September 2018 issue of Acres U.S.A. Magazine by Acres U.S.A., the Voice of Eco-Agriculture

PERMACULTURE GARDENING â&#x20AC;¢ GET TO KNOW NATIVE BAMBOO September 2018

REAL-WORLD LE SUSTAINAB IC N A & ORG FARMING

The Voice of Eco-Agriculture

PRESERVING REGIONAL CROPS Wild Rice, Mayhaws, Beach Plums & Macomber Rutabaga

INTERVIEW: PHILIP ACKERMAN-LEIST ON FIGHTING PESTICIDES Kentucky Proud Transitioning from Tobacco to Organic Blueberries

SUNN HEMP: Cover Crop & Forage Potential Ultra-Niche Crops Growing Hemp for Oil

From Grass to Glass Organic Pastured Dairying September 2018 A

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September 2018 • Issue #567

12 Keeping Regional

Crops Alive

Crops that fed our ancestors and provided a sense of place are disappearing, but some growers and researchers are dedicated to the continuation of these old favorites, refusing to allow them — and our food roots — to disappear. BY TAMARA SCULLY

18 A Kentucky

Success Story

As the tobacco market waned, a small blue fruit became a successful, sustainable and healthy new crop for a region in which it had not previously been grown commercially.

As dairymen across the country face tough times, pastured organic milk is still going strong. Find out how two Virginia farmers are keeping their eye on soil and animal vitality for healthy returns. BY LEIGH GLENN

32 More than

DEFENDING A WAY OF LIFE Professor, farmer and author Philip Ackerman-Leist discusses how one European town was able to push back against toxic farming practices.

42 Sunn Hemp:

Soil-Building Superhero with Forage Potential

Sunn hemp possesses many soilbuilding traits, including high rates of biomass production and has the potential to fill an important gap in summer annual grazing. BY ANNE CUMBIE RANDLE

56 Manure Happens:

Usage & Benefits

For eco-farmers striving to use the best inputs available, the quality of manure used to boost crop and soil health is of growing concern. BY CHRISTOPHER CUMO

a Fiber Crop

Green Acres Hemp Farm in Colorado’s San Luis Valley continues to be a pioneer in the industrial hemp industry as more farmers look at the possibility of growing the versatile crop.

60 Interview: Philip Ackerman-Leist

BY BARBARA BERST ADAMS

24 From Grass to Glass

We’ve put a lot of pressure on organic farmers, and also on consumers, to be the agents of change, but actually I think the biggest successes for good, fair and just agriculture are borne out of what we do as communities. It’s not just how the farmer changes their practices.

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Features

BY KARIN DENEKE

38 Contain the Cute:

The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Art

Learn how to successfully navigate the world of online marketing for your farm, ranch or other agricultural enterprise. BY DR. ROXANNE BRUCE

September 2018 1

View from the Country Introductory economics classes speak of foreign trade using such quaint examples as two countries — one that grows cinnamon, one that grows sugarcane — that mutually benefit through trade. The reality of international trade is not so simple. Rather than the sweet parable of products unique to a region, foreign trade largely plays upon disparities between regions and nations. There is nothing in the Chinese workforce that makes it uniquely better builders of iPhones than Americans; phones are built there because of a lower cost of living and lower wages. Also, nasty externalities such as pollution and other liabilities are offshored where legal protections for workers are sketchier. Agricultural commodities — and specialty crops as well — are major players in global trade. Tariffs largely have been a nonissue for commodity producers for some decades now. Many farmers, already operating under maxed-out credit, rising input costs and razor-thin margins, are finding themselves on the financial brink based on what plays out this growing season and next. Tariffs are considered a tool to level the playing field, to make the low-wage country equivalent to another. Henry Ford famously paid his assembly-line workers at a higher rate than the prevailing wage of the day with the reasoning that without higher wages they would not be able to afford to buy a Ford automobile. Similarly, a case has been made that tariffs levied against imports from a low-wage country should go to that country so as to raise its standard of living to our own, creating a customer for our own goods and services. Instead, tariffs are being used in a similar way to the sin tax placed by states on cigarettes and alcohol, as a tool to influence behavior. Missing from the discussion of free trade vs. protectionism are some fundamental economic lessons. New wealth enters the economy via the sun in crops grown and in oil, gas and minerals stored eons ago. As these raw materials are extracted they enter the economy as a unit of production. As services are applied to convert these raw materials into goods a multiplier effect is created, increasing the economic value of the raw material. This multiplier is what grows the economy and builds local communities. New technologies increase the multiplier or decrease costs. They do not create wealth per se. People trading money in Las Vegas SEE PAGE 88 2 Acres U.S.A.

