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The Wild Farm Alliance

The Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing biodiversity by expanding the idea and practice of wild farms. Rooted in Watsonville, the heart of central California’s agricultural lands, the WFA was founded in 2000 and consists of twelve board members and a panel of advisors, including notorious agrarian Wendell Berry (Wild Farm Alliance-2006.) This panel of agricultural experts participate in educational meetings and conferences that encourage conservation and sustainable agriculture, as well as shape and implement the practices and beliefs of the WFA. The Wild Farm Alliance is also responsible for promoting private and public conservation incentives that compensate farmers for their stewardship efforts. Advocates of organic agriculture the WFA claims that organic farming (when done right) is a great model for farmers, but organic farming should also include the expansion and conservation of Nature on the farm (Sullivan-2006.) As ecocrates or part of the stewardship school the WFA’s mission is to “promote agriculture that helps to protect and restore wild Nature” (Wild Farm Alliance-2006.) Furthermore, they envision a “world in which community-based, ecologically managed farms and ranches seamlessly integrate into landscapes that accommodate the full range of native species and ecological processes” (Wild Farm Alliance-2006.) Reiterating these ideas, the WFA defines sustainable agriculture as biological conservation, as well as, the interconnection between nature, the community, and the farm.Combining an array of different ecological restoration and conservation strategies the Wild Farm Alliance calls their ideal sustainable model a “wildfarm.” Wild farms come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from minimal wildness to those that are “seamlessly integrated into the larger landscape. The most common element is their ability to accommodate wild Nature” (Wild Farm Alliance-2006.) In order to increase wilderness on the farm, farmers apply biologically stimulating practices such as the use of hedgerows, riparian restoration, watershed conservation, incorporation of native flora and fauna, control of invasive species, as well as many others. Striving for increased biodiversity while integrating farms and wild-lands, the Wild Farm Alliance struggles to overcome three main restricting sustainable agricultural barriers: loss of biodiversity, re-localization onto the farm, and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Many other sustainable agriculture movements also encounter these previously mentioned barriers, which prevent progressive practices from becoming implemented. A member of the WFA and sharing parallel beliefs, agrarian Wendell Berry discusses the importance of relocating back to the farm and reconnecting with nature when he writes, “our land passes in and out of our bodies just as our bodies pass in and out of our land; that as we and our land are part of one another, so all who are living as neighbors here, human and plant and animal, are part of one another and so cannot possibly flourish alone." Wendell Berry- 1977. p22        Berry claims that we are all neighbors (plants, animals, and humans), all connected, all affecting each others lives, and thus we must protect one another in order to survive because we cannot flourish alone. This idea of separation is an important barrier for the WFA to overcome because it promotes the presence and participation of a family on the  farm, and it helps conserve local knowledge. Sharing a similar opinion as Berry, agrarian Hassanein claims that “it became clear during the nineteenth century that the improvement of agriculture depended on the improvement of agricultural knowledge” (Hassanein-pg3) Furthermore, Hassanein emphasizes the importance of the conservation of local farming knowledge and its involvement within a productive and healthy farm. Paul Thompson, author of The Spirit of the Soil, also mentions a barrier suppressing family scale farms, which involves the popular productionist belief of “get big or get out”(Thompson-p48.)     Productionists believe that in order to sustain the world’s food demands farmers must conduct agriculture under the notion that bigger is better. Unfortunately for small farmers, bigger is not better. When large industrial farms develop in small rural communities, the small family farmer is often the one who suffers crippling financial losses due to over production by industrial farms causing prices to plummet. The presence of an industrial farm not only suppresses local family farms, but also contributes to the pollution, contamination, loss of biodiversity, and deteriorating health of local ecologically fragile ecosystems. Pesticide and fertilizer use is also a major concern and barrier that the WFA must hurtle over. The WFA believes that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are detrimental to the overall health of the surrounding ecosystem as well as a potential airborne or water contaminating poison to local communities. Agriculture specialist Gordon Douglass would agree with the WFA beliefs that synthetics only contribute to the increased instability and loss of nutrients on the farm, thus quickening the time it takes to exhaust the land of valuable resources. His argument is demonstrated in the following quote taken from his book entitled Sustainable Agriculture and Integrated Farming Systems.Indeed, many ecologically minded people believe that applying nonrenewable resources to natural systems will eventually decrease the productivity of renewable resource—either because using too many nonrenewable resources generates erosion, pollutants, and other outcomes that impair the vitality of biological resources. (Douglass-1985.pg3) The most important barrier the WFA is striving to overcome is the biodiversity crisis experienced worldwide. According to the International Federation of Organic Movements, 37% of the earth’s land is dedicated to agricultural production, “with agricultural