How does Creek Bend Farm measure up when it comes to sustainability?
Here are several of Sam's practices that contribute to the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment.
1) Manage grazing on the farm to ensure proper feeding of animals & to encourage regrowth of plants.
2) Limit the use of machinery,
Tennessee’s history of agriculture is very interesting. One part of the history is that even though you think they didn’t use machines they used wooden machines powered by horse. Later on they started using tractors and fertilizers. Sam aims to use farm machinery less frequently on other farms to avoid wasting fuel and polluting the air. Also, the less he runs his tractor over the land, the better chance the land has to grow naturally and recover healthy, diverse plant growth from the past. (By: Evan)
3) Encourage diversity.
Sam intentionally raises various animals on his land because they each provide benefits to the land and each other.
4) Don't use pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
After World War II enormous bomb factories turned into fertilizer manufacturers. Now there aren’t a lot of sustainable farms left because so many farms are spraying their land with chemicals and need to constantly continue this practice to keep things growing.. But Sam’s farm doesn't use these materials. (By: Evan)
3) Keep the soil healthy.
What does Sam do to keep his soil healthy? Sam doesn't use any pesticides. Pesticides are nasty chemicals that can hurt the plants and animals and destroy nutrients in the soil. He lets his cows roam around and eat grass on the pasture. Guess what? The cow manure fertilizes the soil. Sam has chickens and the chickens always follow the cows. The chickens are attracted to the flies on the manure so they eat the flies and spread the manure. This fertilizes the soil and keeps the grass growing so the cows can return to the pasture in the future. (By: Mariana)
1) Manage grazing on the farm to ensure proper feeding of animals & to encourage regrowth of plants.
2) Limit the use of machinery,
Tennessee’s history of agriculture is very interesting. One part of the history is that even though you think they didn’t use machines they used wooden machines powered by horse. Later on they started using tractors and fertilizers. Sam aims to use farm machinery less frequently on other farms to avoid wasting fuel and polluting the air. Also, the less he runs his tractor over the land, the better chance the land has to grow naturally and recover healthy, diverse plant growth from the past. (By: Evan)
3) Encourage diversity.
Sam intentionally raises various animals on his land because they each provide benefits to the land and each other.
4) Don't use pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
After World War II enormous bomb factories turned into fertilizer manufacturers. Now there aren’t a lot of sustainable farms left because so many farms are spraying their land with chemicals and need to constantly continue this practice to keep things growing.. But Sam’s farm doesn't use these materials. (By: Evan)
3) Keep the soil healthy.
What does Sam do to keep his soil healthy? Sam doesn't use any pesticides. Pesticides are nasty chemicals that can hurt the plants and animals and destroy nutrients in the soil. He lets his cows roam around and eat grass on the pasture. Guess what? The cow manure fertilizes the soil. Sam has chickens and the chickens always follow the cows. The chickens are attracted to the flies on the manure so they eat the flies and spread the manure. This fertilizes the soil and keeps the grass growing so the cows can return to the pasture in the future. (By: Mariana)