sign in sign up
<<
Home , Agriculture, Cover crop, Crop, Crop rotation, Ecological farming, Farm

What is a ? Possible Farming Perspectives and • Purpose - Focus • Place – Farm, , Forest, Frontyard (Where?) at the MSU Student Organic Farm • People – , Families, Friends (Who?) Presented to the North Central Growers Association at the Annual Meeting held at Michigan University, August 13, 2013 • Process – Farming (How?) • Product – Function (, Fiber, Flowers, , etc) (What?) John Biernbaum MSU • Policies, Politics – Funding, • Possibilities – Friends and Families Parts of this Power Point Presentation were prepared • - Finish by Jay Tomczak as part of his Masters Thesis Project. • Passion – Fun

2

Reducing for Small Scale Farmers Integral Basic Curriculum Assumptions

Farmers, Friends and Families • Build – Use of cover , , etc Using Facts and Feelings to – Reduce risk of flooding, , , • Increase Product Diversity Faithfully, Physically and Fearlessly – Mix annual and perennial crops and Farm – Reduce risk of production or failure • Use Front-yards, Forests, and Fields For Food, Feed, – , cold frames, hoophouses, transplants , Fiber, Fuel, Flowers, Fertility, Fun, – Reduce risk of loss and extend marketing • Use Direct Marketing Freedom, Fairness and the Future. – ’s markets, CSA, Farm Stand – Reduce risk of market loss due to falling price

3

Practical Profitable Prolific Perpetual Produce Extended Season, Four Season, Year-Round Farming Practical Pieces of the Puzzle Quick For the of It! Low Hoops Let’s Eat! Tunnels Elevation Spacing Cold High Vertical Exposure Frames Tunnels • Perennials Factors Space Heat Green- Soil Retention houses Factors • Organic Heating Frost & Placement Soil & Bed Freezing Preparation Cooling & • Permaculture Shading Process Transplants Protection Perpetual Succession Produce Pests & Planting Pestilence • Productive/Prolific Planning Scheduling Preservation Methods • Profitable Crop Participation Cold Selection Profit (People) Selection Storage • Perpetual

Processing Fermentation Jobs Support John Biernbaum, MSU-SOF Freezing Canning September, 2011 Drying Majority of World Food Supply from Four Major Crops- What are they? With production, we would also • consider and range made • up of grasses and broadleaf crops as • Potatoes • Corn perennial systems. • Two others to consider: – What are other perennial food – crops that you can identify? • Are these annual or perennial crops?

paw paw persimmons Possible Categories to Consider plums hazelnut nectarines cherry hickory nut peaches pears chestnut walnut “tree ” “tree nuts” mulberries sugar “tree other” “tree berries” serviceberries “tree fruit” “tree nuts” “tree other” elderberries “tree berries” culinary “ “herbaceous” medicinal “herbaceous” berries” Midwest Zone 5 hardy kiwi “” flowers 40 Midwest Zone 5 Perennial Farm & blueberries asparagus “” cranberries Perennial Farm & “vegetables” “bush Crops “bush rhubarb gooseberries Garden Crops berries” berries” horseradish currants “ crops” ground nuts “root crops” bush cherries horseradish “berries” “berries” sunchoke “services – burdock raspberries “services – ” “services – “services – blackberries N-fixation” “” N-fixation” biodiversity” pollen/ “mushrooms” , many siberian water management

Important Perennial Food Crops in Tropical Why are perennials important? and Subtropical What are some advantages of perennial crops? • • More rapid development in spring so longer growing • period (season extension). • Coffee • Larger root system so more potential to survive or • Tea tolerate drought. • Bamboo • Root system stores energy reserves and helps with • survival under temperature extremes. • • No regular cultivation of soil so potential to prevent • or sweet and build . • Annual Perennial Leaf Area Index (LIA) Annual Perennial Leaf Area Index (LIA)

April May June July August September October November April May June July August September October November Corn Plant from Seed Chestnut Tree

Nitrogen and are moved from leaves back into the woody part of the plant. How is Leaf Area Index calculated and why is it important? Leaves provide important for soil as do dead .

Why are perennials used less? is a function of many What are some disadvantages of perennial crops? integrated and interacting factors • Variety • No regular cultivation of soil so competition from ground cover occurs (like quack grass). • • Training • Longer term rotations so potential for root to build up in the soil. • Spacing • Light and Management • Takes a longer time to establish and to get a harvest. • – dwarfing (How does it ?) • Higher initial cost of plant material. • Flowering (flower formation the year before) • Takes time to learn how to manage all the different • Flower Set and crops – pruning and plant protection. • (Non organic vs organic methods?) • and Disease Susceptibility

More than Yield; Profit relates to Fruit Number, Size, Quality • Fruit number up, fruit size down

• Fruit number down, fruit size up Tall Trees, hard to pick and spray, were replaced by • Quality usually associated with larger size trees pruned to keep them • Biennial Bearing – a higher yield year followed lower to the ground. by a lower yield year; depends on the variety. • Key is profit more than yield. • Perennial crops are more challenging to manage than annual crops? Maybe not? Floor Management Ground Floor Management: Impact on Soil and Pest ?

