WHO WE ARE

This is Hurlstone Agricultural High’s Year 10 Visual Arts class, we’re Helenaand Clare, and we’ll be guiding you through the meaning of sustainability,and how we can choose sustainable practices to enhance our quality oflives and protect what is left of our natural resources.

WHY THIS POWERPOINT WAS CREATED

This PowerPoint was originally created in response to ARCHIBULL PRIZE, by gathering information from our sustainable farming projects we did at school, and merging them to form a huge PowerPoint.

The ARCHIBULL PRIZE is a competition for selected schools to raise awareness of agriculture, in particular, sustainability, through means of art, which is eye catching and will get through to the audience. Each school were given 2 fibreglass bulls, and using any art making practice they wanted, they constructed a meaningful artwork out of them, representing sustainability, and unsustainability.

STUDY AGRICULTURE ?WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO

GOOD QUESTION. The field of agriculture is becoming unpopular as more peoplechoose to take a career path in tertiary industries (i.e. clerks, accountants, lawyers)and thus feel that studying agriculture is unnecessary. However, agriculture remains avastly important aspect in our current lives. Without farmers to grow crops,horticulturalists to plant, grow and maintain vegetation, we could potentially end upwith food shortage. It is of huge benefit to anyone who chooses to study agriculture.They can grow their own vegetables, saving up on food costs, and if they take a likingto the subject, they may also consider a career in agriculture, and help contribute tothe resolving the food crisis.

PEEKABOO!!(Just don’t eat us)

Sustainable Farming

So good so far..But, what farming practices should we use to maintain a sustainable

environment?

Actually, No....There are many sustainable farming practices that a farmer can use to improve their profitability (economically sustainable), while doing minimal damage to their farm (environmentally sustainable). Examples include: zero tillage, crop rotation, hydroponics, trickle/micro jet irrigation and many more .

Where there is a small dripper from which water drips into the soil, allowing water to slowly seep into plant roots. They are commonly used in orchards, especially involving citrus, backyard gardens and vegetable patches

Similar to using a sprinkler with a small head located on the ground that emits over a large area

with the water being under pressure. They are commonly used on huge farm enterprises

REPLACING THE UNSUSTAINABLE

It uses less water overall than all other irrigation methods.

Water doesn’t run off or evaporate, going straight to the root zone. (Trickle irrigation)

Expensive mechanisms / machines aren’t necessary.

Less money spent on water usage and soil standards remain the same.

HYDROPONICS .

Growing plants without soil, and using water to give the plant the required nutrients instead. It may be grown either with or

without a solid medium other than soil, i.e. rock.

IT CAN BE USED BY / IN :

Everyday households Amateurs who enjoy growing plants as a hobby and want to simply explore the world of hydroponics. Although it may seem difficult, it is suited to any plant enterprise, especially the commercial production of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, chrysanthemums and carnations.

REPLACING THE UNSUSTAINABLE

FIELD BASED AGRICULTURE USES UP TOO MUCH WATER.

MACHINES USED TO CULTIVATE LAND PRODUCE CO2 WHICH IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

SOIL EROSION OCCURS.

USE OF CHEMICALS TO GET RID OF WEEDS AND PESTS ORIGINATING FROM SOIL.

TRADITIONAL FARMING

WHY SHOULD WE USE

HYDROPONICS?

- Better control over pH levels of soil and nitrogen levels, etc. Thus you can make sure plants grow optimally.

- Physical labour (digging, cultivation, fertilising, irrigation), is not required.

- More yields – plants grown using hydroponics method produce 2 – 4 times the yield in soil.

- Water is conserved.

- Disease problems in soil and weeds are eliminated.

- Crop rotation / fallowing is not necessary, since plants can be used 2 times.

CROP ROTATION

W H A T I S C R O P R O T A T I O N ?

Crop rotation is the practise of planting different families ofcrops in an area (in a sequence) for various benefits. It is oneof the oldest and most effective cultural control strategies,dating back to the Roman era. By the 19th century , manyfarmers used a 4 year rotation cycle of wheat. Barely (rootcrop and nitrogen fixing crop).

Monoculture took over when farmers found that they coulduse pesticide and chemicals to improve the soil, but now,there are organic farmers who rely entirely on crop rotation tomaintain soil health and yield.

W H E R E I S C R O P R O T A T I O N U S E D ?

All types of farm enterprises can use crop rotation, but it isfound more often in vegetable production.

Crop rotation can be applied in all gardens, particularlyvegetable gardens at home.

REPLACING THE UNSUSTAINABLE

This is the production or growing of a single crop (or crop from the same family) over a large area, every season. Machines or weed killers and pesticides are used to control weeds, and fertilizers are used to reduce

the strain on soil nutrients.

MONOCULTURE

Yields typically decline.Farmer is completely dependent on chemicalsand machinery which ultimately pollute the land,the water, and the food they’re producing.Soil structure problems occur.Soil fertility decreases.Ecosystem diversity and habitat structurereduces.Soil borne disease build up and spread quickly.

SUSTAINABILITY THREATENED BY

SUBURBIAN GROWTH

With many houses and buildings being builtover fertile farmland in areas such as:

- Suburbs (urban sprawl), and

- Coastal lands (since it is an idealplace for humans to live)

…it is no wonder that farms and land whichwould be extremely suitable for farms arebecoming scarce, also leading to the increaseof cost in production of food.

THE ENDSo which sustainable farming practice will you use?

All images are from Google, Scrappy Princess and Photobucket.

GOLD SILVERPLATINUM

BRONZE

WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SPONSORS OF THE 2010 CREAM OF THE CROP COMPETITION