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Essay On Native American Farming

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Our country would not be the successful place it is without agriculture. Even before colonization, Native American people were farming in order to sustain their way of living. Many other countries across the world are the same way—farming is crucial for the human race to survive. Humans rely on plants and animals for food, and what better way to ensure their existence than by creating pastures and harvesting crops season after season, year after year. And yet, the land on which these farms exist had to come from somewhere. The pesticides used on fields and the run-off from animal pastures all go somewhere. The native plants and animals that once thrived naturally were removed in order to make room for farms, and the species that co-exist are exposed to harmful waste products. Thus, a vital issue emerges. Farmers and ranchers are committed to providing for populations worldwide. The environmentalists who oppose them are committed to protecting nature. So why can’t they work together and come up with a plan that helps both sides become sustainable? This paper will use the organization American …show more content…
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), typically find fault in a few areas of farming. One of their biggest concerns has to do with water pollution. The EPA came up with the Clean Water Act to help protect the water from extremely high levels of unintended chemicals such as nitrate, potassium, phosphorus and other micro nutrients. There are two reasons why these chemicals leave the soil and into the water system: Mother Nature and drainage tiles. Farmers cannot control how much rain falls from the sky and how short of a time span it falls. Large volume of rain causes erosion and floods that displace soil and the nutrients to areas that were not intended to receive them. Mother Nature, in theory, can’t be controlled yet weather modification has been performed in other areas for various

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