What are the major elements of sustainable farming?

There are multiple methods of farming.  Sustainable farming is method that fertilizes and endorses the use of pesticides, given that they are made up of biodegradable compounds and are not made of synthetics and chemicals.  Sustainable farming also has made efforts to reduce energy use and water use. Sustainable farming resists the emission of harmful emissions to the ozone by using solar panels and wind turbines.  Sustainable farming can also be used in raising livestock.  There are organic and sustainable means to harvesting meat from animals in order to have things like steak, pork chops, and chicken wings.

There are stigmas that go along with sustainable farming.  Words like hippie, tree-hugger, and free spirit are thrown around in conjunction with the word sustainable.  However, sustainable just means able to sustain.  So sustainable farming means farming that can sustain.  Farming that can have a continual life cycle that is healthy and natural  There is no reason that we shouldn't demand fresh and natural food that has been grown under the best natural conditions.  I buy organic as much as I can, however since sustainable methods rely on nature the products are much more expensive. 

 Nature can be unpredictable and that affects the amount of food available and the price of the food.  On a large scale, I feel disconnected from the food industry. Other than a few steps before the grocery store do I research where my food comes from.  I could research further in order to know precisely where my food was born, raised, and kept.   However, I generally just care that it is from a clean location with satisfying living conditions for the animals.  Although I buy organic and do some mild research on sustainable and organic farming, I do not intend on growing my own food.  The amount of work that goes into food production is extreme and I cannot imagine having to live according to the weather.  Through the research of sustainable farming, however, I have an immense amount of respect for those in agriculture.