Looking at farms for sale in Mission? Farming ventures are always a great idea but sometimes farmers tend to do things the wrong way. Therefore, in this article we will take a look at sustainable agriculture and how it can be instrumental for a farming venture.

Before we move to ways of implementing sustainable agriculture in your practices, we will try to understand what sustainable farming is all about. Have a look.

• Difference between organic and sustainable farming: Remember, that sustainable farming is not the same as organic farming by any means. While organic farming only refers to food which is grown naturally without using  synthetic chemicals. Although both of them aim to encourage ecological practices, they are not the same. Sustainable agriculture mitigates the potential risks of organic farming such as damaged ecosystems, loss of nutrients in soil etc.

• Understanding the meaning of sustainable farming: Sustainable farming is a practice to produce an indefinite amount of food while avoiding any drastic changes to the land, utilizing resources like water optimally and generating a steady flow of income whilst focusing on the overall infrastructure development.

• Resource management practices: Sustainable farming aims at using resources in such a way that they are replenished at the same pace as consumption. Analyse your resource inputs such as soil, water and energy being used to feed livestock. Along with that we also need to focus on long term productivity and capital investments.

Now that we understand what sustainable farming is all about, it is time to look at ways that will help you in incorporating this practice with your farming schedule. In the following points we will take a look at some simple ways that will help you follow a sustained farming venture.

• Elimination of waste: Implement the ‘three R’ practice, which helps segregate everything on the farm into three main categories mainly reduce, reuse and recycle. This practice is sustainable and also gives economic benefits to in the long run. Be creative and use the resources to their optimal potential and incase there is something you don’t really need, sell it or give it away to someone who can use it.

• Promote biodiversity on your farm land: It is a good idea to use polyculture on your farm as it produces less waste and reduces the consumption of fuels. Use breeds which are well suited with the environmental settings in your area in order to yield the best results. Crop rotation is another great way to keep the soil rich in nutrients. A combination of both crops and livestock can be a game changer in your farming business.

• Take care of your farm’s surroundings: The surroundings of the farm are often ignored. They should be taken care of diligently, having trees around the farms will help in making the place more airy and will also protect crops from winds. With enough green cover natural predators like spiders will rise and eat any bugs that can damage your crops.
• Having the right people on the farm: Always hire people who are committed to work hard on the farm and get things done in the right way. You can reduce use of fossil fuels by increasing manpower on the farm. Skilled labor knows the complexity of sustainable agriculture and will also give the right advice when needed.

Farming is a lot of work and thus must have a sustained operational mechanism. To find the right farm for your venture visit http://fraservalleyfarm.ca/ and create a farming business that is sustained and will help you reap benefits for years to come.