What is sustainable agriculture?

It's pretty easy to identify what's unsustainable about agriculture today: the cramming of thousands of animals in warehouses and keeping them alive in unnatural conditions with antibiotics and hormones; the storing of millions of gallons of waste generated by these animals in lagoons and then mixing this toxic brew with huge amounts of clean water in order to spray it on the land; and the many ways this waste makes its way into our water and poisons our air.

But what exactly is sustainable agriculture? As legally defined in U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103, sustainable agriculture means "an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long term:

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs.
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends.
• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole."

However, we don't think this definition goes far enough. We prefer our own, which is the result of input from farmers and diverse organizations working on the issue. Here it is:

Sustainable farming is a system that emphasizes stewardship of natural and human resources and is grounded in the principle that we must meet our present food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. It protects and improves the soil, conserves native biodiversity and habitats, and provides viable farm livelihoods as a consequence of food production. Sustainable farms are appropriate for the landscape and the local economy, and produce safe, healthy food while treating workers with respect and animals humanely and sustaining communities.

What do you think? What's your definition of sustainable agriculture?

All Hands on the Poop Check: Learn How to Monitor Water for Animal Factory Pollution!

Lynn Henning takes a sample from a waterway near a CAFO.

One of the most important weapons in the fight against polluting animal factories or CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) is the evidence our volunteers gather in waterways near these facilities.

Concerned citizens have helped us collect vital data on the levels of pathogens and bacteria that end up in rivers and streams when manure and waste runs off from farm fields, leaks from storage lagoons or is intentionally dumped. They also check for dissolved oxygen levels, which are lowered by excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that come from CAFOs and contribute to fish kills.

The Sierra Club is offering two free introductory webinars for folks interested in learning more about monitoring for animal factory water pollution.  They will take place Thursday, June 21, and Tuesday, June 26, from 7-8 pm.

Both webinars will be conducted by Goldman Environmental Prize Winner Lynn Henning and Scott Dye, Sierra Club Water Sentinels program director. They will give an overview of the types of pollution caused by CAFOs, how water monitoring is done and what we do with the data.

Participants will also have the opportunity to sign up for advanced training to become a volunteer water monitor of an animal factory in their area.  

To register for a webinar, email gail.philbin@sierraclub.org and specify the webinar date in the subject line. We'll send call-in details the week before the webinar.

Questions? Contact gail.philbin@sierraclub.org or lynn.henning@sierraclub.org.

Do you eat? Pay taxes? Watch this video!

Animal factory manure flowing into a Michigan waterway.

If you're like most people, you probably don't know much about the Farm Bill or just think it's an abstract piece of legislation that has something to with farmers but not much to do with you. In reality, it's a vital (and complex) bill that has a huge impact on our daily lives because it determines what kind of food we think is important enough to spend large amounts of taxpayer money on -- and that comes down to whether we support polluting animal factories or sustainable farmers.  

Right now, as it has for years, the bill heavily favors the kind of practices and needs of animal factories and gives short shrift to the kind of agriculture that works in harmony with nature and produces healthy, safe food for our families. 

For a quick lesson in why the Farm Bill should matter to you, check out this short video from Watershed Media, the folks who brought you the book CAFO: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories. 

The Farm Bill comes up every five years, and Farm Bill 2012 is being hammered out right now, so it's a good time to let your legislators know what kind of food and farmers you want the bill to support.  To learn what you can do to make a difference, visit http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/fair-farm/ 

Last Call at the Oasis Opens Nationwide

Last Call at the Oasis, a new documentary about the global water crisis that features the Sierra Club Michigan's own Lynn Henning, opened nationwide last weekend to great reviews.  Lynn's work documenting animal factory pollution is spotlighted in the film, right alongside renowned environmental activist Erin Brockovich.

Last Call at the Oasis will be coming to Michigan soon. Watch this space for details.  In the meantime, check out this trailer for the movie.

And here's a sampling of reviews from around the country:

LA Times: 'Last Call at the Oasis' smartly sounds alarm on water 

New York Times: When There Really is not a Drop to Drink  

NPR:  For Americans' Water, It's Last Call at the Oasis

Welcome to the Farms Without Harm Forum!

Thanks for visiting this forum for people who want to do something about the polluting animal factories in Michigan!  Hosted by the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, this blog's purpose is to connect you with like-minded folks so you can share experiences and ideas, get the latest news on this issue, and help us build a movement to increase the pressure on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in Michigan while growing the support for sustainable, small farmers around the state. 

In the coming months, you’ll hear about a new campaign involving diverse groups that address various aspects of the animal factory issue.  We're building a coalition to apply real pressure to animal factories from many sides.

Michigan has more than 230 animal factories lurking off the radar in rural areas. Out of sight, out of mind, maybe, but they have a real, negative impact on our daily lives, whether or not we get our food from small, sustainable farms. These livestock warehouses generate millions of gallons of manure annually, poisoning our water and air while sucking the life out of local economies. Even when they violate federal and state regulations, CAFOs get rewarded with the lion’s share of federal subsidies (our tax dollars), under-cutting the very farmers we support with our shopping habits.

For more than a decade, Sierra Club's Michigan Chapter has tackled head on the pollution side of the CAFO issue-- tracking manure run-off, alerting the authorities to violations, lobbying for better laws and oversight, educating citizens, and suing operations when necessary. Our own Lynn Henning has gained international recognition for her work documenting the pollution of these “farms."

Now, we’re taking it to the next level. Later this year, you’ll hear about a new campaign to ratchet up our efforts as the state’s CAFO watchdog while being more aggressive in our support of sustainable agriculture. We’ll involve many groups and individuals like you in the effort to apply pressure to these corporate polluters.

We’re excited about this campaign, but it won’t be effective without you! You can join the fight for a better food system in a number of ways right now:

• Join our Water Sentinel program and monitor a local waterway for animal factory pollution. Contact lynn.henning@sierraclub.org.
• Become a community spokesperson and talk to the media and table at events. For details, email gail.philbin@sierraclub.org.
• Host a house party to educate friends and family about this issue. To get more info, contact gail.philbin@sierraclub.org.
• Buy from local, sustainable farms near you. Visit www.localharvest.org.
• Support our CAFO work with a donation to the Michigan Chapter. Contact jan.oconnell@sierraclub.org.

Finally, stay up to date on the progress of our new campaign, learn about events and things you can do to help by signing up to be on our email list. You’ll learn about the campaign’s blog and website where you can share thoughts and ideas with like-minded people and help build the movement with us! Just contact gail.philbin@sierraclub.org.

Thanks!  We look forward to working with you.