Published by the Community Farm Alliance, 200 Short St. #10,
Berea, Ky 40403 Please send all editorial and advertising
inquiries and information to: P.O. Box 324 * Elkins, AR 72727;
501-292-3714
E-mail: HN3551@handsnet.org
Editor: Keith Richards
Editorial Board: Janet Bachmann, Cynthia Hizer, Jean Mills, Renee
Price, Michael Sligh, Hollis Watkins
SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE FARMING is the voice of the Southern
Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, 50 member organizations
working for more sustainable agriculture in 13 Southern states.
The Southern SAWG assists family farmers and farm communities to
prosper in a healthy environment by helping to remove technical,
institutional and economic barriers to sustainability.
ORGANIC COTTON IN TEXAS FACES DIFFICULT CHALLENGE
Organic cotton growers in the state of Texas, who produce over 40
percent of the nation's crop, are facing the greatest challenge
of their farming careers. Ironically it isn't from pests,
disease, or weeds; but instead from state legislation
implementing a program to try and eradicate the boll weevil.
A Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation has been established
by law to wage war on the boll weevil by spraying malathion and
other chemicals on cotton acreage statewide. With their
livelihoods on the line, the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing
Cooperative recently went to the legislature to negotiate
compromises in the law that would protect their certification,
although not necessarily their ability to grow certified organic
cotton.
Carl Pepper, Chairman of the Marketing Coop's Legislative
Committee, says they knew they were outnumbered by conventional
growers wanting the program, so the organic growers have focused
on keeping the program reasonable. "We'll work with the program,
and we'll even be willing to not raise cotton for a time,"
according to Pepper, "but we don't want to lose our
certification over it, and we don't want the Foundation to do
anything that will break us."
Although some rules may be changed at a future hearing, the
program, as it stands, will have a major impact for a long time.
Chemicals may not necessarily be required on all farms if the
Foundation determines that eradication is successful by other
means, but plow-up may be required as an alternative. Also, if
growers don't wish to have chemicals sprayed on their cotton,
they can grow an alternative crop (like milo) and the program may
provide indemnity.
Language in the law provides for a sunset review in the year
2004, but Pepper feels that will have little effect if the
majority of cotton farmers still support the program. He and
other organic growers hope the Foundation either receives some
help from the weather and can declare victory in a few years, or
that conventional growers tire of paying the cost and vote for an
end eventually. In the meantime, the eradication program will be
their biggest hurdle to growing organic cotton in Texas.
[This article is excerpted from the Southern SAWG newsletter,
"Southern Sustainable Farming." For a complete copy, contact
Keith Richards, editor, PO Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727 or e-mail to
HN3551@handsnet.org ]
CROP INSURANCE REGS PLACE FARMERS AT RISK
New regulations from the Consolidated Farm Services Agency
require that a farmer purchase Federal Crop Insurance in order to
be eligible for any USDA program. Unfortunately, recent
regulatory changes in the Federal Crop Insurance Program pose two
potentially crippling obstacles to the ability of low-income
farmers to adopt sustainable ag methods.
First, crop insurance guidelines were developed for
"conventional," chemical-intensive agriculture, making many
farmers who use organic or sustainable ag practices ineligible
for insurance because they do not meet the recommended
guidelines. Second, FmHA borrowers who are delinquent on loan
payments will be denied crop insurance if the new regulation
stands.
Denial of insurance means the farmer may not have access to
such federal programs as Debt Restructuring, Direct or Guaranteed
Loans, or any SARE/ACE grant program. Those most affected by
this regulation are low-income, minority, women, and senior
citizen farmers.
Jean Wyont, a Wisconsin dairy farmer and program director
for Farm Plan Advocates, recently met with Susie Dietrich of the
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) to bring these problems
to her attention. Wyont reports that FCIC is now aware of the
bias toward conventional farming in their guidelines, and is
"working on language that will benefit organic and sustainable
farmers," but there is nothing for such farmers at this point.
Also, FCIC was unaware that application language would place FmHA
borrowers at an unfair disadvantage, but as a result of her
meeting more discussion will take place.
David Waller of Farm Plan Advocates urges you to call or
write your congressional representative to let them know how
these regulatory changes affect you, and how you feel about it.
For more information, contact Farm Plan Advocates, 1373 E.
Morehead, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28204: 704-358-3534.
