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The Vanishing Small Farm

Everywhere, all over the country, all around the world, small farms are disappearing. According to a USDA report, after peaking at 6.8 million in 1945, U.S. farms fell sharply until the early 1970s; by 2002, only 2.1 million farms remained. If you’ve lived long enough, chances are you remember a few of these small farms, perhaps fondly.

But why is this happening? Exactly what forces are at play here? And is there any cause for hope?

Part of the blame can be laid upon farmers’ children’s unwillingness to take over a business that requires them to work up to 16 hours a day during the growing season, while making a fraction of what they could make elsewhere. That plus the modern social stigma associated with farming—toiling in the dirt just isn’t as glamorous as practicing law or medicine—have lead to an overall decreased interest in farming.

But an even larger factor is the ever-increasing expenditures associated with farm ownership. Since 1984, production expenses skyrocketed to $197.5 billion, or 88 percent of gross cash income. And the cost of just living on a farm—healthcare, electricity, heat, etc.—now exceeds an average of $47,000 per year, often less than net income.

The rise of supersize factory-farms presents another obstacle. As more and more farms consolidate and incorporate, involving themselves in distribution, processing, and storage procedures, smaller farms are squeezed out. Add to that Wall Street speculator’s recent zeal for farmland ‘investment’—buying up large swaths of land, driving up prices—and it’s easy to see why small farms are on the decline.

And then there’s subsidies. Taxpayer-sourced monies paid to industries to produce goods at artificially cheap prices (to suppress social unrest and encourage export competitiveness) have had a devastating effect on small farmers, forcing them to sell their goods at unsustainably low prices. Subsidies are also to blame for chronic overproduction which further drives down prices.

Though this trend does not show any immediate signs of reversing, the rise of organic farming—both small and large scale—has helped soften the blow. Indeed, as a recent Mother Jones piece concludes, organic farming is now more profitable than conventional. The fact that consumers are willing to pay more for a premium product is good news for small farmers everywhere who are looking to keep doing what they love.

By admin|July 3rd, 2015|News|Comments Off

Powered by Bicycle: The Future of Sustainable Farming

Everyone knows bikes are a great way to exercise, enjoy the outdoors, or even commute. But did you know bikes can be converted into useful agricultural tools and machines? From weeding, harvesting, planting, threshing, shelling, winnowing—bikes can do it all. And without greenhouse emissions and expensive repair bills. The following are a few ways that show the awesome power of pedals!

Hauling, as every farmer knows, is essential to agriculture. This pedal powered winch does the work of a tractor or horse. ( A winch is a hauling or lifting device consisting of a cable that winds around a horizontal drum, turned by a crank.) Harrowing, seeding, raking, and cultivating are just a few of the jobs that a pedal-powered winch can perform.

Planting, transplanting, and weeding can also be facilitated by cycle power, as demonstrated by this ingenuous pedal-powered machine developed by Rob Rock and Andrew Crawford of the Arethusa Collective Farm. Farmers using this device saw a 28% decrease in hand weeding, and a 9% decrease in transplanting.

Pedal-powered devices can even be used for threshing, winnowing, and shelling. Threshing is the process by which the grain is removed from the plant, and winnowing is the process of removing the grain from the chaff. This particular design can even be quickly reconfigured to function as a traditional bike!

Doubtless the future holds many more such sustainable pedal-power inventions as these!

By admin|June 19th, 2015|News|Comments Off

The Mysterious and Fascinating Life of Roots

When we think of roots, most of us think of pale, fibrous, slimy-looking tubes whose only purpose is sucking water out of soil. If we’re gardeners or farmers, we also think of roots as food. But roots do much more than siphon water and provide food—they’re the cornerstone of plant function. And in many ways they are more fascinating than the leaves, blossoms, and fruits they help produce.

Of course, roots’ main job is to deliver water and minerals. They are, in essence, the starting point of the plant’s vascular system. But roots also serve as a plant’s anchor; act as a repository for carbohydrates, sugars, and proteins; and ensure the plant’s survival during the long cold winter months.

Often a root system occupies a larger space than the plant it supports, comprising up to one-third a plant’s overall mass, it’s total length reaching into the hundreds of miles! There are, generally speaking, two types of root systems: tap and diffuse. Tap systems are those with many smaller rootlets branching off a single, main root. (Think carrots and dandelions.) Diffuse systems are comprised of many thin roots which draw from even thinner and smaller rootlets (corn and rye).

Root health is in large part determined by soil quality. Roots require biologically-rich, well-aerated soils. Excessively waterlogged or compacted soils, or soils that are otherwise oxygen deficient, can lead to shallow root growth.

