Agriculture

by Casey Kahl

Farming, and agriculture have experienced dramatic changes throughout human history. ~12,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers decided to settle on areas of land, and cultivate crops. From that moment, human life fundamentally changed. The domestication of plants, followed soon by animals catapulted humans from a life of roaming to one that tended to the land (Marcin, 2023). The word “agriculture” comes from latin words ager (field) and colo (cultivate). When put together, it can be interpreted as “tending/cultivating the land.” In caring for the land that the earth provides, humans receive nourishment. While some individuals put emphasis on the health of the land, and crops that they are working with, large farms generally do not. The term “agriculture” has undergone dramatic changes in meaning over time. Comparing Indigenous American agricultural practices to modern industrialized farming shows the glaring ways in which the term no longer focuses on caring about the land, but rather is about maximizing profits. The lack of care not only comes with lower yields, but unequally affects minority groups who do not practice agriculture this way. Agriculture no longer has the same meaning as it did during its creation; this is due to a shift away from the appreciation of plants and the earth, and the colonization of modern farming.

Indigenous agriculture focuses primarily on sustainability, and caring for the ground that is being farmed. For many Native communities, land is sacred, and should be treated as such (Layman, 2022). Human life is seen to be growing in conjugation with non-human life, and is viewed as one living system. Through this way of life, agricultural practices take a different approach than what is currently done, and what is seen as typical “agriculture.” Special interest in caring for the plants being curated, and the earth being tended lead to a healthy style of farming that proves both effective, and sustainable. The first line of Robin Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass is: “sweetgrass is best planted not by seed, but by putting roots directly in the ground. Thus the plant is passed from hand to earth to hand across years and generations,” (Kimmerer, 2013). I believe this encapsulates how agriculture should be practiced, putting the primary care on the health of the plant that is being grown. Modern practices have ignored the needs of the plants, and have created strategies that make it so those needs can be further ignored.

Western ideology does not view humans, and non-human life as equals, but rather views it as a resource that humans can use (Layman, 2022). Current agricultural practices have presented many problems for biodiversity, soil health, and sustainability in general. Large-scale monocultures are very common today, which is a practice in which farms will grow large quantities of a singular type of crop. The thought is that farms will be able to maximize profits from growing, and selling a single type of product. It is well known that growing the same plant consistently will drain the soil of valuable minerals, and nutrients. When each growing season is of the same plant, they all require the same amount of nutrients to sustain themselves, and to grow to farmable sizes. Because of this, farms that utilize monocultures tend to have soil that is lacking certain necessary minerals. Carlisle Runge discusses William Cronon’s book Changes in the Land, and states that current agriculture practices exploit “the soil by the raising of unrotated crops of corn and wheat in sparsely settled farming communities, (Runge, 1985).” This strategy of monocultures, and ignoring the needs of the soil is a selfish act that is done to maximize profits. Agriculture today does not view the soil as part of the natural system, but rather as a resource for humans to abuse.

Current agricultural practices are only worried about getting the highest yield in order to sell. Runge further goes to say “‘that the nobler animals have been exterminated here the cougar, panther, lynx, wolverene, wolf, bear, moose, deer, the beaver, the turkey, etc., etc.-I feel as if I lived in a tamed, and, as it were, emasculated country.’ Yet the deterioration of animal species was matched by remarkable economic development, measured in human terms by a proliferation of fields and factories and a steady increase in commerce,” (Runge, 1985) (Cronon, 1983). The ecosystem surrounding industrial farms pays the toll of practices that are degrading. Cronon discusses how he feels like this abuse of nature has ripped apart the ecosystem, and will continue to unless changes are made. Styles of farming that do not care about how it impacts the environment around them is clearly unsustainable, which is a major shift from how Native American agricultural practices have been done.

Indigenous Americans for hundreds of years have utilized a style of intercropping agriculture called “polyculture.” This form of farming is when farmers grow multiple types of crops on the same plot of land. Polyculture agriculture is done under the belief that crops are able to interact with each other, and can even benefit the growths of the other plants around them. In some situations, a practice called “The Three Sisters” has been utilized in which corn, beans, and squash are all grown simultaneously (Heim, 2020). In this, corn provides a stalk for the bean plants to grow up, the beans provide nitrogen to the soil which the corn uses, and the squash acts as a blanket that prevents weeds from growing (Heim, 2020). For generations, this artful form of agriculture has been used to great success. It is clear that this strategy has been crafted to appreciate the strengths of each plant, and the knowledge of what each one needs to thrive. This synergistic approach to agriculture highlights the importance that Native American agriculture puts on the appreciation of the plant that is being reared. Current practices are far from this level of care, and instead use artificial fertilizers that are harmful to the environment in place of other plants that can grow in a mutualistic fashion, and provide more food for human consumption.