[This article is excerpted from the Southern SAWG newsletter,
"Southern Sustainable Farming." For a complete copy, contact
Keith Richards, editor, PO Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727 or e-mail to
HN3551@handsnet.org ]
SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR CONGRESS MEMBER
from the Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
This is a critical time for federal legislation affecting
the future of sustainable agriculture. Please take a moment
today to write a letter or postcard to your U.S. Senators and
Representative. If you need assistance, contact Julie Burns,
Southern Campaign Coordinator, 12 Laurel Ave., Asheville 28804;
phone 704-255-8376 or fax 704-254-1937.
The Honorable [name of Congress member]
U.S. House of Representatives [or U.S. Senate]
[more specific building and room number if you have it]
Washington, D.C. 20515 [20510 for Senate]
Dear Representative [or Senator] _________________________,
I am a [farmer, environmentalist, businessperson, member or
leader of an organization, etc.] in your district [or state, if
writing a senator]. I urge you to promote reforms in the 1995
Farm Bill that would support small and medium sized farms, and
provide incentives and assistance to farmers who are trying to
practice environmentally sound production methods. Please
support [***pick a specific issue, and explain why you think it's
important]. These reforms are advocated by the Campaign for
Sustainable Agriculture, which includes over 500 grassroots and
national groups. Sustainable agriculture programs are fiscally
responsible, prevent costly pollution and health problems,
produce broad public benefits, and help American family farms
prosper. Please reject efforts to cut funding for these
critically needed programs.
I look forward to hearing your response outlining your
positions on these issues.
[To Congress Members who are not on Agriculture or Appropriations
Committees, add:] Please encourage your colleagues on the
Agriculture and Appropriations committees to support sustainable
agriculture policies.
Sincerely,
Your name and address
***Insert the issues you are most concerned with:
- Maintain emphasis and strong funding for the Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) and Whole Farm
Planning.
- Improve Marketing and Rural Development programs, including the
National Organic Certification program, Farmers Market WIC
program, and Community Food Security Initiatives.
- Expansion of Minority Farmers and Farmworkers Rights.
- The National Agricultural Bargaining Act for contract growers.
-Reforms in Dairy Policy through the Dairy Nutrition and
Conservation Act.
- Limiting commodity program payments to family farmers and
linking the payments to reward environmental stewardship.
-Labeling dairy products treated with rBGH.
- Continuation of the CRP program, targeting it to the most
highly erodible land and giving farmers partial field options.
- A budget-neutral Environmental Reserve program to replace the
existing set-aside program.
- Conversion of the Farms for the Future Act into a matching
grant program.
- Efforts to assist new, young, and minority farmers to acquire
farmland in urban-edge areas.
[This article is excerpted from the Southern SAWG newsletter,
"Southern Sustainable Farming." For a complete copy, contact
Keith Richards, editor, PO Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727 or e-mail to
HN3551@handsnet.org ]
LEARNING FROM THOSE WITH COMPOST ON THEIR BOOTS
Imagine extension agents attending a seminar led by farmers
who practice sustainable agriculture. Picture traditional farm
advisors touring sustainable farms to learn how they work. Only
in a progressive farmer's dream, right? Well, its happening in
South Carolina.
The two land-grant universities, with the help of
sustainable agriculture organizations in the region, have begun a
program to train agricultural advisors in sustainable agriculture
concepts, practices and philosophy using successful farmers as
teachers. Under a grant awarded by the Southern region SARE/ACE
program to Clemson University and South Carolina State
University, the training is based on the idea that traditional
agricultural advisors can best learn about sustainable
agriculture by seeing it on the farm and hearing from those who
are making it work.
At their first training February 21-23 in Rock Hill, agents
from the Extension Service, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, and other government agencies spent three days touring
farms using sustainable methods, attending seminars conducted by
successful sustainable farmers, and participating in question and
answer sessions. Although attendance was voluntary, 55
agricultural advisors turned out.
Jim Palmer, project co-coordinator remarked, "The training
was extremely well received. Evaluations from the agents came
back very positive." In fact many agents requested a need for
more training, and especially more farm tours of this type.
The goals of this project are to conduct farm tours and seminars
in each of the three regions of the state and culminate with a
state-wide workshop of all participants. This project is designed
to augment the current on-going state strategic planning for
sustainable agriculture in South Carolina, and will hopefully be
developed into an on-going agricultural advisor staff development
process.
For more information on this program, contact project
coordinators Sam Bass, South Carolina State University,
803-536-7102 or Jim Palmer, Clemson University, 803-656-3519; or
project advisor Michael Sligh, RAFI-USA, 803-297-8562.
