Though it is not widely recognized, modern industrial agriculture, which now affects more than two-thirds of the land in the lower forty-eight states, plays a major role in the rampant decline in biodiversity in the United States. Habitat destruction and fragmentation, displacement of native species and the introduction of exotic species, persecution of predators, and pollution of all kinds are just a few of industrial agriculture's damaging ecological consequences.
Fortunately, a new vision for a more environmentally beneficial and sustainable agriculture is emerging. Such a vision begins with farms that gracefully meld within landscapes, pulsing with a wide range of native species. It combines implementation of landscape-level restoration efforts, natural systems farming research, and the community spirit of farmers markets and local watershed stakeholders.
Presenting an inspiring look at this new conservation-based agriculture, Farming with the Wild offers vivid profiles of more than thirty farms, ranches, and organizations in the United States, together with more than one hundred color photographs. The result is an on-the-ground picture of a new agrarian movement that is slowly sweeping across the nation—a movement that aims to provide healthier food to Americans while restoring healthy ecosystems.