Sustainable AgricultureJoel Devoid, Amar Zornic, Mollykate Fanning, Rose Linehan, Mandy Waryasz &

John FiatPeriod 1

Environmental Science

Methods

Results:

Conclusion

• Our team compiled research papers delving into the different aspects of sustainable agriculture. Using information that was collected from our resources, we synthesized the data to produce our results (Fig. 6).

Objectives•Define sustainable agriculture•Describe current levels and types of agriculture•include maps of current land use and soil classification, •Determine types of development that exist or are planned•Interpret laws and/or regulations that effect sustainable

agriculture at Goffstown High School (Fig. 1).

•Types of agriculture on field site:a. Greenhouse (Figs. 7 and 8)b. Sustainable Garden (Figs. 9 and 10)c. Isolated Tree Growth

•Laws and Regulations

"Beginner's Guide to Drip Irrigation." What Is Drip Irrigation: Organic Gardening. N.p., 2011. Web. 16 May 2013.

"Conserving Water." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 16 May 2013.

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. http://dictionary.reference.com/.

"Soil Health in Agricultural Systems." Soil Health in Agricultural Systems. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2012.

“Soil Types.”GrowVeg.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2012 “Sustainable Agriculture." Animal Sciences. Ed. Allan B. Cobb. New York:

Macmillan Reference USA, 2010. Gale Science In Context. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.

Perron, Samuel. "Talking with Mr. Perron." Personal interview. 15 May 2013.

"Trees Conserve Water and Reduce Soil Erosion." Trees Conserve Water and Reduce Soil Erosion. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/publications/urban4.html.

Timmons, D., Lang, Q., and Lass, D. (2008). Local Foods: Estimating Capacity. Journal of Extension, Volume 46, Number 5, pp. 1-10.

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2008. Sustainable Agriculture Techniques, National Headquarters. Cambridge, MA. 08/34/08. http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/sustainable-agriculture.html.

Vegetables that Grow Well in Sandy Clay Soil.” GardenGuides. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2013

What is Sandy Loam Soil?” GardenGuides. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2013.

Introduction

Figure 1. Map of the Goffstown High School and Soil Sample Sites (Google Earth).

• “Sustainable agriculture is an integrated system of plant and animal production that protects natural resources, promotes economic development, and enhances society’s quality of life while making healthy food accessible,” (Timmons 2008).

• There are many different types of soils and they all have different properties and amounts of nutrients (Figs. 2, 3, 4,and 5). Some soils are better for growing certain trees or crops because the nutrients in the soils are better suited for specific agriculture (Soil Health in Agriculture Systems 2012).

• Forests in sustainable agriculture help maintain soil and water resources.

a. The roots of the vegetation help enrich the nutrients of the soil and keep it from eroding.

b. As the trees die and fall to the ground they decay and provide nutrients for the soil (Trees Conserve Water and Reduce Soil Erosion).

c. Trees provide different habitats for many animals as well and protect the soil from wind erosion (Dictionary.com).

• Optimizing watershed resources can be done by using rain barrels, drip irrigation.

a. Water is collected and stored in mosquito protected rain barrels from rooftops.

b. This water is then used to water plants. c. It lacks chlorine, lime, and calcium which makes it

ideal for gardens (Conserving Water 2012). d. Drip irrigation allows water to drip slowly and directly

to the roots. e. The water is directly consumed and not wasted

(Beginner’s Guide to Drip Irrigation 2011).• Sustainable agriculture practices rebuild and protect soils

by:a. Using crop rotation to keep the soil fertile (Sustainable

Agriculture 2010), b. Not using pesticides because they are harmful to the

soil (Union of Concerned Scientists 2008). c. Not compacting the soil, because it decreases pore

size, and there' less room for roots. d. Reducing the amount of till (Arriaga 2003).

Figure 2. Soil Sample 1 – top 10 in

Figure 3. Soil Sample 1, deepest sample.

Figure 4. Soil Sample 2.

Figure 5. Soil Sample #3

Table 1. Soil Classifications

Figure 6. Soil Zones (1. Sandy Clay Loam, 2. Sandy Clay, 3. Sandy Loam, Google Earth).

Management Implications

• Sustainable agriculture is viable at Goffstown High School.

• Soil is sandy, but includes enough organic material to grow plants (Table 1).

• Surrounding forests and wetlands maintain soil and promote species diversity.

• Rain barrels and precision watering can minimize water usage.

• Sustainable agriculture can rebuild soil in school courtyards.

Works Cited

Figure 7. GHS Greenhouse

Figure 8. GHS Greenhouse Interior

Figure 9. GHS Garden 1

Figure 10. GHS Garden 2

Study Area• Goffstown High School (Fig. 1)