[This article is excerpted from the Southern SAWG newsletter,
"Southern Sustainable Farming." For a complete copy, contact
Keith Richards, editor, PO Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727 or e-mail to
HN3551@handsnet.org ]
SAVING SEED: THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
by Sue Smith-Heavenrich
Saving seed is about keeping the circle unbroken, nurturing
the spark of life and passing it on. Our seeds tie us to the
past. With them we preserve the future. As farmers and
gardeners, we are the guardians of genetic heritage, passing to
the next generation a rich diversity of fruits, vegetables,
flowers and herbs. In the simple sacred act of saving seed, we
become the stewards of thousands of years of plant evolution.
Our grandmothers and their grandmothers were seed-savers by
necessity. They saved the seed of their best plants for the next
year's crops, traded some with neighbors, and carried their seed
with them when they migrated to new homes. These heirloom
varieties, grown in a single place for a hundred years or so,
developed resistance to local diseases and became adapted to the
local climate and soil conditions. Unfortunately, with the
expansion of the commercial seed business many of these old
varieties are being lost, along with their unique genetic traits.
This is important to us as farmers and gardeners for a couple of
reasons. First, the loss of genetic traits; if we are looking
for disease resistance, we need to have the genetic material
available to breed into our plants. As small seed companies are
bought out by multinational corporations, regionally adapted
varieties are replaced with hybrids and patented varieties that
will grow in as wide of conditions as possible. The extinction
of local seed varieties, some with valuable adaptations to
regional climates and resistance to local pests and disease, is a
loss of genetic material for both plant breeders and growers.
Secondly, at stake is the loss of control over our crops. As
long as plant breeders focus on developing crops for machine
harvest and industrial handling, the needs of small farmers and
home gardeners will be ignored. All one need do is compare a
thick-skinned, square, tasteless California tomato (bred for
industry requirements) to that juicy, aromatic, flavorful fruit
picked from your backyard. And while a large commercial grower
may want all his fruit to be ready to harvest at one time,
someone supplying produce to a co-op or CSA might prefer
varieties that produce over a longer season.
The Basics
To preserve the genetic heritage of a plant variety, it is
important to prevent undesirable hybridization with related crops
or weeds. This requires a bit of planning, use of isolation
techniques, and perhaps not trying to grow everything you want to
save in one year.
Plant families are large groups of plants that share similar
characteristics, usually based on flower and fruit morphology.
Families are divided into genera (plants in each genus share more
similarities), and genera are divided into species. Plants
within a species can reproduce with others of that species.
Species are further divided into varieties, and here's the seed
saver's dilemma. To preserve "Mandan," a green-striped summer
squash of Indian origin, you need to make sure there are no other
plants in the species Cucurbita pepo around. Other crops in C.
pepo include Connecticut field pumpkin, yellow crookneck, patty
pan, zucchini, and spaghetti squash. If these crops crossbreed,
you may not see the results in this year's fruit. But if you
save the seed and grow it out the next year, you won't get what
you planned on. It will be a hybrid.
To keep plants from cross-pollinating, you need to isolate
them from pollen of related varieties carried by the wind and
insects, including bees, moths, flies, wasps and beetles. This
can be accomplished by planting different varieties at opposite
ends of the field, or separating them by a row or two of taller
plants. Sometimes you can isolate crops in time, by planting
early maturing and late maturing varieties. The early maturing
crop should flower and go to seed prior to the late crop
flowering. If flowering does overlap, you can pull off late
flowers from the early variety so they don't cross-pollinate.
Some plants can be bagged with muslin or remay to keep
pollinators out. Others, like corn and squash will need to be
hand-pollinated to assure variety purity.
To ensure the most diversity it is best to save seed from
many individuals of the variety, and from many times throughout
the season. The Native American strategy in saving seed is to
collect as wide a representation from the population as possible.
That means saving seed from the earliest, latest, largest,
smallest, and from the driest spot. Mixing the seeds together
gives you a genetic "melting pot." This is a good idea if you're
farming on marginal land, in a variable climate, or unsure of
irrigation, though the yields may be lower than if you selected
only seeds from the best producers.
In order to maintain the vigor of any variety, it is
important to save seed from several plants, even though you may
need only a fraction of that seed. For most crops this means
15-20 plants, though people with limited space can get by growing
6-8 individual plants. For corn you'll need a minimum of a
dozen, though Kent Whealy of Seed Saver's Exchange suggests ten
times that amount.
