When I spoke about low-input agriculture, I was thinking of some of the very interesting work done by Martin Entz at the University of Manitoba, who has been looking at doing this through capturing nitrogen from the atmosphere, and so on. The results have shown a return as good as, if not better than, conventional farming. This type of farming also releases the farmer from being dependent on the input supplier.
Unfortunately, given the skill level required, there is a steep learning curve involved. This is usually done through peer mentoring.
I think as a society we should be investing more money in doing this through the official education process, including for the added value of protecting society before the point where we pass peak oil.