Discover published sets by community

We need to discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that systems can continue to function well. In agricultural systems, this means monitoring and managing pests, diseases, and other variables to ensure the health and productivity of the system.

Ensure that you are getting truly useful rewards as part of the work you are doing. In agricultural systems, this means choosing crops and practices that provide food, fiber, or other products while also being sustainable.

By developing systems that collect resources when they are abundant, we can use them in times of need. In agriculture, this can refer to storing water, harvesting solar energy, or accumulating organic matter to build soil fertility for future use.

By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they work together to support each other. In agriculture, this means planting polycultures where different species benefit each other, or integrating animals into crop systems.

Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, making better use of local resources and producing more sustainable outcomes. In agriculture, this could mean starting with a small, manageable plot and growing incrementally as skills and resources allow.

The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system. In agriculture, utilizing the edges might mean planting in the borders between forest and field, or using pond edges for aquaculture.

By stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and society. These can form the backbone of our designs, with the details filled in as we go. In agricultural systems, this might involve using the contour lines of land to guide the placement of crops and water systems.

We can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing, and then intervening at the right time. In agriculture, this involves adapting farming practices to seasonal changes, climate change, or market demands, ensuring resilience and sustainability.

Make the best use of nature's abundance to reduce our consumptive behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources. In agriculture, this could mean using solar power instead of fossil fuels, or planting nitrogen-fixing plants to reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.

By valuing and making use of all the resources that are available to us, nothing goes to waste. This principle can be applied in agriculture through practices like composting organic waste or integrating livestock to cycle nutrients within the farm system.

Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides. In agriculture, this can be applied by planting a variety of crops to prevent loss from disease or pests, and to promote a balanced ecosystem.