The Easy Crops
Beans and peas are probably the easiest plants to save seed
from. Because bean flowers are self-pollinated, there is little
chance of cross-pollination. If absolute purity is desired,
varieties can be separated by another crop or by 100 feet. Using
distance to separate each variety from others in the same species
will generally eliminate the chances of cross-pollination. For
most crops there are "usual and prevailing" distances based on
recommendations from commercial growers, but even these vary with
plant population size, pollinator density, and geographical
barriers. Factors that tend to increase isolation distances are
a greater number of plants and the presence of a large number of
efficient pollinators. Factors that tend to decrease isolation
distances are presence of barrier crops (like a tall crop between
bean varieties), alternate pollen sources for pollinators,
staggered flowering times, and collecting seed from the center of
block plantings.
As the bean plants mature, the leaves dry up and drop. When
about 90 percent of the leaves have dropped and the pods are
brown, they are ready for harvest. Some folks pull out the
plants and hang them to dry under cover, but I find it just as
easy to collect the pods in large paper bags. I can write the
variety name in marker on the bag, then let them sit until I have
time to thresh and winnow. Threshing can be done using a flail
or stick to break the pods. Smaller amounts can be shelled by
hand. The easiest way to separate seed from pods, chaff and soil
is winnowing. Choose a breezy fall day to stand outside and pour
the beans from one pan to another. The wind will carry off the
lightweight chaff.
Tomatoes, generally self-pollinated, are another easy
seed-saver's crop. Because there is a slight chance of
outcrossing, you may wish to separate varieties by a distance of
10 feet. Try not to plant different varieties side by side.
Using the fermentation process to save tomato seed helps to
destroy seed-borne disease. Simply squeeze juice and pulp into a
yogurt container, set the container in a covered spot, like a
garage or tool shed, and let the stuff ferment. A layer of
fungus will grow over the top in about three days. Take off the
fungus layer, then pour the rest through a sieve. Rinse under
water and rub the seeds gently against the sieve. Tap out seeds
onto a paper towel or coffee filter and let them dry. If your
seeds sprout, you've let them sit too long.
Hand Pollination
Corn is cross pollinated. The pollen, shed by the tassel,
is carried great distances on the wind. The recommended
isolation distance is 1,000 feet, but you can isolate in time
using early- and late-maturing varieties. This will work only if
the first crop sets seed before the second crop flowers.
Perhaps the best way to ensure purity of corn seed is to hand
pollinate. Bag the tassels to catch the pollen. When the ear is
just starting to emerge, tear off the protecting leaf to expose
the ear. Cut the very tip of the ear off to expose a round
circle of silks. Cover with a bag. Next morning, band tassels
to shake the pollen out. Collect pollen from many plants and mix
it together. Pour pollen mix on the exposed silks, then cover
the ears again. Because you have to be concerned with genetic
variation, Kent Whealy suggests using half of your plants for
pollen, and the other half for the ears.
Seed Saving For Plant Breeding
Plants are constantly evolving to meet the changing
environment, diseases and pests. When saving seed you want to
consider the whole plant, and watch it over an entire season.
Some things to consider are: disease resistance; insect
resistance; fruit color, shape, size, flavor, and earliness in
ripening; hardiness; plant vigor; lateness to bolt; draught
resistance; productivity; and ability to store and transport.
To ensure genetic diversity you need to save seed from as many
plants as possible that are true-to-type. To keep populations
true-to-type, rogue out any that have off-type leaves or flowers
before they have a chance to cross with others.
It is a part of the circle, this saving seed, providing for
our future and our children's future. So simple an act, yet the
consequences are far-reaching. It is important to keep varieties
alive for the sake of genetic diversity. Crop breeders need
material to work with. It is also important to keep seeds in the
hands of the people, to not let control of our food be usurped by
large corporations.
Resources
Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. 1991, Seed Saver's Exchange
($20.00). A good reference for techniques and in-depth advice
for each species within families.
Growing Garden Seed, A Manual for Gardeners and Small Farmers by
Robert Johnston, Jr. 1983, Johnny's Selected Seeds, 305 Foss
Hill Rd., Albion, ME 04910 ($2.50). A condensed version listing
techniques for each species.
Seed Saver's Exchange, 3076 North Winn Rd, Decorah, IA 52101. A
network of farmers and gardeners who save seeds and offer them to
others. Three publications yearly, membership is $25.00/yr.
Also a Flower & Herb Exchange, membership is $5.00/yr.