Volume 48, No. 9 • Established 1971 “To be economical, agriculture must be ecological.” Founded by Charles Walters, 1926-2009 GENERAL MANAGER CONSULTING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ART DIRECTOR ADVERTISING MANAGER DIGITAL CONTENT & MARKETING GM EVENTS & MEDIA OFFICE MANAGER EVENT COORDINATOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR COPY EDITOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

RYAN SLABAUGH FRED C. WALTERS TARA MAXWELL SARA HEIDEMAN DESIREA T. LARSON EMILY REEVES SARAH DAY LEVESQUE CHAD KUSKIE KATRINA HARMS CHRIS WALTERS MISTY CONTRERAS PAUL MEYER HANNAH FIELDS

Acres U.S.A. (ISSN 1076-4968) is published monthly by Acres U.S.A., P.O. Box 1690, Greeley, Colorado 806321690 (mail); 501 8th Ave., Greeley, Colorado 80631 (freight); phone 800-355-5313. Periodicals Postage Paid at Greeley, Colorado and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices to Acres U.S.A., Attn: Circulation Department, P.O. Box 1690, Greeley, CO 80632-1690. © Copyright 2018, Acres U.S.A. Acres U.S.A. is a registered trademark of Fence Post Co. Reproduction of material in this issue in any form without permission of the publisher is prohibited. No permission required for photocopies made for personal use. Requests for permission to reprint must be in writing to Acres U.S.A., P.O. Box 1690, Greeley, Colorado 80632-1690; email info@acresusa.com. Acres U.S.A. advertisements are accepted on the premise that denial of the right to sell is also the denial of the right to buy. We do not imply that any product or service is of merit under all circumstances and we have no way to evaluate products. Users must make their own judgments and fit eco-products to their own systems of management. Subscription rates for one year/12 issues: U.S. $29, Canada $49, international $60; U.S. funds only, drawn on a U.S. bank. Single copies $6 each (includes shipping & handling). Subscribers: Send change of address promptly, provide old as well as new address, and if possible include label from a recent issue (or code numbers from label); P.O. Box 1690, Greeley, CO 80632-1690; email info@ acresusa.com.

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800-355-5313 • www.acresusa.com Please recycle this magazine

Departments 2

VIEW FROM THE COUNTRY

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

OPINION

Monthly musings from Acres U.S.A.’s editor.

Readers share their thoughts on past articles and words of encouragement.

Organic Seed Follow-Up Mark Keating continues the discussion over the seed sourcing requirements in the organic standards and what he believes is an organic farmer’s statutory right to determine the variety and source of the seed they plant.

News in brief from around the world on developments in ecofarming technology, organic food and farming, human health and vital environmental issues.

SCIENCE ON YOUR SIDE

THE HARVEST TABLE

Self-Reliant Gardening

SMALL-SCALE SUCCESS

America’s Native Bamboo

Jill Henderson shares ways to identify, cultivate and utilize America’s three distinct native species of bamboo.

ECO-UPDATE

Acres U.S.A. highlights research on our radar and what it means for you.

REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS From in-depth book reviews to innovative websites and beyond.

MARKETPLACE

CLASSIFIEDS

ECO-MEETINGS

MEET AN ECO-FARMER

We let you know when and where exciting eco-farming events are happening.

Get to know fellow innovative farmers putting ecologically correct production principles to work, resulting in profitable, sustainable operations.

Carel Struycken has long been interested in the principles of permaculture, not only as they relate to growing fruits and vegetables but also because of the perspective it gives him on human activities.

STOCK & FLOCK

Noble Beasts on the Farm Retired veterinarian, consultant and farmer Will Winter shares tips for getting the most out of a canine farmhand in part one of this two-part article.

September 2018 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PHOTO BY FELICIA HARRIS OF TERRELL, TEXAS

A killdeer located a safe and secure nesting place for her young by camouflaging her eggs within the rocks and pebbles. Can you find them?