Another example of Indigenous agricultural practices is the utilization of agroforestry. This strategy focused on planting trees, and shrubs around crops. It was done in a way that benefits both the crops, and the trees (McDonald, 2022). Similar to The Three Sisters, it is clear that this strategy has been designed because of the knowledge of what each plant thrives in. Both of these farming practices reveal the deep knowledge, and care of the plants that are being farmed.

These are only two examples of the ways in which Native American farming practices emphasize the importance of the health of the plant, and the soil. Unfortunately, the acknowledgments of their successes are not accepted around the country. In the United States, 95.4% of farmers are white (Layman, 2022). While movements to shift away from unhealthy farming practices have been made, it is difficult to work towards a more sustainable form of agriculture when cultures that put importance on plant health are in such a minority of the farming community. Western ideologies have plagued the goals of agriculture, and have made it a harmful, and unsustainable burden on the environment. From the appreciation of all things natural, to an abuse of the ground to maximize profits, “agriculture” as we know it has developed into something of controversy. The abuse of fertilizers, pesticides, GMOs, and monocultures are perfect examples of how modern agriculture has derailed.

Ironically, this poor form of farming unequally affects those in the minority. For hundreds of years, Native American farming practices have been able to provide for entire communities.

Today, 25% of American Indians and Alaska Natives experience consistent food insecurity, which is double the rate of white Americans (Maillacheruvu, 2022). It is evident that current practices of agriculture affect those not in control of how it is carried out. Native Americans tend to lack easy access to fresh food, and when they do it is much more expensive. Produce on reservations consistently costs more than it does to white Americans.

Food sovereignty can be defined as “the ability of communities to determine the quantity and quality of the food that they consume by controlling how their food is produced and distributed,” (BIA, n.d.). Taking control of how a community's food is grown, and distributed allows for a more local distribution of fresh produce. Additionally, this wave of sovereignty allows individual cultures to reclaim traditions, and practice them with great success. In taking back control of how food is grown, and distributed, Native American practices are making a comeback in popularity due to their sustainability, and high yield.

Modern agriculture is substantially different today than it was historically. Seeing large tractors, or immense irrigation systems seems as though farmers are maximizing efficiency, however it may not be the case. Many farming practices today are out of touch with the natural component of farming, and instead opt to add chemicals, equipment, or even cut their losses and take the lower yield. Farming practices have not been touched for hundreds of years, and only have been developed to further a flawed system. The creation of better technology, better pesticides, or better genetic manipulation may seem like a solution in time, but is evading the root of the problem. There are many ways that agricultural practices today are lacking where practices that seem “rudimentary” are not. Instead of trying to better a style of agriculture that has proven to be unsuccessful, farms should try styles of regenerative farming that have proven successful for countless years before colonization. General knowledge of the land, and interactions of plants is something that is not used in modern agriculture. While it may take time (and lots of money) , shifting industrial-based agriculture to a more sustainable form may not only increase yields, but will decrease food insecurity.

Throughout the age of the anthropocene, agriculture has made some dramatic shifts. From small farms that focused on sustainability, to modern industrialized operations that’s sole purpose is to maximize yields, the term “agriculture” has been used to describe a wide variety of farming practices. Today, “agriculture” means the western-style farming practices that we see scattered across the country. These large-scale monoculture operations are designed to maximize profits, and less worried about how their actions affect the environment. Looking at what “agriculture” means to Native Americans shows a substantially different image. Many Native cultures view non-human life as important regardless of how humans can use them. This allows their agricultural practices to be much more focused on caring for the environment, and the plants. Long before Europeans colonized the United States, Native Americans learned how this land works. Because of this, Native practices tend to know how the land, and the plants interact. Unfortunately, these practices are no longer used with much frequency. Modern farms are not interested in changing their strategies, and minority groups are paying the consequences. Food insecurity has been a problem in the United States for many years, and some of it can be described by inadequate farming practices. It is known that modern farming practices do not maximize the efficiency of the land, but changes are not seen as necessary. Agriculture today is far from how it had been practiced, and now is even seen as a burden on the landscape. Current agricultural practices are far from the original definition being “tending the land.” In reclaiming Native American farming practices, the term “agriculture” can return to its original intention.