activities affecting 70% of all threatened bird species and 49% of all plant species” (Stolton-2002.) Furthermore, IFOAM conveys the connection between agricultural practices and the decrease in biodiversity. Janne Bengtsson of the Department of Ecology and Crop Production in Sweden agrees with the notion that agriculture leads to a loss of biodiversity, but also claims that “organic farming usually increases species richness, having an average 30% higher species richness than conventional farming systems” (2005-pg261.) Therefore, organic agriculture is less detrimental to local species than its polar opposite counterpart, conventional farming. Fortunately for organic farmers many beneficial outcomes result with the increase of biodiversity on the farm, such as erosion control, gene diversity, financial incentives (native pollinators and natural fertilizers,) and the aesthetic appeal of a wild farm. Recognizing industrial farming as a key component contributing to our biodiversity crisis, the WFA believes that agriculture should convert to smaller family scale farms, which incorporate and preserve native plant and animal wildlife. Therefore, implying that crops and wildlife present on the farm should originate from the surrounding ecosystem. By incorporating native plant species onto and within the farm, new habitats are created that help stimulate and increase biodiversity. Also, through the use of native plants farmers can control the appearance of invasive species more easily, which is a major concern presented by the Wild Farm Alliance. Another belief of the WFA is the important role sustainable farms play in the overall health of local natural and human communities. Researchers have discovered that food produced on organic or sustainable wildfarms, usually lack pesticide residue, thus making it healthier than food produced on conventional farms. Furthermore, the surrounding communities appear to be healthier and better off. This healthier food is the outcome of eliminating the use of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers on the farm. The WFA regards pesticides and fertilizers as highly toxic and devastating to the local ecosystem. They can easily become airborne affecting local natural and human communities, as well as, leach into local watersheds further contaminating fragile riparian ecosystems. The Wild Farm Alliance further believes that sustainable farming can and will help re-localize food production and distribution back onto the farm; reconnecting the consumer with the farmer. Therefore, providing consumers with the knowledge of where and how their food is grown, as well as, allowing farmers to gain higher wage percentages by cutting out the middle man.Although many of the beneficial outcomes will improve the health of local human and communities, they also positively affect local natural communities, such as plants and native wildlife. Some of the benefits experienced by natural communities include the availability of new or restored wildlife habitats. With farms converting to wildlands, new and improved habitats will emerge, thus increasing biodiversity. This increased biodiversity is essential to the farms prosperity and health. Lastly, and most importantly the Wild Farm Alliance believes that a new conservation ethic is in order, to promote ecological recovery within agricultural lands and across the landscape. Farmlands should be the first focus area for wildlife conservation since 37% of the earth’s land is dedicated to agriculture (International Federation of Organic Movements-2002.) Other important beliefs and practices upheld by the WFA is the protection of riparian environments and the manufacturing of movement corridors. The Wild Farm Alliance provides many different methods of practice that can be more or less easily incorporated onto the farm to increase biodiversity. A few of these categories of improvement include farm management, water management, and family farming. Although farm management includes the practice of hedgerows, conserving and restoring native plant and animal species, control of invasive species, and livestock confinement, the following will mostly focus on hedgerows and livestock confinement. Hedgerows are extremely important when improving biodiversity on the farm. A hedgerow is defined as a fence or barrier formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees, which provides protection against erosion, and acts as a barricade confining livestock. Most importantly they are used to outline agricultural fields, thus promoting the presence of native pollinators and predatory insects on the farm. Promoting the presence of these local native insect is valuable for two main reasons. First, flowering hedgerows invite pollinators such as bees who pollinate the crops and transfer a diverse selection of plant genes, resulting in healthier diverse crops. According to Matthew Shepherd et al, native pollinators like sweat bees contribute to an estimated $40 billion in orchard, row, and pasture business (Shepherd et al-2003.) Furthermore, it is estimated that $4.1 billion is spent annually on the use of pesticides in America (Pimentel et al-1992.pg750.) This configuration demonstrates that farmers can save thousands of dollars annually just by stimulating native pollination, rather than hiring bee keepers to transport raised bees onto the farm. Secondly, hedgerows provide the necessary habitat needed for predatory insects and insectivorous animals such as bats and birds. These predatory insects and insectivorous animals benefit from nesting and roosting habitats located on the farm, while reducing the number of insect pests through ecologically stable means. According to the WFA insectivorous birds and bats can consume their own body weight in invertebrates within a single day. (Organic Certifier’s Guide-2005.) Instead of using messy toxic pesticides, farmers can save money by attracting the pests natural predators, thus sustainably reducing pest population numbers. Hedgerows not only help alleviate much of the farmers financial burdens