TROUBLESHOOTING TOMATO STARTS We have started the process of growing a major portion of our food indoors, partly inspired by Peter Burke’s book Year-Round Indoor Salad Gardening: How to Grow NutrientDense, Soil-Sprouted Greens in Less than 10 Days, and partly to save money. Also partly because we happen to believe in major food shortages rapidly coming up on the horizon due to global cooling — believe it or not. We have started growing tomatoes in earthboxes with organic potting soil (that was our only option). Our tomatoes were growing fast, but when we removed them from their braces they fell right over. They were skinny and had no backbone, so to speak. Chloe, my wife, said they are not getting enough water, although they were growing about an inch per day. I thought they might be missing some key nutrients. Any advice? David Patton

Pueblo West, Colorado

Jon Frank of International Ag Labs (aglabs.com) responds: 4 Acres U.S.A.

Tomatoes have a very high need for available calcium. I look for about 4,500 lbs. per acre. Calcium and boron work together to build the plant infrastructure of stalks, stems and leaves. Available calcium is especially missing from most potting soils. Adding limestone does not immediately fix this problem. Available calcium = limestone + microbial activity + time. Other calcium minerals can also help such as calcium sulfate (gypsum), calcium phosphate (soft rock phosphate), calcium silicate (various rock powders) and calcium nitrate.

contemplate some kind of appropriate phage spray for the citrus trees. The Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology and Virology, in Tbilisi, Georgia, might be a place to inquire as to the efficacy of any known phage against similar bacteria. Other labs around the world have discovered phages that are effective against a host of different bacteria. Since this approach has been proven successful in many specific situations, it would seem to be logical to try it in this case as well. Basic research is still needed to see if it would be appropriate for this particular greening bacteria.

CITRUS GREENING SOLUTIONS While catching up on my reading last week, I was highly interested in the May issue article “Citrus Greening Solutions” by Debra Atlas. She describes the damage that a certain bacteria from the Asian citrus psyllid is causing to citrus groves throughout the southern and southwestern United States. Many approaches to the problem are being tried, including trained dogs; breeding, planting and growing strategies; biocontrol fungus; developing new species of citrus trees that are resistant to the bacteria; genetic modification; thermotherapy; and the like. I also was reading articles in other publications, namely, “He was Dying. Antibiotics weren’t working. Then Doctors Tried a Forgotten Treatment,” by Maryn McKenna, in Mother Jones magazine. She describes a therapy used in the Eastern bloc countries that has not been extensively researched in the West, namely, the use of bacteriophages (viruses) that attack specific bacteria, destroy them, and then die off when there is no longer a host on which to feed. This got me wondering whether or not our scientists and researchers have thought of researching the use of “phages” (bacteriophages) to destroy the citrus greening bacteria in vitro. I have used tetracycline sprays to combat fireblight in my pear trees, so it would not be too much of a leap to

James F. Harvey, III

Norman, Oklahoma

GROWING MEDICINAL HERBS I am sending my compliments to Samm Simpson on a well-written, informative and timely article for Acres U.S.A. in the July issue: “Healing Harvest.” Gabriel Noard is obviously an excellent manager and worker! If biodynamic preparations (500 and 501) could be positively shown to benefit high value plant health, it would seem amazing — but should it? Terry Cunningham

Twin Lakes, Minnesota

I just want to express my thanks for two things. First, thank you for the July issue article on medicinal herb farming. Biodynamic practices are an important part of the mix in modern sustainable agriculture, in my humble opinion. This article especially resonated with me in my limited knowledge and experience. Secondly, I want to thank the subscription staff for going the extra mile! I was late in renewing my subscription, and I would have missed one issue due to the renewal date, except for the help and diligence of the staff. They sent me the interim issue in a special effort with mailing envelope, receipt and explanation. Clifton Whitchurch Rolla, Missouri

OPINION

Organic Seed Follow-Up BY MARK KEATING Mark Keating has worked in organic agriculture for 25 years. He advocates for organic agriculture at Wheel of Life Consulting and can be reached through tenorganicfarms@earthlink.net.