Where’s the ?

Long Term Rotation?

Harvest Trees

Established Wooded Pasture Perennials N Fixation

Infra- structure

Mixed Annuals and Young Annual Crop Wooded Production Perennials What is a Organic Farming? Required Components • No Prohibited Inputs 3yrs prior to first harvest NOP () – Synthetic or • Organic production. A production system that – Prohibited non-synthetic substances (e.g. , is managed in accordance with the Act and KCL) regulations in this part to respond to site- specific conditions by integrating cultural, • biological, and mechanical practices that • Pro-active / preventative mgnt of , pests, foster of resources, promote ecological disease. balance, and conserve biodiversity.

25 26

Required Components Organic Farming &Ethic Not what it “isn’t” but what it “is” • 3rd Party certification by USDA accredited • Emphasis on maintenance and of certifier , Natural resources and Biodiversity • Annual Inspection • • Organic Systems Plan & Record Keeping • Crop and Animal Health • National Organic Standards Board governs and – rather than and disease management updates standards. • and care of and animals

27 28

International Federation of Organic Organic Farming: What must you know to Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) create a productive ? • IFOAM Principles 2005 – Health • Biology & of the different parts of the – Ecology system and how to manage them. – Fairness – – Care – Ground Cover Management • Developed over two years with a participatory – , Decomposer, Natural Enemy process. Management • Details available at www.ifoam.org – Crop Selection and Management

29 Soil Management

• Pre-Establishment (site preparation) How are these factors • Post-Establishment (site management) applied/relevant/different in a Perennial • Amendments ? – Compost, Minerals, Mulch • Cover Crops (how would you use these?) • Excess cause un-balanced growth (too much shoot/leaf and not enough wood production)

Non-Crop Competitors (Weeds) • Perennial weeds vs annual weeds • Effect/roles of weeds/competition on crop • Pre-Establishment (site preparation) • Post-Establishment (site managment) • Techniques – Mow and or grazing with animals – Mulch – Flame – Till (Swiss Sandwich) – Organic ?

Pest & Disease Management Edible Forest • Pest - preventing build up • Focus on the crop ecology aspect of • Farm-scaping / beneficial attraction permaculture • Low/Zero damage tolerance • Developing evaluation, • Intensive Monitoring & IPM implementation and management plans for a • Pheromone Traps & Disruption • Incorporates concepts of efficient use of space • Use of Organic Sprays and the developmental changes that occur over time • Integration of annual and perennial crops Model of the Three Sisters Garden

• Putting parts together in a way that the combination works better than the sum of the parts. Gardening Like the Forest • Corn, and Squash and not • Beans grow up the corn. • Beans eventually provide through . Gardening in the Forest • Prickly squash vines protect them all from animals and cover the ground to reduce weeds and conserve water. • All three provide food that can be stored for the winter.

Add Rising Energy Costs, Energy/ and Edible Change to the Big Picture

• Establishing a wide diversity of perennial crops for • Will food still travel so far? long term food and productivity • Is going to change? • Managing the system to develop self sustaining soil • Increased potential for degradation of the soil for fertility and quality. term gain? • Managing the landscape and crops based on the site • Will animal production systems be even more characteristics and availability of water, light and vulnerable to confinement operations? energy. • What will the of the future look like? • Integrating annual crops to improve the efficiency of • What do you want it to look like? space use over time. • Why not just do some thing that works for you? • What is the future of food and the food system?

Human Interaction With Our Interaction With Our Environment and Food Over the Ages Environment and Food Over the Ages ¾/Foraging ¾Hunting/Foraging ¾Herding ¾Herding ¾Horticultural – use of hand tools ¾Horticultural – use of hand tools ¾Agrarian – use of animals for plowing ¾Agrarian – use of animals for plowing ¾Industrial – use of and large ¾Industrial – use of tractors and large equipment equipment ¾Ecological – integration of all of the above ¾What ‘s Next ? and working with natural processes while anticipating the changes that occur over time Examples of Methods:

¾ Biodynamic Permaculture: permanent and ¾ Organic agriculture ¾ Biointensive (Biological and French Intensive) ¾ Sustainable Agriculture ¾ Permaculture (Permanent+Agriculture+Culture) Simply Stated: A stable, sustainable ¾ Integrated Perennial culture can not exist without an integrated ¾ ; ¾ Edible Forest Gardening relationship with a system of sustainable (“Like a Forest” and not “In a Forest”) or “permanent” agriculture. ¾ Multistrata Home – planting perennials and annuals – harvesting perennials later in life

Very old and proven ideas

Simply Stated (again): A stable, sustainable culture cannot exist without an integrated relationship with a system of sustainable or “permanent” agriculture.

