If you find
It difficult to keep desirable plants and animals alive and profitable while keeping undesirables down
OR
Developing something from scratch can be difficult
OR
Your present system is vulnerable to local native plants or animals invading
Then,
Having Nature as model and using the techniques and possibly the species that work in nearby natural areas may give you some clues about how to tackle problems.
A model can help you develop a new integrated farming system to beat nature at its own game and allow you to farm profitably at the same time.
The best Enterprise model makes it easier and more effective when you are starting a new enterprise. That way you can pick up a template or model from someone else and modify it to suit your circumstances. And the best Enterprise models are usually those developed by someone who has been effective at what you are about to start doing.
When it comes to managing an ecosystem — and every successful farm is an ecosystem — nature has done it since the beginning.
You can mimic nature’s success by observing and noting:
- WHAT happens in nature nearby
- WHEN these things happen
- HOW these things happen and
- ideally WHY it works that way.
After millions of years of evolution, nature has “learned” what works in that situation, what is suited to it and what will persist — with the proviso that nature is always in change, just as we are or need to be. The world around us is changing all the time — just look at the climate, the market, the environment and probably even your family.
We can stand there and argue with it or about it, but change is inevitable.
One of the most important aspects to pick up from nature is the idea of adaptability.
Nature is in constant change, adapting all the time to what is happening.
Farming and grazing enterprises often try to stop time — to keep things as they are. But weeds in crops and pastures show that to be impossible.
Far better to find flexible ways to keep weeds under control or at least in check. There are other pages on this website that can help with managing weeds.
It is worth being In tune with Nature because as Francis Bacon said, Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed and often the easiest way to do that is by using Nature as model.