Share Your Snaps Tell your story with a picture. Send a photograph no more than 10 inches by 8 inches to P.O. Box 1690, Greeley, CO 80632, or as big as possible to photos@ acresusa.com, along with these four submission requirements: the photographer’s name and confirmation of permission to publish; a caption that tells us the story you want to tell with the photo; and a note with any other pertinent details about the picture, including: date taken, time, location and the names of people and/or animals in the photo. If you send the photo via mail and want your picture returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Look for submitted photos in every issue of Acres U.S.A. If we select your photo, you will receive a free subscription or Acres U.S.A. book at equal or lesser value as your prize. Prefer to submit your photo via Instagram? Follow us at @ AcresUSA and tag us or use #acresusa to be featured in print or social. We’re looking forward to seeing your farm!

SUBMIT A LETTER

Acres U.S.A. welcomes letters from our readers. Please email editor@acresusa. com or mail to P.O. Box 1690, Greeley, CO 80632. Please include your full name, hometown and state.

I am thankful to Acres U.S.A. magazine for providing an ongoing forum to address the critical issue of seed sourcing requirements for organic crop production. In the January and February 2018 issues, Anthony Boutard and Tracy Frisch contributed informative articles on the challenges and rewards of growing seed organically. Also in the January issue, Mr. Boutard and Kiki Hubbard from the Organic Seed Alliance each defended the National Organic Standards Board’s (NOSB) seed sourcing recommendation from my earlier and rather caustic critique. Kudos to Acres U.S.A. for publishing these perspectives on a matter of such importance. No decision that an organic farmer makes will impact their success more than selecting the seeds they plant. While appreciative of their respective contributions, I am dissatisfied with how Anthony, Tracy and Kiki presented the seed sourcing requirements in the organic standards. Specifically, I believe they failed to adequately acknowledge an organic farmer’s statutory right to determine the variety and source of the seed they plant. This right is not absolute — all elements of a compliant Organic System Plan require the certifying agent’s approval. However, as the co-author of the seed sourcing requirements for the USDA organic standards in 2000, I believe that a clearer understanding of the statutory language is needed for organic farmers to protect and exercise their lawful rights. My analysis of the pertinent legal issues promises to become dry, so let me begin with a bona fide ex-

ample of the damage done when the seed sourcing requirements are misapplied. I regret to say that it is but one of many analogous examples drawn from my work with hundreds of certified crop farmers over the past decade. This particular farmer had a long and successful relationship with a respected seed supplier who provided the majority of his planting needs. Most of the varieties he planted were not certified organic, but having met his search obligations (more on that below), he was fully compliant. While every certified farmer enjoys that same legal protection, I’ll add that this one worked incredibly hard over several decades to build a thriving family business while neighboring fields were sprouting houses rather than high tunnels. Not good enough, responded the farmer’s certifying agent — you must demonstrably increase your usage of organic seed every year. I will note that this command mirrors the declaration in the NOSB’s recommendation that, “Improvement in sourcing and use of organic seed must be demonstrated every year until full compliance (using organic seed exclusively) is achieved.” The farmer pushed back, but with his certifying agent sending repeated Notices of Non-Compliance jeopardizing his certification, he relented and set out to increase his use of organic seed. The farmer contacted his primary supplier and was able to procure newly available organic seed for a slicing tomato variety he had previously grown successfully using conventional seed. This is the scenario which advocates for mandating increased use of organic seed often put forth, that if you require more organic seed the market will make it available. However, the farmer experienced complete crop failure with the new organic seed, as the SEE PAGE 90 September 2018 5

ECO-UPDATE PHOTO BY MARIO VALLEJO-MARIN

growing strategies to succeed in the future, noted Karsten, whose research group analyzed potential effects of climate change on corn growth and development at three major dairy locations in the Northeast.

Flame-Retardant Chemical Metabolites Discovered in Bald Eagles

Invasive monkeyflowers growing among native forget-me-nots illustrate the assimilation of a non-native species 200 years after its introduction into the British Isles.

Invasive Plants Adapt Invasive plants have the ability to adapt to new environments — and even behave like a native species, according to University of Stirling research. A study has found that the behavior of invasive plants changes over time — meaning plants of the same species act differently if they arrive in their new environment at separate times. Scientists studied the characteristics of monkeyflowers (Mimulus guttatus), which first arrived in the UK from North America 200 years ago. They compared the behavior of monkeyflowers long-established in Scotland with those introduced recently for the purposes of the experiment. Significantly, they found that the long-established plants were bigger and produced more flowers and more clones than those recently introduced. In comparison, the study showed that the genes of plants recently introduced are not well-adapted to deal with the UK environment. Dr. Mario Vallejo-Marin, associate professor in the faculty of natural sciences, led the work alongside Ph.D. student Pauline Pantoja. “Our study shows that invasive plants — in this case, the monkeyflower — become increasingly adapted to new environments thanks to natural selection,” he explained.

