Restoration agriculture

What Hacker News says

1. gdubsSep 2023
   We purchased a farm many years ago that had become eroded after many years of conventional farming. In our quest to transition to regenerative practices, and things like organic, we've definitely had the realization that most people have no idea where their food comes from, or why it costs what it does.

   The margins in most farming are razor thin. Our neighbors who grow conventionally spend tons on inputs like fertilizer, for a shockingly small amount of money [in return per acre]. A year of extreme weather – more and more common – throws the whole thing out the window.

   People say they want organic, but then they balk at the price without realizing how much labor goes into it when you're not just spraying to control weeds (or, more shockingly, to stop growth on your food crop at just the right time).

   All of that said, a lot of the negativity directed toward anyone who has the dream of growing their own food is often coming from a conventional mindset. There are alternative approaches. A few great books are "Permaculture" by Mollison, "One Straw Revolution" by Fukuoka, "Restoration Agriculture" by Shephard.

   As I mentioned elsewhere in the thread, it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing – you can start with some perennial herbs on your balcony. Larger scale, I'm an advocate for things like agroforestry practices, becoming more and more interested in agrivoltaics. You can go a very long way with a few dwarf fruit and nut trees, an understory of berries, and a few raised beds managed with no-dig methods.

   If nothing else, you learn first-hand the challenges (and joys) of growing food, become more connected to the world that sustains us, and maybe gain a better appreciation for the people who work really hard for very thin margins to keep us all fed.

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2. moralestapiaSep 2023
   >"Restoration Agriculture" by Shephard

   +1 to that book.

   I don't have a farm (wish to, but life is very busy atm) and is still a book I enjoyed quite a lot. Anyone could get a lot of knowledge out of it.

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3. gdubsApr 2021
   Maybe he gets to this — I stopped watching — but while this is totally true, the unfortunate side effect is no one plants things like apples and avocados because they’ve heard this before.

   On our farm there are a bunch of wild apple trees that popped up outside the proper orchard over the years — and some are amazing. And some are trash - but the elk and the deer like them.

   The way we discovered as a species which apples taste great, and which ones thrive in a certain area had a lot to do with ... growing a lot of different kinds of apples!

   This isn’t my idea — I learned it from “Restoration Agriculture” by Mark Shepherd. His book was a big inspiration for us in even getting a farm in the first place, and his approach is to grow lots of trees from trees. Reason being that finding a well-adapted variety for your region — one that tastes great, thrives in your climate, and is resistant to the local pests and fungi — is very valuable! And one way to do this, if you have the land, is to simply plant a lot of stuff and see what survives.

   Another reason is that eventually our beloved varieties succumb to environmental pressures. Pests and fungi become too well adapted. Climate changes, etc.

   While the issue of “mess” with fruit trees can be real depending on where you live, trees are overall a good thing. I’m a proponent of planting the right tree for your environment. It’s likely to last longer, both because it’s well suited to the environment and also because humans are more likely to keep it around. But don’t be discouraged that a tree may not make edible fruit — it could still make a nice tree. And you may get lucky with a new and interesting variety!

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4. gdubsJul 2020
   The book that got me into this was Mark Shepard's 'Restoration Agriculture". [1] His "New Forest Farm" in WI has been making use of these ideas for some time now. [2]

   Shepard got his inspiration from Permaculture [3] and the books, "Tree Crops", [4] and "The One Straw Revolution". [5]

   1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16441733-restoration-agr...

   2: https://newforestfarm.us

   3: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/381988.Permaculture

   4: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/714112.Tree_Crops

   5: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/976905.The_One_Straw_Rev...

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5. gdubsApr 2020
   “Restoration Agriculture” by Mark Shepard is a great book. It’s about his project, “New Forest Farm”, and is heavily influenced by Permaculture. He pulls from a lot of references like “One Straw Revolution”, etc, with a heavy focus on agroforestry (where tree crops and more traditional crops are grown in a mixed system).

   “The Resilient Farm and Homestead”, by Ben Falk is another great one — full of illustrations and practical ideas (like using a compost pile to power a radiant heat system.)

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6. dsparkmanApr 2020
   You need to look at the work of Mark Shepard. His work is all about farm scale permaculture.

   He has a book Restoration Agriculture you can find on Amazon, etc.

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