Farming: A Net Positive Force for Our World

Once you reach financial independence (FI), I believe you should only do work you would do for free. This is a personal question that only you can answer. For me, it is buying land to cultivate a no-till market garden.

Farming as a Net Positive Vocation

Farming is one of the few vocations that has the potential to have a net positive effect on the environment, the economy, and the social fabric of our communities. Unlike most other modern activities, agriculture can generate more resources than it depletes, and can create sustenance, jobs, and community connections without mining the natural capital of the planet.

Good farming can reverse some of the unsustainable “progress” we humans have made beginning with the “age of discovery” and accelerated with the industrial revolution. As farmers, we can build soil, reduce atmospheric carbon, restore ecosystem services, and repair human connections through our relationships with the land. And the need for a shift toward net-positive farming has never been more real.

The Far-Reaching Problems with Tillage

Industrial agricultre, which feeds the world as we know it, relies heavily on techniques like tillage. A look into the practice of tilling brings into focus the inherent flaws and impending risks of prevailing farming methods.

Problems with tillage are severe and far-reaching. Through erosion and loss of organic matter, tillage is helping to degrade the very substance from which human life is built. The widespread eutrophication of ponds and lakes and the pollution of wells and aquifers represent the fertility of the continent running downhill into our water sources and the ocean. Further, the productivity of our farms is dropping, even as inputs increase. The loss of organic matter – life itself – in our agricultural soils is perhaps the gravest problem we now face as a terrestrial species.

Author and geologist David Montgomery has poignantly highlighted this concern, stating, “…an agricultural civilization that degrades the soil will be transient – it cannot last if it destroys its own foundation.”

The Benefits of No-Till Farming

Tillage, and industrial agriculture in general, has made our food supply entirely dependent on fossil fuels and, by ruining the old locally based systems of farming and food distribution (more on this below), has made it very difficult to go back. No-till market gardening is a farming method that manages to address many of these concerns head-on. By preserving the soil structure, we can combat soil erosion and maintain the soil’s natural biome, contributing to soil health. This technique diminishes the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, cutting down on pollution and fossil fuel dependence. And by focusing on small-scale operations, it allows for economic viability and enhances local community involvement.

The simple step of switching away from tillage leads to incredibly numerous and overlapping benefits, whether they be environmental, economic, or human:

Preserves soil ecosystem: Soil organisms and their habitat are not pulverized by fast-moving metal.

Improves soil structure: It builds a complex structure that allows for water and nutrient retention. Porosity and soil aggregates are left intact, and compacting forces of tractor and steel are avoided.

Reduces erosion: Without constant plowing, soil is less prone to being washed away. Undisturbed soil covered in plant material naturally resists the erosive forces of wind and rain.

Causes less pollution: Reduced machinery means fewer emissions and chemicals. No-till also causes less erosion, so air pollution from dust and exhaust and water pollution from agricultural runoff are minimized.

Conserves organic matter: Without disruption, organic matter is preserved, along with the associated benefits to micro-organisms, fertility, pest and disease resistance, and water-holding capacity.

Decreases amount of carbon in the air: Carbon remains trapped in the undisturbed soil, leaving less in the atmosphere to effect the planet’s climate.

Provides ecosystem services: A healthy and intact soil ecosystem provides numerous services to humans, from the purification of air and water to the regenerative cycling of minerals, water, and carbon.

Allows earlier planting dates: With no tractor work required, there is no need to wait for fields to dry out before planting.

Reduces weeds: The majority of weed seeds remain buried in the soil, so that only those at the surface are a concern.

Enables intensive spacing and higher yields: Without the need to follow tractor dimensions, closer spacing of crop plants is possible, along with higher yield potential.

Reduced workload: Forming planting beds and setting up irrigation systems are one-time operations in a no-till system.

Provides low capital opportunities: Minimal machinery reduces start-up costs.

Requires fewer manufactured inputs: Undisturbed healthy soil leads to higher yields, fewer pests, and less disease without the need for fertilizers, pesticides, or other purchased products.

Human scale invites engagement: Growing at a scale that can largely be managed with human labor (without tillage equipment) is appealing to customers, neighbors, and employees and invites engagement from community members.

Increases worker satisfaction: Working closely with the land enriches the farming experience. Farm tools, practices, and enterprises are sized to celebrate the satisfaction and fulfillment of human work.

Creates a healthier work environment: Reduced chemicals, exhaust, dust, and noise make for a healthier, more pleasant place to work.

Improves worker safety: The hands-on approach minimizes risky machinery interactions.

Connects humans with the land: A higher ratio of humans to acres makes farming more social, blurring the line between work and play.

The Middleman’s Impact on Farming

Markets used to be good for farmers, with middlemen selling the farmers’ goods on their behalf. But the dynamics changed when middlemen began choosing which farmers to sell based on who could offer the lowest prices. If a farmer from another state can get those onions in 5 days earlier, another farmer with hundreds of acres of onions may lose that contract and go bankrupt. The middleman has destroyed the family farm and made us reliant on huge monocultures, which are devastating for the environment.

No-till human-scale market gardens move beyond this model to sell produce locally – at farmers markets, through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares, or directly to restaurants and grocery stores. In doing so, they not only contribute to the local economy but also help nurture a sense of community. We’re growing more than just food; we’re cultivating relationships and strengthening bonds with our neighbors.

Farming: A Return to Our Roots

We evolved to move, to be outdoors in nature, and to engage with our environment in a tactile and physical way. Farming connects us back to these fundamental human experiences. It’s not just about growing food; it’s a lifestyle that’s physically better for you than sitting behind a computer indoors 10 hours a day. Studies have found that time in nature can have profound benefits for mental and physical health, enhancing our well-being and aligning us with our evolutionary heritage.

However, beyond the impacts on the environment, community, and my health, market gardening holds a personal allure for me – raising my son on a farm. There’s an unquantifiable benefit to raising a child close to the earth. It’s about more than the fresh air and wide-open spaces, more than the endless playground nature provides.

Raising my son on a farm means teaching him about the cycles of life and the importance of hard work, responsibility, and respect for the environment. It means equipping him with the understanding that we are not separate from nature, but rather, part of it. He will learn first-hand where his food comes from and the effort it takes to bring a seed to harvest. The farm will be his classroom, and nature, his teacher.

Cultivating a no-till market garden is not just a personal goal; it is a path to a more sustainable and fulfilling life. It is a return to our roots, a way to heal our relationship with the Earth, and a legacy we can pass on to our children. What work would you do if money did not enter the equation?