Corn & Climate Change Climate projections indicate more warming will occur in the Northeast than other sections of the United States, and that has implications for corn crops and dairy farms in the region by 2050, researchers warn. While rising temperatures are not likely to cause serious reductions in corn crops in the northern and central parts of the Northeast, they threaten corn yields in the southern reaches of the region, according to Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production ecology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Farmers in places such as Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, will likely have to change their corn6 Acres U.S.A.

Scientists have raised concerns for decades about toxic chemicals in the environment that accumulate in the tissues of birds, fish and other animals. New research from Indiana University that examined bald eagles suggests that’s only part of the story. A study led by IU environmental scientists finds that chemicals used in flame retardants, plasticizers and other commercial products are broken down through the process of metabolism into other compounds. Researchers say not enough is known about the dangers posed by those compounds, known as metabolites. “Most of these flame retardants and related chemicals can be readily metabolized,” said Marta Venier, a scientist in the IU Bloomington School of Public and Environmental Affairs and one of the authors of the study. “The issue here is that, in some cases, the metabolites can be more toxic than the parent compounds.” The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology.

Pesticides Influence Bee Learning, Memory A large-scale study published by researchers from Royal Holloway University of London has drawn together the findings of a decade of agrochemical research to confirm that pesticides used in crop protection have a significant negative impact on the learning and memory abilities of bees. Their findings are published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Researchers combined data from a large number of studies in which bees that had been exposed to pesticides had to learn about floral scents, a test that is commonly used to measure learning and memory in bees. Their research reveals that even at very low field-realistic dosages, pesticides have significant negative effects on bee learning and memory, with worker bees exposed to pesticides less likely to learn and memorize a rewarding scent. Learning abilities are a vital component of the search for food in bees, because individuals must remember what type of flowers to visit, where to find them, which flowers they have recently drained of nectar and how to find the way back to the hive.

Nature’s Path Leaves OTA The widely respected and leading organic breakfast foods manufacturer, Nature’s Path, announced the company’s resignation from membership in the Organic Trade Association (OTA), a prominent and increasingly controversial lobby group representing business interests in the industry. The announcement came in a letter to the organic

community. The OTA has been increasingly criticized for representing the interests of corporate agribusiness at the expense of core values held by farmers, consumers and founding business leaders. “Our departure from the OTA is an act of protest to raise awareness of our concerns that the important role organic plays in support of the health of consumers and our planet is being compromised,” said Arran Stephens, a company founder and co-CEO.

Health-Promoting Acids Lost in Processing For many Americans, highly processed foods are on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even when the raw materials — grains, for example — are high in vitamins and health-promoting phenolic compounds, processing can rob the final product of these nutrients. In a set of recent studies, University of Illinois scientists reveal what happens to cancer-fighting phenolic acids in corn when it is processed into cornflakes. In a Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study, the research team made cornflakes from 19 corn genotypes varying in phenolic content. They wanted to know if higher ferulic acid and p-Coumaric acid content in the corn kernel translated to higher concentrations of these phenolics in the final product. “What we found was not particularly good news, but it was interesting. Regardless of the concentration in the grain at the beginning, the dry-milling process removes the majority of phenolics,” said Carrie Butts-Wilmsmeyer, lead author of the two studies and research assistant professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at U of I.

Soil Health Stamp Campaign in Indiana The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is leading a nationwide effort asking the U.S. Postal Service to issue a soil health forever stamp and is looking for public support. According to the Citizens’

