Sustainable. Soil Health. Cover crops. No till. Strip till. Buzzwords in today’s agriculture scene, but at Vis Ag, we’ve used these practices for decades. It’s how we’ve farmed every day for years, and now we’ve decided to share it with other landowners. VisAg offers consulting services in sustainable farm management and a systemized approach to growing. We’ve proven, through scientific research, farming with our 4 VisAg Advantage methods:
Clean, sustainable farm management with increased ROI. Yes, we’ve proven it can be done.
Looking to protect the future of your land? Want to make sure your farm is operating sustainably? Get more details here.
Are you looking to rent land from a landowner who values your management practices? Ready to tweak your own operation to become more environmental? Click here to get started growing your farm.
Help your clients bring value to their land. You continue to do most of the farm management, and we’ll help you make it sustainable. Click here for details.
Simply put: our operators are the best in the business. They care about the land and they use the best equipment and practices for long-term sustainability of the land and your business. All VisAg operators go through a strict selection process to make sure they use the 4 VisAg Advantage practices. Soil health and maintaining the quality of your land is top of mind for us. Therefore, we do a minimum of 3 crop visits per year to ensure practices are being done to maintain soil health, nutrient management, and environmental practices.
A variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals. People in many different capacities, from farmers to consumers, have shared this vision and contributed to it.
Despite the diversity of people and perspectives, the following themes commonly weave through definitions of sustainable agriculture:
Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance. Stewardship of human resources includes consideration of social responsibilities such as working and living conditions of laborers, the needs of rural communities, and consumer health and safety both in the present and the future. Stewardship of land and natural resources involves maintaining or enhancing this vital resource base for the long term.
A systems perspective is essential to understanding sustainability.
The system is envisioned in its broadest sense, from the individual farm, to the local ecosystem, and to communities affected by this farming system both locally and globally. An emphasis on the system allows a larger and more thorough view of the consequences of farming practices on both human communities and the environment. A systems approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between farming and other aspects of our environment.
A systems approach also implies interdisciplinary efforts in research and education.
This requires not only the input of researchers from various disciplines, but also farmers, farmworkers, consumers, policymakers and others.
Making the transition to sustainable agriculture is a process.
For farmers, the transition to sustainable agriculture normally requires a series of small, realistic steps. Family economics and personal goals influence how fast or how far participants can go in the transition. It is important to realize that each small decision can make a difference and contribute to advancing the entire system further on the "sustainable agriculture continuum." The key to moving forward is the will to take the next step.
Finally, it is important to point out that reaching toward the goal of sustainable agriculture is the responsibility of all participants in the system, including farmers, laborers, policymakers, researchers, retailers, and consumers. Each group has its own part to play, its own unique contribution to make to strengthen the sustainable agriculture community.
The remainder of this page considers specific strategies for realizing these broad themes or goals. The strategies are grouped according to three separate though related areas of concern: Farming and Natural Resources, Plant and Animal Production Practices, and the Economic, Social and Political Context. They represent a range of potential ideas for individuals committed to interpreting the vision of sustainable agriculture within their own circumstances.