Native Seeds/SEARCH, 2509 N. Campbell, #325, Tucson, AZ 85719.
Saves traditional Native American crops. Membership is
$10.00/yr. Catalog available for $1.00.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, PO Box 158, North Garden, VA
22959. A catalog is $3.00 offering things like row covers,
stakes, labels, etc.
Abundant Life Seed Foundation, PO Box 772, Port Townsend, WA
98368. Membership is $5.00/yr to receive seed catalog, book list
and newsletter. Also have seed envelopes and cleaning screens.
[This article is excerpted from the Southern SAWG newsletter,
"Southern Sustainable Farming." For a complete copy, contact
Keith Richards, editor, PO Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727 or e-mail to
<HN3551@handsnet.org>. An earlier version of this article
appeared in the "Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener," Sept/Oct 1994,
Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association, PO Box 2176,
Augusta, ME 04338. Newspaper subscription, $12/yr.]
GROWING FOOD IN TOBACCO COUNTRY: From the Industrial Model to a
CSA by Keith Richards
The tobacco plant, despite unhealthy side effects from most
of its products, has been good to the people of Kentucky. In the
farming regions of the state, the countryside is still interlaced
with small farms, communities full of small businesses, and most
importantly, people who keep the communities alive. The reason
for this relative prosperity when the rest of the rural South and
Midwest have been decimated by loss of agricultural jobs is
tobacco. As one farmer recently remarked, "Even in bad years, I
could always count on tobacco to pay the basics."
Lately though, tobacco farmers are getting the same squeeze
as other commodity growers; higher costs and lower prices (or
lower quotas) for their raw products are putting them in a vice
grip. From 1982 to 1993, the index of prices received by farmers
rose only 7.5%, while the index of prices paid by farmers--input
costs--rose over 23%. With those kinds of market forces working
against them, many Kentucky farmers are doing what their
counterparts in the rest of the country have done--getting bigger
or getting out. That means a loss of jobs, loss of people, and a
spiraling decline in the health of Kentucky's rural communities.
Steve Smith came of age as a farmer in this difficult
environment. While it agonizes him to see the decline of small
tobacco farms, he isn't about to let his own Trimble County farm
be one of the casualties. Tending 324 acres along the Little
Kentucky River that he and his parents bought jointly from his
grandparents, he has branched out from the traditional crops of
tobacco and hay into organic vegetables.
"I started growing vegetables in 1985, mainly because of the
uncertain future of tobacco, and because the idea of growing food
crops was more appealing," says Smith. "The first year I had a
roadside stand. I enjoyed that kind of marketing--meeting
people. The next few years I trucked mostly tomatoes and
cantaloupes to Louisville stores and wholesalers. I found this
difficult; it was unpleasant and often degrading to try and get
my price. In a good year, prices were too low. In a bad year,
you didn't have what the market wants. I lost money on
vegetables four out of the first five years [using conventional
methods], but was willing to write it off to the cost of
education."
"Nineteen eighty-nine was a turning point," he explains.
"An acre of ripe stake tomatoes was left to rot in the field
because the bottom had dropped out of the tomato market. This
helped to change my thinking on modern conventional farming.
After doing some research on vegetable farming, I drew up a
market garden plan using different criteria for the 1990
vegetable crops."
The new criteria were: 1) lowering purchased inputs, 2) a
market strategy based on cooperation rather than competition, 3)
raising a diversity of crops and livestock in rotation, 4)
providing a fair and adequate wage to the farm and workers, and
5) evaluating success by the quality of life created for all
humans and animals involved.
Started a Food Guild
Smith sent out letters to area newspapers explaining what he
was going to do. Calling it a "food guild," his plan was to
provide 40 families with a half-bushel basket of assorted fresh
vegetables each week. He says, "We also agreed that no synthetic
fertilizers or pesticides would be used on them or on the land
they were grown in, and that we would provide them May through
November as best we could. In exchange, we asked the people to
agree to pay us the cost of growing the food ($384 per family) in
advance and to share with us the risks of farming."
Over one hundred people responded to his letters, and he began a
new way of life. Smith didn't find out until two years later
that this concept was growing throughout the country, having been
tagged with the name of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
In that first year, he grew around 30 different kinds of
vegetables on about three acres of land. His soil fertility was
low and he was lacking the proper tools and information. "In
spite of it all, it was a great success," Smith says. "I would
attribute that to the tremendous support we received from the
people for whom we were farming."