Pesticides Impact Dung Beetles New research led by scientists at the University of Bristol has uncovered that long-term use of some pesticides to treat cattle for parasites is having a significantly detrimental effect on the dung beetle population. Researchers studied 24 cattle farms across southwest England and found that farms that used certain pesticides had fewer species of dung beetle. Dr. Bryony Sands, from the University’s School of Biological Sciences, who led the research, said: “Dung beetles recycle dung pats on pastures, bringing the nutrients back into the soil and ensuring the pastures are fertile. Damage to dung beetle populations is therefore concerning, and could result in economic loss for farmers.” This is the first landscape-scale study to show that long-term use of the pesticides has negative impacts on dung beetle populations on farms. Professor Richard Wall, a co-author on the study, first discovered 30 years ago that pesticide residues in dung could kill these important beetles. “It is now clear that long-term use of these pesticides could cause declines in beetle biodiversity on a large scale,” said Dr. Sands. The study, published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, also found that pesticides known as synthetic pyrethroids were less damaging to dung beetles than macrocyclic lactone pesticides. These are generally thought of as a safer alternative for farmers who want to protect biodiversity on their farms. Dr. Sands said: “Although these chemicals do appear to be less damaging, farms that used them still had a smaller proportion of certain dung beetles, which are very important in removing dung from pastures by burying it. The conservation of dung beetles is vital for the health and future sustainability of our farmland. Biodiversity losses such as these could result in loss of the services dung beetles provide to our ecosystems: dung decomposition, nutrient cycling, soil fertility and the preventing of disease transmission.”

Stamp Advisory Committee, stamp proposals must meet certain criteria and will be considered based on their significance to American history, culture or the environment. “Our future depends on the condition of the soil, so whether it’s directly or indirectly, this issue really impacts everybody,” said Meg Leader, ISDA director of soil health and organizer of the effort. “Ultimately, our goal is to recognize this growing conservation movement while stressing the importance of soil health nationwide.”

Barley as Contrast Agent Before launching their latest science experiment, University at Buffalo researchers bought more than 200 types of tea, chocolate, herbs and other foodstuffs. The goal wasn’t to stock up for long hours in the lab, but rather to find an elusive, edible contrast agent to show doctors

what’s happening inside our bodies. The search culminated with a winner: barley. A roasted version of the grain, when struck by a common laser beam, can illuminate the throat and the gastrointestinal tract. The discovery could improve our ability to diagnose swallowing disorders, which affect more than 15 million Americans, as well as gut disorders. What’s more, because many human diets already include barley, it could be fast-tracked for medical use. “It’s really incredible. Here you have this common grain — it has been grown all over the world for thousands of years, and used to make tea, bread, beer — and we’re just now finding another use for it as a contrast agent for medical imaging,” said Jun Xia, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University at Buffalo Department of Biomedical Engineering. Roasted barley, a grain used to produce beer, bread and other products, provided the best results. September 2018 7

ECO-UPDATE

Biodynamics Pioneer Peter Proctor Passes According to the Biodynamic Association, Peter Proctor passed away June 8 at his home in Havelock North, New Zealand. Peter is survived by his partner Rachel Pomeroy, who continues to teach biodynamics throughout New Zealand. As a pioneer of biodynamics in India; the focus of the documentary One Man, One Cow, One Planet; the author of Grasp the Nettle; and so much more, Peter’s legacy in the world of biodynamics is immense.

EPA Head Resigns After 18 months of ethical scandals, profligate spending of taxpayer dollars and rollbacks of public health protections, Scott Pruitt has resigned as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. He leaves a legacy as unquestionably the worst head of the agency in its 48-year history, said EWG President Ken Cook. “Scott

Pruitt will go down in history as a disgrace to the office of EPA administrator,” Cook said. “He will forever be associated with extraordinary ethical corruption and the abuse of power for petty personal enrichments. Sadly, the ideological fervor with which Pruitt pursued the destruction of environmental regulations and the agency itself lives on in the Trump administration. So while Pruitt is gone, and good riddance, our resistance to all he stood for will continue undiminished.”

U.S. Forest Service Eyes Biochar for Recycling Air Burners, a U.S.-based manufacturer of air curtain burner systems, and the U.S. Forest Service have entered into a cooperative research and development agreement that will explore the use of patented Air Burners technology to convert unwanted biomass into biochar. Within the U.S. Forest Service’s core mission is the

