27 May Sun 2012
Start at the very beginning!
I wonder if most would agree that new ventures should start at the beginning. Our results and success driven culture encourages a rush through start-up to pursue the fast track. My experience with Biological-Ecological food production, working within biologic systems and being part of a local ecology, the beginning steps are key in creating the foundation for future production. At the beginning growing food is about developing a viable, diverse soil that supports production of healthy nutrient dense food.
A farmers' most valued resource is fertile, biologically active soil. You can try to build soil with amendments but in rushing to do this you tend to reduce the complexity of biological systems to measurable scientific models. Only when we foster the development and compounding forces of soil biology will the soil sustain continued production. Start at the very beginning.
Natural systems build soil. Through farming we disrupt natural soil building. Tillage, the use of synthetic inputs, and leaving the soil barren for long periods can accelerate the loss of organic matter and key soil compounds. Conventional farming works to maximize production but leads to net soil losses. To maintain fertility we add compost generated from the farm, utilize cover crops and re-mineralize with needed nutrients.
On farmland that has been in production for decades the remaining dirt no longer resembles soil we need for quality produce. A farmer can build fertility on such land only with time and work. Repairing disturbed land may take from years to a decade to achieve a stable, sustainable level.
On the farm at Tiller's International I find wonderful basic fertility. Each footstep in the field offers more insight. This contributes to a growing understanding and planning for sustaining the gift of fertile land.
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Over the past week an abundance of sunshine and a touch of rain has left us with continued great harvests of early crops. I had a small amount of strawberries for market. As I told a fellow market vendor, you can tell strawberry season is ending when standing upright no longer takes an effort. I also spent some time collecting Colorado Potato Beetles and crushing egg smears. Early and careful attention makes a huge difference in minimizing losses. And, the warm weather crops were transplanted and tended through the transition to field with great success.
I used both plug trays and soil blocks for propagating transplants. i really have become a proponent of soil blocks. The minimal disruptions and plant health soil blocks promote results in vigorous plants in the field. I had all my peppers in blocks and the eggplants in cells. The eggplants struggled to handle transition while the peppers took right off. I'll really make an effort in the future to emphasize soil blocks...
Farmer Pete