Development of a Healthy Farm Index to assess ecological, economic, and social function on organic and sustainable farms in Nebraska’s four agroecoregions

A need shared by current and future generations is a reliable food supply. Components of agroecosystems include food and fiber production, domestic and wild biodiversity, surrounding environments, local and global markets, and human communities (Francis et al. 2003). Thus, understanding and maintaining agroecosystems will require a multidisciplinary approach and decision-making tools that integrate ecological, economic, and social parameters (Gliessman 1998; Francis et al. 2003; Boody and DeVore 2006; Perrings et al. 2006). However, the role of ecological processes in agricultural systems remains poorly understood. A better understanding of ecological processes offers promise toward maintaining food production, biodiversity, and ecosystem services that support and regulate key functions. Demands on agroecosystems are mounting because of a growing and increasingly affluent global population, greater interest in maximizing local production, and an emerging call to conserve biodiversity and protect the global environment (MEA 2005). These competing demands influence decisions by farmers, consumers, and policy makers. Ideally, these demands will lead to a shift to more sustainable farming systems (United Nations 2008). While we cannot predict what the future of agriculture will entail (Ikerd 2001), the challenge of sustainable farming continues to evolve as agroecosystems change in response to climate shifts, market demands, new technology, and other ecological and socioeconomic factors. In the Great Plains of North America, as elsewhere, field size, yields, costs, input use, and urbanization have increased (Matson et al. 1997; Tilman