Precision Agriculture and Sustainability by Natalie

If you were to ask 100 people what their definition of sustainability is, you would get 100 different responses. This is because sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all concept. If we’re being honest, if you had asked me a month ago what sustainability meant, I would’ve said “reduce, reuse, recycle!” Lucky for me, one of the classes we’re taking is called Sustainable Farm Management, so I’ve since learned a plethora of information about sustainability. To break it down, there are three main objectives of sustainability in farm practices: economic profitability, a healthy environment, and social equity. 

Obviously farmers want to make money (don’t we all?). Solid risk management, marketing, financial planning, and overall profitable enterprises must be in place to sustain these farmers’ wallets. Next, the part most people associate with the term sustainability is the environment. Farmers explore biodiversity, conservation of natural resources, soil microbiomes, and more to ensure our planet stays clean and happy. Lastly, the community must be sustainable by encouraging local product consumption and connecting with consumers. It is also important to ensure a happy workplace which Robin Oakley from Oakley Farms highlights. When we visited his farm in the third week, he had this board pictured below hanging in his office. He has 50 full-time employees and highly encourages long-term employment to make his farm sustainable for the future (especially compared to other farms with less than 10 employees).

Oakley's Farm long-term employment board

To bring farming and sustainability to the next level, there must be a change for the future. This is where precision agriculture comes into play. Precision agriculture utilizes site-specific data sources to increase profitability while simultaneously decreasing environmental impact. Some examples include GPS-auto-steer tractors, soil moisture probes, and biosensors and invisible fencing with livestock. This allows for specific rations of food, water, or fertilizer to be given to individual animals or land. This practice reduces overall waste and unnecessary impacts on Mother Earth. Robin Oakley explained that most precision data can be viewed on his phone which has made his job astronomically easier. When asked what his most important piece of machinery/tool on his farm was, his response was neither a tractor nor his irrigation system, instead, it was “my phone”. This new technology is the future for sustainability and this confirms our reliance on cell phones will not be getting better anytime soon.

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