Monday, 19 Julio, 2010
I was really excited to attend this CRAFT workshop. It rained for hours before hand, which always puts a drab on CRAFT because we usually are walking about the host farm most of the time; however, we were safely seated inside a warm conference room welcomed by Head Gardener David Llewellyn and his farm hands.
When all the guests had arrived President Judith LaBelle opened the floor acknowledging and encouraging the attendees’ interest in agriculture and shared some of Glynwood’s latest project ventures.
In recent years, attention has been given to regional livestock farmers to improve the infrastructure that fosters this agricultural sector. There are certainly plenty of raisers and plenty of mouths to feed with the demand of grass-fed meat soaring in NYC, but there is a limited number of slaughter houses, and so sprouted the idea of a mobile slaughter house that can roam the Hudson Valley to help get livestock farmers’ meat to market. In April 2010 the Modular Harvest System, a portable abattoir, was granted inspection approval by the USDA.
Next Head Gardener Dave took the floor to give a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Introduction to Soil Nutrition: For Nutrient Dense Crop Production.” Since the 1940s the nutritional value of food has been declining. Nutrient Dense Crop Production strives to re-mineralize arable soils and restore balanced soil nutrition.
For the true genetic potential of cultivars to be achieved the amalgamated parts that constitute soil must be in proper balance. The link between environmental health and human health are now better understood. There is a connection between the mineral content of local soils and the health of resident humans in a region.
The late agronomist Dr. Carey Reames was one of the first to propose that to enhance the ecology of agroecosystems farmers should feed the soil microbes that feed the plants. Microbes digest materials in the soil converting nutrients into plant-available form. Even earlier said was Julius Hensel who discovered the beneficial value of mineral dust in agriculture, in part, no different than the value found of using the excess nitrogen from the world wars to be used in agricultural. The difference between the inputs is the rock dust was meant to restore depleted mineral levels in the soil with longevity in mind, while nitrogen-based inputs produce a short-term benefit degrading microbial populations and soils’ ability to naturally sustain its ecology.
In more recent years, nutrient dense crop production has become a common practice for non-conventional farmers with the Real Food Campaign and Massachusetts farmers Dan Kittredge pushing the way forward. The RFC strives to expand the use of NDCP along with a means for standardization to eventually lead to certification, similar to organic standards. Standardization requires measurements, which means testing.
There are three types of test that NDCP farmers use to monitor their progress: (1) a refractometer reading, (2) a soil conductivity reading, and (3) a soil analysis. A refractomer provides a Brix reading that indirectly measure the sucrose content of a vegetable sample. The conductivity meter reveals the ability of the soil to transfer electrons, and thus determine the ability of nutrients in their smallest form as molecules to move freely from soil to plant. Lastly, a soil test will identify and quantity nutrients present in the soil. A weak acid test is recommended over the still more common strong acid test. A strong acid test will reveal what is present in the soil; however a weak acid test will reveal what nutrients are available to plants.
Soils naturally strive to re-establish their equilibrium and thus the function of weeds. Until soil nutrition is balanced weeds often times have a higher Brix readings, and therefore more nutritious, than their planted counter-parts. Dave recommended the book Weeds and Why They Grow by Jay L. McCaman to learn more about what the presence of specific weeds means. For example, purslane represents a biologically active carbon and organic matter deficiency. Hairy galinsoga means too much magnesium and not enough calcium. Weeds heal soil, but the process is slow, so as stewards of the land we add amendments. Even though farmers can quicken the healing process, NDCP is still a long-term project requiring constant monitoring and data collection.
For those interested in learning more about NDCP, Dave recommended Biological Farmer: A Complete Guide to the Sustainable & Profitable Biological System of Farming by Gary Zimmerman.
The rain turned into a dribble and when it finally dissipated Dave finished his lecture. The women gardeners led us in a tour about the garden, greenhouse, and tractor shed. Glynwood is a huge former estate property. In all directions we saw farmland, pastures, and barns. Looking one way there were hens, the other a herd of sheep, drive down a side road and you will find roaming cows or horse.
I particularly enjoyed being in the presence of a nearly century-old homestead-sized apple orchard, ancient looking trees with patchy canopies and lichen-covered bark. Climbing the gate surrounding the garden was a well-pruned and Kniffin-system trellised grape vine. The stem inches thick and sprawling arms spanning nearly 20 feet.
As we walked I caught up with old farming friends and certainly was building friendships with new ones. The tour closed with the tractor: the ElecTrak. Created in the 1970s by GE this electric-powered tractor is perfect for growing intensively on just a few acres. It is a small machine and not too loud making it safe to use while others are in the field. Of course, GE doesn’t make ‘em like they used to and so only old refurbished models and attachments are floating about. Dave even knows a friend who specializes in collecting, reviving, and re-selling ElecTracks.
Dave said his farewells, thanked those departing before quickly running home to his family and new born. On his return he rejoined us in the boat house overlooking one of Glynwood’s two lakes to enjoy the usual CRAFT potluck of farm fresh grub. Certainly we talked more farming, sharing our preferred agricultural practices, our world views, and our unique reasons for choosing farming above all else. It is exciting and inspiring hearing about other beginning farmers’ future farms.
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