8-2 IAN Defining Sustainable Ag

 The owner of Blair Farms & Pine Creek Precision is an Idaho wheat farmer with an opinion on a lot of things…one of which is sustainable agriculture. He asks, In a blog…What is “sustainable agriculture?” The definition of "sustain" is: (v) maintain, continue, carry on, keep up, or keep going among a few others. The antonym or opposite is "quit."  Blair says it’s difficult to find a true definition of “sustainable” in online dictionaries that are not skewed towards eco-activist type definitions. “It is a catch phrase and connitates anything from organic farming to politics.”

Blair insists that In defining "sustainable agriculture," the true definition would be to keep going or keep up. He thinks people in production agriculture not only have to keep going, but need to keep up with the increasing demand placed upon world agriculture production. A couple of definitions regarding “sustainable agriculture” online are: “Agriculture that is socially just, humane, economically viable, and environmentally sound” or “Agricultural practices that seek to preserve environmental integrity, foster integrated farming communities, increase farm profitability based on diversified activities, and enhance political systems that take into account all stakeholders in the farming community.” Blair didn’t realize that farmers were to grow better political systems but says “you get the picture?”