Those original 40 members grew by word of mouth into 60,
then 75, then 80; he plans on producing for 90 to 100 families in
1995. His current price per share of $400 is based on estimated
expenses for 3-1/2 acres of vegetables plus a $19,000 salary for
the farmer.
Now, most of his CSA members live in Louisville, 40 miles
away. Smith delivers their produce once a week on Thursday
evenings to St. Matthew's Episcopal church parking lot.
Everything is picked that morning, washed, cooled, counted and
packed into apple crates. Signs are posted telling what each
family's allotment is (i.e.: "12 bunches each"). Smith puts a
dipper in the crates for items like sugar peas, and uses
"handfuls" for greens and mesclun mix. Members bring and fill
their own baskets. For most, the evening is a great social
affair.
"Response from the members has been overwhelming," according
to Smith. Many come to visit the farm during the year, and twice
last season members came to help with the work. Smith says the
original core group of people began supporting the farm as an
environmental and social cause, but the experience has changed
their relationship to food. "Over the years these people have
become cooks. I've become a cook!" he exclaims.
Changing From the Industrial Model To a CSA
Operating under the CSA concept created many other changes in the
way Smith farmed. He decreased his tobacco acreage--up until
1989 he had been growing 40,000 lbs yearly in an attempt to pay
for the farm. "Rent and cash lease were eliminated as were
chemical costs, except for sucker control," Smith says.
"Vegetable income canceled the need to borrow money and saved
about $3000 in interest."
He began buying chicken manure to replace chemical
fertilizers. "We have used hen manure from an egg laying
operation to rebuild our depleted soil and it has worked well,"
says Smith. "A local farmer with a spreader truck spreads the
manure on our fields for about $25/ton. We have used 3-5
tons/acre on vegetables and up to 7 tons/acre on tobacco. It
grows good tobacco."
"I would like to stress, however, that I do not believe that
off-farm inputs should be continued indefinitely or become a part
of a farm's fertility program--other than perhaps once every four
or five years to rebuild badly depleted soils." He continues, "I
much prefer using compost and animal manure produced on the farm,
but there is never enough. We have found rock powders such as
green sand and colloidal phosphate to be very beneficial when
applied at about 1 ton/acre each, every four to five years. They
are excellent sources of P and K, and essential micronutrients."
"For our principle source of nitrogen, we undersow between the
rows of standing vegetable crops with a legume mixture, such as
red, white, and yellow clover, letting the clover continue to
grow over winter until it is plowed down in the spring." Smith
says, "It also provides a good ground cover, suppressing weeds,
prevents splash on vegetables, and greatly improves soil
structure. I have sown this mixture by hand and lightly tilled
it in with good success."
"There is no question that great change has come to this
farm. The soil looks and feels healthy and produces an abundance
of healthy crops which are not affected by periods of wet or dry
weather. The land has an improved ability to soak up moisture,
and the soil is not prone to compaction, provided it is handled
with reasonable care."
"When I first moved in the organic direction," says Smith,
"life became more difficult and more complex. I had entered the
abyss. Later there began to appear unexpected gifts: the absence
of pests in crops, huge yields of beautiful healthy crops,
financial security, the deed to the farm, more satisfied
customers than we could provide for, the support of a group of
people, and guardian angels. There is the key. I can't explain
it and so I'll just call it magic. A lot of loving, caring
feelings flow from our customers, through us, and onto the land.
Somehow we are able to reach and connect with that community of
all beings and it works."
An 8-year Crop Rotation
"Crop rotation is our single most important practice, taking
full advantage of the effects and benefits that each crop has on
the one that follows," Smith says. Borrowing from Eliot
Coleman's book, "The New Organic Grower," he has implemented an
eight year rotation, dividing 32 vegetable crops into eight
family classifications. The vegetable fields are also divided
into eight sections and rotated each year as follows: corn >
potatoes > squash family > root crops > beans > tomato family >
peas > cabbage family > back to corn.
Insects and diseases are controlled because preceding and
succeeding crops are not susceptible to the same pests and the
different cultivation practices required by each family help to
control weeds.
"Although the rotation has worked well, we intend to modify
it by using two 3-1/2 acre fields," says Smith. One field will
start the eight year rotation in vegetables, while the other is
in a three year rotation of hay crops and grazing. He hopes to
grow two years of alfalfa and grass for hay, then graze the field
for one year with heifers or steers for finishing, followed by
horses, followed by chickens. Every three years the fields will
be swapped, keeping the eight year rotation of vegetables going
as it moves back and forth through the two fields.
