As someone who spends significant time reading about agriculture, and practicing it as much as I am able, I'm often surprised at attitudes and beliefs held by the average layperson. One thing I've noticed is that people tend to think in terms of either/or. They see agricultural land as essentially spoiled for wildlife, yet necessarily so because we humans have to eat. In order to offset what we have taken for our needs, the thinking goes, we should set aside areas and allow them to revert to natural states.
This idea is not without merit. Rewilding key sites is essential as we face an enormous extinction crisis, and I have no argument with it. In fact I actively encourage it on the farm, since there are many sensitive areas such as riparian zones that benefit greatly when humans interfere as little as possible. Such areas are inappropriate for food production, excepting sustainable foraging.
What I take issue with is the either/or mindset. It's not surprising that people have gotten the idea that agricultural land is spoiled land, because much if it is. Vast tracts of chemically-drenched monocultures, warehouse-style animal enclosures, and fecal lagoons are the norm in the U.S. Soil is treated as a resource to be mined. Even organically farmed lands exist outside of local ecosystems and for one purpose only: producing food for humans.
But it's quite possible to manage lands for various purposes, simultaneously restoring functioning ecosystems, and producing food for ourselves. It's not rocket science either. As gardeners we can start by thinking of our yards and gardens as ecosystems, instead of just plants arranged pleasingly and conveniently for our use. Here are some good practices to follow to turn your garden into an ecosystem:
Disturb your soil as little as possible. Soil teems with microbial and invertebrate life providing the foundation for larger life forms.
Never use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and use "organic" products sparingly.
If you live in an urban or suburban area, convince your neighbors to do 1 and 2 also.
Create maximum habitat. Use the edge principle, add vertical structures, and get creative to make living space for critters without reducing food growing space.
Mix up plants within beds to create more natural environments.
If you have room in a remote corner of the yard, make a brush pile. More gardeners are simply leaving their gardens " as is" in the fall, but my jungle can get out of control quickly, so I tuck pruned woody or brushy stuff in a woody area. It makes great shelter and allows invertebrates hiding in stems to survive.
These steps are just the beginning. Make notes of the changes you make, and of any results. Learning to identify plants and animals, including insects, and devoting time to observation, will help you gauge progress, and develop the best methods for maximizing your site. When you get past the notion that your yard has to look a certain way and allow yourself to be creative, amazing things will happen.
So what about managing large tracts of land for multiple uses? Next time...
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