• Reliance on government programs
   
  
• Use of equipment, chemicals and nonrenewable energy
   
  
• Creation of jobs
   
  
• Balance between feed use and feed production

• Farmers cannot be too reliant on subsidies
   
  
• Less equipment, chemicals, nonrenewable energy use is better
   
  
• Local job creation is desirable
   
  
• Use energy of animals to harvest crops and spread manure

Dick Levins' indicators include: how much a farm is self supporting, how little it needs to rely on mechanical and chemical means to improve productivity, jobs that are created in the local community, and a balance between feed production and use. A farm that produces just feed or just animals for sale does not strike a balance between feed production and use. A farm on which animals use their own energy to harvest the feed and spread manure, rather than using mechanical means with nonrenewable energy, is a better example of striking this balance.

The Land Stewardship Program can be found at http://www.misa.umn.edu/lsphp.html.