Traditional Agriculture Pros Less time Don’t have to pay as many workers May get more of one crop Cons Typically only grow one crop ( monoculture) Often uses slash and burn Deplete soil nutrients (Need to farm somewhere else after a season or two) Possible pollution from use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers Need to constantly buy chemicals and seeds Tomatoes in Cabecera de Cochea, Panama (my first community)

Sustainable Agriculture Pros Natural, continually replenishing nutrients in the soil Extends the “life of the land” Don’t need to buy chemical pesticides and fertilizers Cons Takes time and attention to crops to be proactive about problems Hard to do on a large scale Training garden using companion planting techniques (Note: This is just a test plot)

Sustainable Agriculture Common Practices Aquaculture Intercropping Crop rotation Companion Planting Trap crops

Aquaculture Farming aquatic species, commonly salmon, shrimp, tilapia, oysters. Pros: Protein source can be grown in areas with poor soil (NEED clay soil) If Sustainable: Integrated systems can be used Barnacles growing on the nets filter fish waste and can be scraped off and fed to the fish Fish can be farmed in rice tanks: fish fertilize rice and both can be harvested

Aquaculture Marine or open water aquaculture has its risks if not sustainable. Cons: ---------------->>

Crop Rotation The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil. Applies to plants and animals (cows, etc) Pros Nitrogen fixation (beans) replenish soil nutrients Different types of crops use different nutrients Cons Need to replant, change layout

Intercropping The practice of growing two or more different crops at the same time on a plot. ex/ a carbohydrate-rich grain that depletes soil nitrogen and a protein-rich legume that adds nitrogen to the soil Pro: Use space more efficiently Grow a greater variety of crops No need to rotate crops Con: Harder to harvest on a large scale Corn and beans

Companion Planting The practice of planting specific plant together to help deter insects or to attract insects away from crops of interest Pros Plants do the work (“fertilize” each other) Cons Need to know what crops grow well together and which ones to avoid Marigolds = pesticide

Trap Crop A plant that attracts agricultural pests, usually insects, away from nearby crops Pros: Insects won’t get to main crop Cons: Need to take time and space to plant a crop you won’t harvest

Activity: Create an Ad Create an eye-catching, interesting, and creative ad promoting one of the sustainable agriculture techniques. Poster should include: Name of technique How it’s done Why it’s beneficial Poster should NOT just be a list of facts. BE CREATIVE!