Sustainable Horticulture!!
Carl Motsenbocker
Co-State Louisiana SARE Director
School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences
www.lasare.agcenter.lsu.edu
The primary goals of sustainable
agriculture include:
 Providing a more profitable farm income.
Promoting environmental stewardship, including:


Protecting and improving soil
quality

Reducing dependence on nonrenewable resources, such as
fuel and synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides, and

Minimizing adverse impacts on
safety, wildlife, water quality and
other environmental resources
 Promoting stable,
prosperous farm
families and
communities
(SARE, sare.org)
Sustainable Production
 Farm profitability
 Environmental
stewardship
 Quality of life for farm
families and rural
communities
Sustainable Goals
 Sustain economic
viability
 Sustain environmental
stewardship
 Sustain social
responsibility and
quality of life
Sustainable is Not Always Organic
 But it is innovative
What is Sustainable Agriculture?
 Answer: “Sustainable” includes many
types of agriculture
When is Agriculture Sustainable?
 Maintains a diverse
ecosystem
 Reduces
environmental
impacts
 Minimizes pest
problems
 It has to be profitable
Sustainability is . . .
 A goal
 A direction
 A guiding principle
Is Sustainability a Philosophy or a
Set of Practices?
 Sustainability
has to be
adaptable and
supportive of
community
environments
Sustainability is Profitable
 Includes production and
processing
 Business concepts and
marketing
Sustainable is Environmental Management
 Soil management
 Crop management
 Livestock management
 Water management
 Integrated Pest
Management (IPM)
Don’t Forget Marketing
 Most sustainable operations fail not from poor
production practices but from lack of marketing
USDA S.A.R.E. & the Louisiana Program
 SARE = Sustainable
Agriculture Research and
Education
 SARE PDP = Professional
Development Program
 Mutual goal of both programs
is to teach technical skills and
to provide information
 Focus on agriculture
professionals
Louisiana SARE
 Dr. Owusu Bandele, Southern University
Agricultural Center
 Dr. Carl Motsenbocker, LSU AgCenter
 Model State Program

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
Ms. Emily Neustrom, State Program Assistant
La SARE Board
http://www.lasare.agcenter.lsu.edu
Community Food Program Components
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nutrition education
market gardening
community gardening
youth gardening
school gardening
community supported agriculture
(CSA)
micro-enterprise development
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gleaning
consumer education and marketing
buying clubs
business training
community kitchens
farm to school programs
farmers’ markets.
food policy councils
 In the United States, approximately 80 % of the
population and almost 73 % of Louisiana residents, live
in metropolitan areas

(US Census Bureau, 2007).
 The complexity of the food production and transport
system has increased as food production has shifted to
centralized production areas with food typically traveling
from 1500 to 2500 miles from farm to consumers table

(Halwell, 2002).
 Food insecurity:
 is where people skip meals or eat too little and they tend
to have lower quality diets or rely on emergency food
because they are unable to afford necessary food for their
families.
 US poverty rate was 12.6 percent in 2005 with 37 million
people, including 13 million children living in households
at risk for hunger or that experience hunger

(US Census Bureau, 2007).
 The poverty rate for Louisianans was 17.1 % in 2005
with almost 25 % of children in Louisiana living in poverty.
 Many Louisianans and Americans do not get enough to
eat on a daily basis and often depend on emergency
food sources.
Food Access
 In many low-income areas, full-service grocery stores
are not available.

Example, in Old South Baton Rouge (OSBR), Louisiana
there are no full-scale grocery stores and availability of
fresh fruits and vegetables is limited.
 Residents must travel out of the neighborhood to larger
grocery stores as the local markets generally have few
fresh produce available. Public transport available?
 The elderly poor, with little disposable income and fragile
health issues often find it difficult to travel out of the
neighborhood for grocery items.
 Urban Agriculture
 Local Food Systems
 Why buy local food?
 It is fresher, tastier and more nutritious.

It supports local farmers and keeps more of your food
dollar working in your hometown.

It conserves energy and reduces output of
greenhouse gases.

It gives you a better picture of how your food is
produced.
 Community Food Programs
School Gardening
Can we interest
students in science
through gardening
and garden-based
activities?
Can we impact
children’s attitudes
towards preference
for fruits and
vegetables?
Community Gardening
Youth Gardening
Market Gardening
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
“Partnership between local
community members and
local growers that work
together to create and
maintain an economically
stable food system,
encourage land stewardship,
and promote community
development.”
Farmers Markets
Union
Square,
NYC
 Nationally the estimated number of farmers markets
has increased almost 250 percent from 1994 to 2006
 Over 3700 farmers markets currently operating in the
US
 (USDA-AMS, 2007).
Community Kitchens
 Assist development of
recipes and food
production.
 Preparing, cooking,
filling, labeling, flashfreezing and cooling
food for sale.
Ex: Jubilee Project Inc., East Tennessee (http://www.jubileeproject.holston.org/)
Farm to School Programs
 Garden sessions
 Garden based nutrition
education
 Garden tastings
 Farm field trips
 Local food in school
lunches
Alice Waters, Edible Schoolyard www.edibleschoolyard.org
http://www.esynola.org/
Community Food Program Components
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
nutrition education
market gardening
community gardening
youth gardening
school gardening
community supported agriculture
(CSA)
micro-enterprise development
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
gleaning
consumer education and marketing
buying clubs
business training
community kitchens
farm to school programs
farmers’ markets.
Food Miles: Lettuce
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Salinas, CA to Baton Rouge, LA
 2100 miles
Charles and Jaynell Glaser, New Roads, LA
 36 miles to Red Stick Farmers Market
Community Food Shed
 Urban Agriculture