Mandatory Labels Change GMO Attitudes As the U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares guidelines for labeling products that contain genetically modified ingredients, a new study from the University of Vermont reveals that a simple disclosure can improve consumer attitudes toward GMO food. Led by Jane Kolodinsky, an applied economist in UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the study compared levels of consumer opposition to GMO foods in Vermont — the only U.S. state to have implemented a mandatory labeling policy — with consumer attitudes in the rest of the U.S. The analysis showed opposition to GMO food fell by 19 percent in Vermont after the implementation of mandatory labels. The study is the first to examine the real-world impact of consumer attitudes toward GMO foods in a state where consumers were exposed to mandatory GMO labels. “Our findings put to bed the idea that GMO labels will be seen as a warning label,” said Kolodinsky, professor and chair of the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics and a Fellow of UVM’s Gund Institute for Environment. Published in Science Advances, the research provides timely new evidence in a longstanding national debate over the impact of mandatory GMO labeling policies on consumer attitudes. Several studies, including past research by Kolodinsky, show consumers consistently express a desire for labels on GMO foods, but mandatory labeling has been opposed by some manufacturers and scientific organizations for fear that the labels would be perceived as warning signs and might signal that a product is unsafe or harmful to the environment.

8 Acres U.S.A.

promotion of sustainable forest management, including restoration efforts. Forest restoration projects leave behind a significant amount of wood waste or biomass. As biomass has low market value and is expensive to process and transport, it is typically collected into large piles and burned or left to decompose. However, biochar can be created from biomass and is proving effective in aiding the regrowth and rejuvenation of forests after forest fires. At a cost of around $1,000/ton, biochar is also highly marketable, translating to more affordable forest fuels management and more restoration efforts overall.

Chisholm tall fescue pasture during the early spring growing period.

New Tall Fescue Variety Released by Noble Noble Research Institute researchers have developed and released a new tall fescue variety called Chisholm to provide a new forage option for agricultural producers in Western Oklahoma and Texas. Tall fescue is a cool-season perennial grass, which means it produces forage for livestock from fall to spring and does not need to be replanted each year. Chisholm is the first tall fescue variety released by Noble that is adapted to the hot, dry summers typical west of Interstate 35 in Oklahoma and Texas, where tall fescue has traditionally been unable to persist. “A major goal of Noble’s plant breeding program has been to develop a cool-season perennial grass that could provide producers with an alternative to planting winter annuals, like wheat and cereal rye, each season,”

said Mike Trammell, Noble Research Institute senior plant breeder. “Chisholm, a cool-season perennial, could complement or replace winter annual grazing systems, providing more grazing flexibility to livestock producers or reducing their need to feed hay when Bermudagrass is dormant.”

App Aims to Help Farmers Fight Fall Armyworm Penn State researchers have joined forces with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization to re-

lease the first app, called Nuru (bit. ly/2uxItEC), to help African farmers recognize fall armyworm — a new and fast-spreading crop pest in subSaharan Africa — so that they can take immediate steps to destroy it and curb its spread. Fall armyworm first appeared in Africa in 2016, in West Africa, and then spread rapidly across all countries in sub-Saharan Africa in 2017, infesting millions of hectares of maize and threatening the food security of more than 300 million people. Potential damage to maize alone across just 12 producing coun-

tries is estimated to be $2.5 billion to $6.2 billion annually.

In The News Veterans Farmer Grant Fund New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that more than $1 million has been awarded to New York State farmers through two grant programs designed to promote growth in the state’s agriculture industry. The New Farmers Grant Fund assists new and early-stage farmers, and the Veterans Farmer Grant Fund supports

INDUSTRIAL AG WATCH: CRIMES AGAINST NATURE

Growing Foodopoly As reported by Food & Water Watch, processed food giant ConAgra announced an $11 billion takeover of Pinnacle Foods, capturing Pinnacle’s well-known brands like Birds Eye, Hungry-Man dinners, Celeste frozen pizza, Duncan Hines cake mixes, Vlasic pickles and more. The ConAgra-Pinnacle deal includes over $8 billion in cash. This proposed deal is another example of the mushrooming foodopoly, where fewer food companies control more and more of the supermarket shelf space. The gluttonous corporate takeover of the food system has been accelerating since big business began to rebound from the Great Recession, but the Trump tax cuts are now supercharging merger-mania. Companies are using their huge cash windfall from the tax cut to take over their rivals.

