizer and the humans producing those chemicals with the food filling the exterior. The work aims for large fertilizer producers and more generally the large agriculture systems upholding industrial practices. This priority of profit damages the soil and crops, creating a cyclical issue where crops will only grow with synthetic fertilizer, and the transition away becomes more challenging. I found the intentional centrality to ring so true to my findings in my research on industrial farming and the priorities within.
Last looking at soil-erg by Claire Pentecost, again from the course book where the soil is compacted to gold bar shapes, to imply the value of quality soil. Interestingly if you tried to pick them up or transport them they likely would break apart, signaling the place-based nature of soil. Highlighting the importance of regional knowledge by understanding the possible diversity locationally even within the same area.
Reflecting I think it's valuable to acknowledge that without industrial agriculture we would not be the society we are today, for the good and bad. Examining industrial farming practices and regenerative farming practices with a focus on soil and produce health allows us to see potential benefits in transitioning away from industrial practices. This was shown through indicators of soil health and produce quality which signify the value of practicing regenerative methods. Something to leave you with, in seven generations do we want barren soil or with practice implemented biodiverse more resilient food systems for now and the future- the decision is ours.
Figures (Mentioned in work)
Figure 1
My patch
Artworks Included
Erosion No. 2-Mother Earth Laid Bare by Alexandre Hogue (1936), Oil on canvas
Farm Yard by Frances Hodgkins (1940), Oil on canvas
Paradoxes of Plenty by Marzia Migliora, (2020), multimedia
soil-erg by Claire Pentecost, (2012), soil
Citations:
Wang, L., Lu, P., Feng, S., Hamel, C., Sun, D., Siddique, K. H. M., & Gan, G. Y. (2024). Strategies to improve soil health by optimizing the plant–soil–microbe–anthropogenic activity nexus. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 359, 108750-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108750
Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life : how fungi make our worlds, change our minds & shape our futures (First edition.). Random House.
Simpson, R., Horton, J., Demos, T. J., Scott, E. E., & Banerjee, S. (2021). The Routledge Companion to Contemporary Art, Visual Culture, and Climate Change (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429321108
Johnson et al., (2014). The Encyclopedia of Earth.Congressional Research Service.
Rifkin, J., (2022). The Age of Resilience: Reimagining Existence on a Rewilding Earth. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.