Roots also have an intriguing relationship with microorganisms. Rhizobium, a well-known soil bacteria, converts atmospheric nitrogen into an organic nitrogenous compound that acts as a fertilizer. These bacterial clusters present themselves as nodules on roots.

Some more fun root facts:

Roots grow from their tips, but only in warm weather.
By splitting rocks into smaller pieces, roots contribute to soil-creation.
Each root is covered with tiny hairs through which water and minerals are absorbed
The roots of a South African wild fig tree can exceed depths of 390 feet!
Eighty percent of all plant disorders are caused by root/soil problems.

By admin|June 5th, 2015|News|Comments Off

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is one of those words that gets tossed around almost as often as ‘sustainable’—and is perhaps just as misunderstood. But just what is Permaculture? It sounds intimidating, as if it were some complicated growing practice that only someone with a doctorate in horticulture could understand. But the basic tenants of Permaculture are surprisingly simple, if not downright obvious.

Permaculture is defined as “an agricultural system or method that seeks to integrate human activity with natural surroundings so as to create highly efficient self-sustaining ecosystems.” The term was first coined by Bill Millisons and David Holmgren, the originators of the modern Permaculture movement. Basically, Permaculture is the practice of a.) working with nature to avoid unnecessary labor, and b.) incorporating one’s crops within the existing environmental backdrop. Where agriculture requires the destruction of the landbase to accomplish its ends, Permaculture works within that landbase.

Like nature, Permaculture works in layers. That is, different species that grow to different heights are planted together, creating special ‘microclimates’ which are optimal for each particular plant. These layers include the canopy, understory, shrubs, herbaceous (plants that die each winter), soil surface and ground cover, and the rhizosphere (the root layers). By arranging plants within appropriate layers, you can diminish the need for watering, irrigation, and pest- and disease-control.

Permaculture also makes use of guilds. In Permaculture, guilds are groups of species where each individual plant provides a unique set of diverse functions that work in conjunction with the whole. These can include more than just plants—insects and animals too. In the same way that a traditional ‘guild’ involves individuals working toward a common goal, so too do Permaculture guilds involve a synergistic collaboration with the goal of mutual betterment.

Another feature of Permaculture is zones. Zones are ways of organizing design elements on the basis of the frequency of human use, as well as plant or animal needs. Basically what this means is those plants that need the most attention—or that would be used the most—are planted closest to your house. This is Zone 1. (Zone 0 is your house). The zones continue spiraling outward, until Zone 5 is reached, which is a wilderness area.

For thousands of years, Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest made use of Permaculture principals to great effect. With traditional agriculture saddled with so many problems, a mass switch to Permaculture might just be what our ailing planet needs.

By admin|April 10th, 2015|News|Comments Off

Pasture-Raised Eggs Made Easy!

If you’ve ever tried our pastured-raised eggs, you know how eggcellent they are. Bright orange yolks; sturdy, perfect-for-hardboiling shells; and uncommonly good taste. But have you ever wondered what goes into pasture-raising? Or wanted to try doing it yourself?

Although the practice of pasture-raising has yet to be formally defined, it’s generally agreed to signify a few crucial things. First, the animal is free to spend his/her days roaming spacious plots. Second, a significant portion of the animal’s diet comes from the live worms, grubs, seeds, and grasses foraged on that plot. And third, the plot must be organically certified.

First, in order to ensure that the birds receive adequate natural nutrition, you will need to construct a movable coop—sometimes called a “chicken tractor”. Not only will this afford the hens ample fresh pasture, it’ll also serve as a natural means of controlling weeds and insects, as well as providing natural fertilizer in the form of manure. Examples of movable chicken coop can be found here.

After you’ve constructed your coop, you’ll need to choose which breeds best suit your situation. An average chick costs around $2, with adults clocking in around $40. The breed’s temperament, its adaptability to confinement, how noisy it is, and the size eggs it lays are all factors you’ll want to consider. Certain breeds fare better in hotter climates; others prefer cold. A few versatile varieties include the Rhode Island Red, the Leghorn, the Buff Orpington, the Black Star, and the Ameracauna. PawNation has a great page about breed selection.

Now that you have your land, coop, and birds, you’ll need to consider supplementary nutrition. True, pasture-raised hens derive much of their diet from the pasture they feed on, but they will absolutely need feed, especially in the winter. Feed can be purchased at a local feed store, or, if you have enough acreage, home-grown!

Of course, you’ll also need to regularly check your birds for health, providing them with plenty of fresh water, and keeping their living areas clean. Keeping them safe from predators and ensuring environmental sustainability are other important concerns.

So what are you waiting for? Go get some chicks and get started!

By admin|February 27th, 2015|News|Comments Off

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