The emergent agriculture : farming, sustainability and the return of the local economy / Gary S. Kleppel ; foreword by John Ikerd.

ISBN:

9781550925777

9781550925487

9781322486710

9780865717732

Title:

The emergent agriculture : farming, sustainability and the return of the local economy / Gary S. Kleppel ; foreword by John Ikerd.

Author:

Kleppel, G. S. (Gary S.), author.

Personal Author:

Kleppel, G. S. (Gary S.), author.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxvi, 165 pages) : illustrations (some colour)

General Note:

VIII Conclusion. 14 The Emergent Agriculture.

Contents:

Introduction -- On the Cusp of a Revolution -- I Farming: An Emerging Paradigm. 1 A New Approach to Agriculture -- 2 The Paradox of Agriculture -- 3 Farm Subsidies.

II Sustainability. 4 Toward a Sustainable Agriculture -- 5 Sustainable Meat -- A Contradiction in Terms? -- 6 Diversity in Agriculture -- 7 Energy and the Future of Farming -- 8 The New Normal.

III The Local Economy. 9 The Emergent Market -- 10 The Consumer in a Changing Food System -- 11 Slow Money -- 12 CSA -- 13 Scaling Up -- How Local Farms Will Feed America.

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable agriculture -- Economic aspects.

Farms, Small.

Farms, Small -- Economic aspects.

Agriculture durable -- Aspect économique.

Agriculture durable.

Petites exploitations agricoles -- Aspect économique.

Petites exploitations agricoles.

Produits du terroir -- Aspect économique.

Produits du terroir.

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2014

Publication Information:

Gabriola [British Columbia] :

New Society Publishers,

2014.

Ottawa, Ontario :

Canadian Electronic Library,

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
333.7616 23	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

Summary

Local, diverse and resilient - the new culture of food

Long embraced by corporations who are driven only by the desire for profit, industrial agriculture wastes precious resources and spews millions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year, exacerbating climate change and threatening the very earth and water on which we depend. However, this dominant system, from which Americans obtain most of their food, is being slowly supplanted by a new paradigm.

The Emergent Agriculture is a collection of fourteen thematic essays on sustainability viewed through the lens of farming. Arguing that industrial food production is incompatible with the realities of nature, science, and ethics, this lyrical narrative makes the case for a locally based food system which is:

Stable in the face of economic uncertainty Resilient in the face of environmental variability Grounded in stewardship of the land, on attaching value to food and the craft involved in producing it, and on respecting the dignity of farmers, consumer,s and livestock

A revolution in food production is underway. Written from the vantage point of an ecologist who is also a farmer, The Emergent Agriculture is essential reading for anyone interested in food security and the potential for growing local economies. Food for thought about the future of food.

Gary Kleppel is a professor of biology at the SUNY Albany, where he focuses on sustainable agriculture, conservation-based grazing, and the ecology of human-dominated landscapes. He and his wife Pam are owners of Longfield Farm, where they produce grass-fed lamb, wool, free range chickens and eggs, and artisanal breads

Author Notes

Gary Kleppel is a professor of Biology at the State University of New York at Albany where he focuses on sustainable agriculture, conservation-based grazing, and the ecology of human-dominated landscapes. He and his wife Pam are owners of Longfield Farm, where they produce grass-fed lamb, wool, free range chickens and eggs, and artisanal breads. As part of their educational mandate, the Kleppels demonstrate sustainable farming practices and the importance of including ethics in food production to more than 100 visitors annually.

Reviews (1)

Choice Review

Fusing anecdotal accounts with a modicum of derivative data, Kleppel (biology, Univ. at Albany) describes what he terms "emergent" agriculture, placing the sustainable locavore concept into an economic and social context. The book's 14 essays present a brief but cogent history and critique of industrial agriculture, followed by a layered description of emergent agriculture. It differs from others in the genre, focusing less on the pejoratives of industrial animal or crop husbandry, and instead arguing that sustainability revolves around an environmentally salutary set of processes. The author also exhibits a breadth of perspective, noting, for example, that energy sinks in industrial agriculture involve the high carbon cost of lengthy distribution chains. In this context his description of community-supported agriculture makes a great deal of sense, reminiscent of the scenarios described in Mark Gorgolewski's Carrot City: Creating Places for Urban Agriculture (CH, Jun'12, 49-5635), albeit with less emphasis on urban settings. Kleppel does struggle with some of the uncertainties of scalability for this approach. Nevertheless, this is a thought-provoking and interesting work. It will be useful for collections in alternative agriculture, biodiversity, or land use and planning. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. --Lynn S. Cline, Missouri State University

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Reviews (1)

Choice Review