What is Mixed Farming?

The Advantages & Disadvantages of Mixed Farming

Throughout history, farmers have developed innovative strategies for maximizing their space and efficiency. Raising both crops and livestock simultaneously or using one field for two crops are both methods employed to make the most of the resources available. There are several advantages and some disadvantages to each system, however.

What is Mixed Farming?

Mixed farming is defined as farming involving two or more enterprises, says Tara Haat. For instance, raising livestock and crops simultaneously and in the same location can be explained as mixed farming. The manure produced by the livestock is used to produce better crops, and the crops can, in turn, be used to feed the livestock. This provides environmental balance and also supports a sustainable system.

What Are Mixed Farming's Benefits and Drawbacks?

Mixed farming is good for the environment since it's quite sustainable according to Thought Co. In addition, the crop-livestock farming system provides a variety of financial benefits. It offers a high return on the work of the farm since all products are utilized says Agriinfo. Feed and fertilizer do not need to be purchased to support the growth of crops or maintenance of livestock, saving money. The system provides work throughout the year, and it also offers a multi-pronged approach to income, so that if a crop does poorly in a given season, the farmer can fall back on income from sales of meat, milk or eggs.

One disadvantage to mixed farming is that a farmer will require more resources, such as tools and equipment, to care for livestock and crops simultaneously, than would a farmer engaged in just one such line of business, says FOA. Also, additional education is typically required to provide the background necessary to enable a farmer to maintain a mixed farm.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiple Cropping?

If you’re asked to explain mixed cropping or multiple cropping, you’ll be pleased to know the term represents a fairly simple concept. Mixed cropping, also known as polyculture or co-cultivation, occurs when two or more plants are grown together in the same field. The plants are interdigitated, meaning that they grow together. Not only does this provide environmental benefits, it saves space since different crops flourish at different times of the year and die off in others. If one plant has reached its peak size during its harvest season but another is still growing, farmers will use less space than if they had one field devoted to each crop separately. Other advantages to multiple cropping include an improved balance of soil nutrients and the suppression of weeds, diseases and pests. It also leads to an increase in overall productivity.

One key disadvantage to mixed cropping is the limitations it places on capacity. Though it is far more efficient, particularly in smaller spaces, you are only able to grow half as many of each crop when two share a field than if you had one field devoted to each. However, depending on the space available, farmers may find this to be an acceptable trade-off.

The term "tree farm" was coined by lumber giant Weyerhaeuser in the middle of the 20th century. It has since come to be more broadly defined as any area of land managed to ensure continuous commercial production. Implied in this definition is that farm refers to harvest, and continuous production refers to sustainability. The federal government provides grants to support both.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Most tree-farm grant programs fall under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its various agencies. The majority are funneled through state departments of agriculture. They also may be obtained through nonprofit environmental organizations, producer associations and economic development groups. As such, they can be difficult to find. Contact your state department of agriculture to determine which of these programs are available where you live.

Forest Land Enhancement Program

The U.S. Forest Service administers the Forest Land Enhancement Program, which is an incentive program. Its mission is "to provide technical assistance to nonindustrial private forest owners to encourage and enable active long-term forest management." It assists with stewardship plans for sustainable agro-forestry applications that enhance the productivity of forest resources. To qualify for USDA assistance, landowners must have a land-management plan approved.

Forest Stewardship Program

The U.S. Forest Service also administers the Forest Stewardship Program. The FSP provides grants and technical assistance to nonindustrial private forest owners to encourage and enable forest management. A primary focus of the program is the development of "comprehensive, multiresource management plans that provide landowners with the information they need to manage their forests for a variety of products and services."

Small Business Innovation Research Program

In collaboration with the USDA Sustainable Development Council, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides Small Business Innovation Research grants. The grants allocate funding for small businesses to conduct research or develop innovative programs that enhance the state of U.S. agriculture.

Forest Biomass for Energy Program

NIFA also provides grants through its Forest Biomass for Energy program. This program is designed to support the development and use of low-value forest biomass for energy production with the goal of integrating the energy derived from it into existing manufacturing streams.

Tree Assistance Program

The Farm Service Agency Tree Assistance Program provides financial assistance to orchards and nursery tree growers to "replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters." Eligible trees include ornamental, fruit, nut and Christmas trees produced for commercial sale. Trees used for pulp or timber are not eligible for assistance.