by providing native pollinators and insect pest control, they are also valuable as wildlife movement corridors. Hedgerows allow insects and animals to move or migrate easier across farmlands. They do this by connecting wildernesses and farmlands together, thus expanding the wild landscape and habitat region of local native species. Environmentally friendly fencing can also provide safe movement corridors, as long as the fencing includes a few strategic designs: room for small animals to passage underneath, smooth wire is used instead of barbed, and fencing does not fragment the landscape and impede wildlife movement. Furthermore, fencing should be “around individual fields, leaving wildlife paths in between them, rather than fencing the whole farm” (Organic Certifier’s Guide-2005.pg13) This fencing practice creates a buffer zone between fields providing movement channels. Although increased biodiversity on the farm can be invaluably beneficial to the farmer it can also cause potential problems for ranchers and their livestock. Since the Wild Farm Alliance advocates the presence of both predatory and prey species on wildfarms, many livestock farmers fear the loss of their animals due to predation. This fear is especially prevalent in the mid-west in regions inhabited by wolves and other large predators. Although livestock losses can be costly and detrimental to ranchers, the WFA provides a few easily applied methods and suggestions to prevent loses from occurring. Some of the suggestions include the use of 1. guard animals, such as llamas or dogs that can offer protection to vulnerable livestock, 2. combining large and small livestock together, which provides protection for the smaller animals, 3. frequent and unpredictable appearances made by the rancher to detour predators, and 4. pasture use is scheduled for times when predation pressures are low. Another valuable and sensitive component of the farm ecosystem are the riparian zones and local watershed. According to the WFA “by managing riparian areas and wetlands for biodiversity, farms and ranches can also benefit from nature’s services, including nutrient cycling, erosion control, water purification, and flood protection” (Organic Certifier’s Guide-2005.pg6). Improving water management is also an important step in overcoming the sustainable barrier of biodiversity loss, unwanted runoff from the farm, and lack of nutrient cycling. Two of the factors contributing to these detrimental affects are the presence of livestock and the loss of riparian vegetation. Cattle and other forms of livestock have many devastating affects on riparian zones: trampling and polluting native plants, polluting waterways through manure and feed run-off, and causing erosion. One solution the WFA provides in order to solve the livestock problem is to restrict the animals from having access to sensitive riparian zones. To do this, ranchers should fence off riparian ecosystems to keep out livestock, while providing an alternative water source. By removing unwanted livestock from the local riparian ecosystems, water quality will improve, restoration of native plants and animals can begin, and erosion decreases. Another way of improving watersheds and riparian zones is to restore and manage native vegetation along waterways. This can be done by planting native riparian species along stream and river banks, which help decrease bank erosion and increase water purification, as well as nutrient cycling. Healthy well-managed riparian environments can be identified by their plant species abundance and richness. Native grasses, trees and shrubs line the waterway, benefiting the farmer through increasing biodiversity, providing natural water purification, and nutrient cycling. Clean water near and on the farm also results in healthier food, healthier animals, and a healthier community. A leading influence in the organization, many of Berry’s ideas reflect the beliefs of the Wild Farm Alliance. For example, Wendell Berry argues that “our biological roots as well as our cultural roots are in nature” (Berry-1977.p29.) Furthermore, suggesting the importance of reconnecting with nature, especially through the practice of agriculture. This is reflected by the WFA’s dedication to overcome the sustainable barrier that separates the farmer from the farm. The WFA believes that relocating the family and community back to the farm is essential to the productivity and health of the crops, as well as the health of the local community and their power over the food system. In efforts to overcome the separation of man, animal, and farm the WFA attempts to persuade and support local farmers (especially in the Watsonville area) who are thinking of, or already have converted into a family run wildfarm. Family run farms are extremely valuable for a few key reasons: the farmer is on-hand and present, family labor helps eliminate specialization/mechanization on the farm, the preservation of local farming knowledge, and they tend not to use toxic pesticides that could potentially harm or poison the family. The inability to enforce the practice of family farming is one of the WFA major flaws. Since the Wild Farm Alliance is a relatively new and small NGO, they do not posses the financial or political power to enforce major agricultural changes. Instead the group is restricted to only influencing people and farmers who are willing to listen. This ultimately denies the organization to have global or national affects on the development of sustainable agriculture. Ultimately, the Wild Farm Alliance is dedicated to improving and restoring natural ecosystems within the farm, while promoting the interconnectivity of wilderness and farmland. Their goal is to increase worldwide plant and animal biodiversity by directing their focus on agricultural lands that covers nearly half of the earth’s available land resources. Forever taking steps towards the importance of sustainable wildfarms, the Wild Farm Alliance will strive continuously to overcome the many barriers affecting the progress of sustainable agriculture.