Farming systems encompass all the practices used to grow crops. Most are adapted to the specifics of a particular place in terms of soils, topography, and climate. They are also affected by the markets, and the goals of the farmer. There are many farming systems that can potentially be sustainable and no one systems can be sustainable in every situation. One common characteristic of a sustainable farming systems with respect to the environment, is farming practices that build and maintain soil organic matter. In the southeastern U.S., research has shown that Organic Production, Management Intensive Grazing, and Conservation Tillage using cover crops can and do rebuild our soils.

If you are looking for additional information on farm systems, please see our Resources page to find other publications and useful tools.