On the family farms of yesteryear, farmers relied on natural processes to fertilize and protect their farms. In the mid-20th century, the Green Revolution brought new technology to farming that allowed farmers to produce more food on less land, relying on chemicals to protect crops and livestock from diseases and pests and causing farms to burgeon from family businesses to industrial operations. Although farms now produce large amounts of food for little money, these new methods have not been without repercussions.

Livestock Manure

Traditionally, farms have functioned as a closed system. Farmers grew crops, which fed the animals, and the animals produced manure that nourished the next generation of crops. As David A. Fahrenthold explains in the Washington Post, changes in U.S. agriculture have shifted the role of manure from fertilizer to toxic waste as small farms give way to large operations with thousands of animals producing more manure than can possibly be used. According to Fahrenthold, manure runoff is one of the leading causes of aquatic dead zones. The U.S. Department of Agriculture adds that manure runoff also contributes to outbreaks of food-borne illness when animal wastes pollute fields used to grow crops.

Fertilizer Runoff

Fertilizer runoff is one cause of excessive algae growth in waterways.

red algae image by antoine perroud from Fotolia.com

Just like manure, in appropriate quantities, fertilizer promotes healthy plant growth. However, overuse and misuse of fertilizers high in nitrogen and phosphorus also have devastating consequences for the environment and human health. According to the North Carolina State University, fertilizer pollution contributes to aquatic dead zones, areas in bodies of water where living organisms cannot survive. Even in water, fertilizers have their intended effect: They increase plant growth. The increased growth of algae, though, uses up oxygen needed by other organisms. Additionally, when fertilizers leach into groundwater, blue-baby syndrome, a fatal condition in young children, can result.

Dust

As animal farming operations increase in size, the amount of dust they produce reaches potentially hazardous levels. Both soil and manure, when dried, can become airborne as dust, carrying pathogens to neighboring properties. Risk from dust is especially high for farmers and workers. According to the Penn State Cooperative Extension, a condition called "farmer's lung," caused by inhaling harmful particles, may cause permanent lung damage and even death.

Pesticides

By their very nature, pesticides are poisons, meant to kill nuisance insects and animals that destroy crops. When pesticides contaminate water, they can cause harmful effects on people and animals as well. According to the Iowa State University Extension Service, pesticides can reach water in several ways. Pesticides sprayed onto crops can drift into ponds and streams. Runoff also occurs, with pesticides being washed into surface waters, carried away through soil erosion or leaching into groundwater supplies.

Wholesale nurseries sell a large quantity of similar products, such as marigolds, to landscaping companies or retail establishments like Lowe's, Home Depot or Wal-Mart. Retail nurseries sell their own plants within their own locations and do not mass produce. Although the type of business you plan to operate determines the kind of nursery you construct, both have one element in common: plants. All plants need light, heat and water to survive. These needs and other aspects of a nursery should be considered prior to setting up shop.

Choose a crop. Investigate potential competitors and find what niches need to be filled. Choose plants that are appropriate for your region.

Determine the best location for your nursery. Wholesale nurseries should locate near major roads to cut down on transit costs. Retail nurseries may also want to consider easy access for the benefit of customers. Small-scale nurseries can be set up in your own back yard. Take into consideration the proximity of a dependable water source, necessary windbreaks and sunlight.

Construct a greenhouse. Whether the structure chosen is a hoop greenhouse, a small hotbed or an A-frame, make certain that access to sunlight is unrestricted. Strong eastern light is beneficial to plant growth, so orient the structure with light exposure in mind.

Calculate the heating system capacity for your greenhouse. This is a calculation based on the square footage and insulating qualities of the structure. Different plants have different desirable temperatures, but all plants run the risk of perishing when temperatures dip below 60 degrees F.

Choose your heating and cooling system. Solar panels are a popular way to heat greenhouses, although space heaters and other traditional heating methods can also be used. In midsummer, ventilation alone may not be adequate cooling; the air temperature may need to be lowered with evaporative cooling or shade cloths.

Investigate the best irrigation options for the crops and the size of your nursery. Plants thrive when they are watered consistently. Irrigation options include misting systems, drip irrigation, soaker hoses, fog machines and even controlled flooding.

Consider ventilation options. Thermostats and humidistats monitor the heat and humidity of a greenhouse and are vital parts of automated systems, which include exhaust fans. Most greenhouses have ventilation ducts near the roof line of the structure that can be manually controlled as needed.

Photosynthesis and plant health are dependent upon light. Some plants require up to 20 hours of light to germinate. Other plants need less during certain times of year and at varying points in their growth cycles. A system that allows for easy adjustment of light is important. Fluorescent lighting systems are the most popular and most effective.