Integrating Horse Power
Although Smith owns a small 40 HP tractor and implements, he
is using draft horses for more of his work. "Draft horses have
become our main power source for cultivating--they far excel
tractors for this job, as well as drilling clover when crops are
laid by," he says. "They are useful for preparing seed beds in
small areas and can disc or plow our soil when ground is too
heavy to put a tractor on. Soil compaction, a major source of
problems for most farmers, can be avoided by using horses. For
us they are a source of pleasure and we're fortunate that this
kind of farming affords that possibility. But they are practical
as well--for spreading manure, raking hay, pulling wagons, or
just joy riding. And horse drawn tools are cheap and abundant,
easy to repair."
Besides the organic vegetables for his CSA members, Smith
still raises 3-1/2 acres of tobacco using low inputs and about 50
acres of hay, alfalfa and grass, red clover and grass, and
fescue. He also pastures about 12 beef cows, selling them
through conventional channels. At some point he says he would
like to figure out an innovative market for the beef.
Three generations are involved in the farm. Smith's father
raises four acres of tobacco conventionally and cuts the hay with
his son. His nephew, Jamie Overton, grew 6/10 acre of organic
seed that he sold to Seeds of Change last year, and helps Smith
with the rest of the farm. This year Overton plans to grow a
full acre of organic seed and another acre of organic vegetables
to sell through the Kentucky Organic Growers marketing
cooperative in Lexington.
Smith says his farm dream has always been "a good piece of
bottom land, an acre of tobacco, an acre of corn, an acre of
vegetables, an orchard, a flock of sheep, a few cows, a few hogs,
a few chickens and a good team of horses." Under the industrial
model of agriculture, that dream would have been ridiculous--an
economic disaster. He says, "The way I see it, [the industrial
farmers] have two choices every year. Either they give to
agribusiness or to the government. I'm taking a third choice by
investing in my land, in the farm, and in people rather than in
technology."
By taking that third choice and creating a cooperative
relationship with urban consumers, Steve Smith has beaten the
odds against young farmers, and is getting closer to his dream
farm every day.
Resources
Community Farms/CSA Project, c/o Bio-Dynamic Association, P.O.
Box 550, Kimberton, PA 19442; 800-516-7797 or 215-935-7797. A
clearinghouse for CSA ideas and information, including listings
of CSAs nationwide. Free copies available of "Introduction to
Community Supported Farms and Farm Supported Communities."
Community Supported Agriculture of North America, 818 Connecticut
Ave, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006. A networking and
assistance organization. $21.00/year membership includes
newsletter subscription. Sample newsletter $3.00.
"Basic Formula to Create Community Supported Agriculture" by
Robin Van En. Step-by-step guide to forming a CSA, including
budget, harvest and distribution information. From Indian Line
Farm, RR 3, Box 85, Great Barrington, MA 02130. 65 pages.
$10.00 postpaid.
[This article is excerpted from the Southern SAWG newsletter,
"Southern Sustainable Farming." For a complete copy, contact
Keith Richards, editor, PO Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727 or e-mail to
<HN3551@handsnet.org>. Much of the information for this article
was taken from a special report on Steve Smith which includes
valuable income and expense figures for his operation. For a
copy of the report, send $3.00 for shipping and copying to:
Community Farm Alliance, 200 Short St. #10, Berea, KY 40403;
606-986-7400.]
A SYNERGISTIC AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP
by Mark Cain
Thirty-five farmers and gardeners came together the first
weekend of February at Meadowcreek Retreat and Education Center
near Fox, AR for a two-day presentation by Emilia Hazelip on
no-cultivation agriculture. Ms. Hazelip, of France, has been
elaborating on the work of Japanese farmer-philosopher Masanobu
Fukuoka, author of One-Straw Revolution and The Natural Way of
Farming.
Although many have read One-Straw Revolution since its
publication in 1979, the initial excitement of no-cultivation
agriculture diminished as many experimenters were unable to
obtain success. This is primarily a result, Hazelip explained,
of trying to imitate Fukuoka's methods without understanding the
underlying principles of soil fertility, nor adapting the methods
to temperative or dry climates. Fukuoka, a former
microbiologist, proved that it is possible to grow rice and
barley in continuing succession without intervening cultivation
or fertilization. In his system, where a ground cover of white
clover is used to fix nitrogen and control weeds, yields are
comparable to conventional methods using fertilizer, tillage and
insecticides.
