Traditional agriculture is a type of farming that uses techniques developed over decades or centuries to ensure good, sustainable yield over time in a specific area or region. Traditional farms are based around mixed crops that complement one another.
Traditional agricultural techniques are most often practiced on small family farms and in developing countries. Crops are mixed, often using multiple varieties of the same crop, and are sometimes planted in associated groups. For example, vine-based beans might be planted with corn. Crop timing is based on traditional experience, and tilling and other farm techniques are based on proven traditions. Modern techniques are often blended with traditional techniques. Because this sort of agriculture is based on artisanal knowledge, it does not scale up well and does not provide the enormous crop yields of industrial agriculture. However, it is often more sustainable and less polluting than similar industrial techniques.