The following links are those which I regularly recommend for those looking to develop a deeper understanding of the Travis IDEA project.
“Agriculture is the new golf”. A concept developed by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Senior Fellow — Ed McMahon. The concept was widely reported by the press in 2010. In December of 2013, NPR developed the following materials in “Forget Golf Courses: Subdivisions draw residents with farms“.
The ULI has also developed a case study (pdf) (Youtube video) on Willowsford, a Loudon County, Virginia based Master Planned Community of 4,125 acres which incorporates some farming activities.
In 2010, a group of six developers which had integrated farming operations into their developments came together and shared notes. The following report “Building Communities with Farms” was produced by the Liberty Prairie Foundation and contains case studies as well as round table discussions.
For those who wish to learn more about Allan Savory and his foundational text “Holistic Management“, you would do great to start with his TED talks page.
Allan Savory is also featured in a PBS + National Geographic special on Earth. In Austin, the series is on PBS Wednesday evenings. You can also find the series on-line at the PBS website. The presenter has made an extraordinary claim – that his whole understanding of ecology may have to be rebuilt based on what Allan Savory has learned and is teaching about the role of livestock in our broader ecology. That is, when used properly (i.e. very different from our current grazing practices), cattle can reverse the destruction of our soils (i.e. desertification) and be a tool for increasing the biodiversity and wildlife in our ecosystems. Amazing!
Acres USA is an excellent resource on Eco-Agriculture. For those in Austin, you will enjoy spending an hour or two of your time looking through their bookstore shelves at 4029 Guadalupe Street in Austin. If you can, get a subscription to their magazine! For farmer’s working in an ecological way, the magazine is regularly referred to as the Acres USA vacation by their farm wives. Most farmer’s wont’ put it down until they have read it from cover to cover. It is one of the most consistent educational sources for ecologically driven land management. Be sure to check out the following texts:
I also highly recommend “The Intelligent Gardener” for a broader understanding of soil health with a focus on minerals and their role in nutrient dense food production.