Fundamental Principles
The four fundamental principles of natural agriculture,
presented by Hazelip are: 1) continuous fertilization of the soil
by a permanent organic cover; 2) growing the crop with the
association of complementary plants (primarily legumes); 3) no
plowing or any other type of tilling of the earth--the soil
"works" itself; and 4) avoiding compaction from feet or tires in
the growing area so the soil can maintain aeration.
Our current idea of fertilizing the soil to replace
nutrients removed by crops was stood on its head by Hazelip's
analysis of plant content. A plant is 75 percent water and 25
percent dry matter, she explained. We can break the dry matter
down into 20 percent hydrocarbons created through photosynthesis
generated by the sun, leaving 5 percent of the plant to come from
the soil. Of this, approximately 2.5 percent are minerals (P, K,
Ca, S, Mg, Fe, Si, Cu and others), and 2.5 percent are proteins
(nitrogen, obtainable through bacterial fixation). So, very
little is removed from the soil. Hazelip believes if the soil is
not destroyed mechanically or biologically in preparation for
crops, it will develop its own healthy dynamic fully capable of
growing plants without fertilizers. This is what she referred to
as a "wild" soil, abundant in micro-organisms and earthworms.
The soil, she explained, regardless of climate and location, has
a particular physiology of digestion, consisting of
micro-organisms which decompose surface litter and make the
by-products available to other organisms, such as crop plants.
These micro-organisms are killed en masse with tillage and
subsequent exposure to excess air and sunlight, creating a need
for outside fertilization and medication of crops because the
soil's natural health has been compromised. If we use nature's
example in our agricultural manipulations, we must also make use
of mulch, the litter of organic material which protects the soil
from the sun, wind, and rain.
Creating Permanent Beds
Having established a broad theoretical framework for
no-cultivation agriculture, the remainder of the workshop focused
on specific techniques used by Hazelip in setting up gardens, and
examples of market gardens using no-till methods. In brief,
after an initial tillage to remove existing vegetation, beds are
created to separate growing surfaces from compaction areas (paths
for feet or tires). The beds are fitted with irrigation if
required, and mulched with whatever organic materials are
available: straw, wood chips, weed-free hay, or even raw wool.
When the crops are to be planted, the mulch is drawn back and
seed sown or transplants planted through the soil. Edible legume
interplants are used wherever possible to fix nitrogen, and crop
residues are allowed to remain on the surface of the bed to
decompose and become "worm food." Hazelip found that soil tilth
improved dramatically under an organic mulch in undisturbed soil.
Hazelip advised beginning on a small scale with this agriculture
in order to become familiar with how to manage a no-till system.
Several attendees of the workshop, including home gardeners,
market gardeners, and a large-scale vegetable grower, formed a
research group to test and elaborate no-cultivation systems on
their respective farms.
The February workshop was videotaped and audiotaped, and a
written transcription of the proceedings will be available in the
future. Those interested in the tapes or news from the research
group should send a SASE to: Mark Cain, Rt. 4, Box 158,
Huntsville, AR 72740, or Janet Bachmann, 5149 S. Shaeffer Rd,
Fayetteville, AR 72701.
[This article is excerpted from the Southern SAWG newsletter,
"Southern Sustainable Farming." For a complete copy, contact
Keith Richards, editor, PO Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727 or e-mail to
HN3551@handsnet.org ]
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Saturdays in May: Using Draft Horses on the Small Farm, Virginia
Association of Biological Farming workshops, Bedford, New Castle,
and Charlottesville, VA. Phone 804-263-4557.
May 14: Georgia Organic Growers Farm Tour, Great Day Farm &
Harvest Moon Farm, Jackson, GA, and Crystal Organic Farm,
Newborn, GA. Phone 404-621-GOGA.
May 21: Georgia Organic Growers Farm Tour, Wildflower Farm,
Dawsonville, GA & Purple Moon Farm, Acworth, GA. Phone
404-621-GOGA.
May 29-June 2: Congressional Memorial Day Recess, a good time to
visit your congressmember to educate them about sustainable
agriculture.
June 4: Farm Field Day, CSAs and organic growing techniques,
Tuscaloosa CSA Farm, Coker. AL. Phone 205-333-8504.
June 9-11: Southern SAWG Steering Committee Meeting, Biloxi, MS.
Phone 501-292-3714.
June 18: Virginia Association of Biological Farming Farm Tour,
"Lazy P" Pastures Vegetable Farm, Palmyra, VA. Phone
804-263-4557.