The research takes a systems approach to the study of agriculture and the environment. It seeks to better understand and restore the complex plant-animal-insect relationships that exist within agroecosystems. It proceeds from the position that sustainable agriculture is both possible and necessary for the long-term health of the planet and all who live there. Consistant with this perspective is the belief that with sufficient knowledge farming systems can be managed without synthetic chemical interventions. A second basic premise is that biological stability can not be maintained in a monocultual setting and that animals need to be reintegrated back into farming systems. A third premise is that there is a scale to well-integrated farming systems and that small or family-scale operations offer insight into the diverse use (and barriers to the use) of alternative agricultural practices.