Ethics of Permaculture Permaculture Principles Care of the Earth …includes all living and non-living things- , ¾ Observe and interact: Get to know the Place animals, land, water, air. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (i.e. systems thinking).

Care of People ¾ Catch and store energy: …promotes self-reliance and community Make while the sun shines. responsibility- access to resources necessary for ¾ Obtain a yield: existence. You can't work on an empty stomach. Setting Limits to Population and Consumption …contribution of surplus time, labor, money, ¾ Apply self-regulation and accept feedback: The sins of the fathers are visited on the children unto the information, and energy to achieve the aims of seventh generalization. earth and people care. Permaculture Principles Permaculture Principles ¾ Use small and slow solutions: ¾ Use and value renewable resources and services: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Slow and steady Let take its course. wins the race. Local vs long distance food.

¾ Produce no : ¾ Use and value diversity: Waste not, want not. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

¾ Design from patterns to details: ¾ Use both conceptual and physical edges and value Can't see the wood for the trees. the marginal: Don't think you are on the right path just because it is well traveled. ¾ Integrate rather than segregate: Many hands make light work. ¾ Creatively use and respond to change: Vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be.

Permaculture Consideration of space, time and function; succession is a good model to consider

Energy

Animals Landscape Water Management

Labor Crop Ecology

Efficiency

Working With Succession vs Niche Against Succession Spacial Temporal Functional Human use

Organic Farming---> <--- Permaculture - tree -successional - - food - shrub stage - insectary - fiber Conventional Ag------> Balance <-----Native Ecosystem - vine - sun/shade -mulch - fuel - ground cover - ephemeral producer - animal feed -herbaceous - pollination - -mulch perennial timing accumulator - medicine - annual - food producer - - suppressor Edible Forest Garden

“...the art and science of putting together to forge mutually beneficial

relationships, creating an edible ecosystem that is more than the sum of its parts.” - Dave Jacke

Permaculture Large Scale: Zones

Perennial Hazel Nuts with Annuals From Forest to Field Efficient use of space while nuts develop Applying Permaculture and Forest Gardening MSU Forest Garden Project Principles to the Farm ¾ Students participating at the Student Organic Farm expressed in Permaculture – 2004-2005 ¾Plan to “develop” all the space available Jay Tomczak, Trevor Johnson, Andy Fles and Above ground and below ground others Zones for efficiency of work Trevor Johnson - Course at Findhorn Cultivate Diversity ¾ A plot was being developed for perennial plantings ¾ Initiated as a graduate student project – literature review started in Fall 2005. ¾Anticipate and plan for changes over time ¾ Mark Shepard and David Jacke were invited to MSU Integration of annuals and perennials to give presentations and advice (Fall 2005) ¾ Planting Plan was developed in December 2005 ¾Plan for multiple functions ¾ Planting started spring 2006 Scale, intensity and diversity influence options ¾ USDA Agency funding starting Fall Use of animals when appropriate 2006 (Proposal in May based on site visit in March) ¾ Workshops planned for Spring and Summer 2007

Incorporating Organic Matter Aging Animal Bedding (straw) by Sheet or Cold Composting

Regular Cultivation (disc and drag) to Remove Perennial Weeds and Reduce Seed Density

Design Plan Initial Plot Layout for Paths Plant Species by Ecosystem Niche Trees Shrubs Vines Pawpaw Blueberry Hops Chestnut Beach Plum Grapes Hazels Hardy Kiwi Pear Bush Cherry Groundnut Asian Pear Siberian Pea Ground Peach Currents covers Persimmon Gooseberry White clover Dwarf Spruce Serviceberry Raspberry Herbaceous Perennials

Path Establishment to minimize compaction Marking Tree Locations

Grape Vines Garden and Trellis

Tree Planting Tree Planting Small Fruit Establishment in Cover Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry

Protection from and

Mulching with Small Fruit Mulching with Straw Wood Chips

Rye cut back – was increasing damage.

String trimmer with cutting blade attachment Annual Planting Bed Designed for cultivation

Hand planting and Annuals: Flowers, mulching , beans

Garden Sitting Space

Deer foraging Hops was a major issue Three Irrigation: Hand watering - good rainfall Sisters and mulch helped conserve

corn, beans and squash

Fall of First Growing Season Grapes and Berries Late in Season

Herb Garden First Year – Late in Season January 2007 – Start of Second Year Integral Agriculture

Farmers, Friends and Families Using Facts and Feelings to Faithfully, Physically and Fearlessly Farm Front-yards, Forests, and Fields For Food, Feed, Fodder, Fiber, Fuel, Flowers, Fertility, Fun, Freedom, Fairness and the Future.

91