GMO Labeling Loopholes Loopholes proposed by the Trump administration could exempt more than 10,000 — or one out of six — genetically modified foods from a new GMO disclosure law, according to a new analysis by Environmental Working Group (bit.ly/2zyNSRN). The draft rule may exempt foods produced with GMOs if the food products contain highly refined GMO sugars and oils. There is a high rate of adoption for GMO crops like corn, soybeans, canola and sugar beets, meaning that ingredients derived from these crops have a high likelihood of being GMO. Based on an analysis of ingredient-level information for more than 105,000 food products in EWG’s Food Scores database, EWG estimated that roughly 67,111 food products contain at least one of these ingredients, which are likely produced with genetic engineering. One out of six, or 10,889, GMO foods only contain a highly refined sugar or oil that is likely produced with

genetic engineering. These food products would be exempt from the disclosure requirement if the loophole is included in the final rule.

Chinese Poultry Slaughter Plants Advocacy group Food & Water Watch sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue questioning the agency’s controversial decision to approve three new poultry slaughter facilities in China as “equivalent” to facilities operating under the USDA’s food safety system. The letter cites the “irregular” process in approving these facilities and asks for clarification on how the decision was made.

Superbugs With a Side of Meat The latest round of tests by federal scientists found antibiotic-resistant bacteria on nearly 80 percent of supermarket meat in 2015, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org/research/ superbugs). Those bacteria were resistant to at least one of 14 antibiotics tested for by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, a federal public health partnership. “Consumers need to know about potential contamination of the meat they eat, so they can be vigilant about food safety, especially when cooking for children, pregnant women, older adults or the immune-compromised,” said Dawn Undurraga, EWG’s nutritionist and author of the report. Drug-resistant bacteria — sometimes referred to as superbugs — were detected on 79 percent of ground turkey, 71 percent of pork chops, 62 percent of ground beef and 36 percent of chicken breasts, wings and thighs sampled in supermarkets by NARMS in 2015, the latest year for which data is available.

September 2018 9

ECO-UPDATE farms owned and operated by military veterans. Since its launch in 2014, the New Farmers Grant Fund has now awarded $3.27 million to nearly 90 farms across the state. This is the first year the Veterans Farmer Grant Fund has been offered. Carbon Sequestration American Farmland Trust joins other major agriculture and conservation organizations at a “Learning Lab” for the U.S. Climate Alliance Natural and Working Lands Initiative. A team of over 50 technical experts from government, academia and industry will provide technical assistance to state governments on how to draw down carbon from the air and sequester it in the soil across diverse systems such as farms, rangelands, forests and wetlands. The lab also will help states develop strategies related to policy development and funding projects. American Farmland Trust is working in partnership with Coalition on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, American Forests, the Forest-Climate Working Group, The Nature Conservancy, World Resources Institute and The Trust for Public Land to support the Natural and Working Lands Initiative. Asbestos Maker Praises Trump As reported by Environmental Working Group, one of the world’s biggest producers of asbestos, a Russian company with ties to Vladimir Putin, is praising President Trump for allowing asbestos to remain legal in the United States. The company’s applause for Trump comes as Russia is poised to become the leading importer to the United States of asbestos, which causes diseases that kill an estimated 15,000 Americans a year. A recent study led by Jukka Takala, president of the International Commission on Occupational Health, found the death toll from asbestos exposure may be much higher, at nearly 40,000 Americans a year and more than 255,000 a year worldwide. On June 25, the asbestos producer Uralasbest posted photos on its Facebook page of pallets of its signature product, chrysotile asbestos, wrapped in plastic 10 Acres U.S.A.

adorned with Trump’s image. Trump’s picture is at the center of a large red seal declaring: “Approved by Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States.” Organic Consumers Association Files Suit Against Ben & Jerry’s The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) filed suit against Vermontbased Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., for deceptive labeling, marketing and sale of Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream products. The suit was filed in D.C. Superior Court under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act. “Unilever reportedly spent more than $9 billion on advertising in 2017 alone,” said OCA International Director, Ronnie Cummins. “A significant portion of that was spent to create the false perception that Ben & Jerry’s is committed to a clean environment and high animal welfare standards. Unilever knows those values foster brand loyalty and also allow the company to charge a premium.” Rats Fed GM Maize As reported by GMWatch, Rats fed a triple-stacked trait GM maize engineered for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance developed leaky stomachs, according to a new peerreviewed paper by Australian researchers. To read the paper, visit bit. ly/2zIyBxw. GE Bentgrass in Oregon According to Beyond Pesticides, a variety of bentgrass, genetically engineered by Scotts Miracle-Gro and Monsanto to tolerate Roundup, escaped from an experimental field planting in Eastern Oregon 15 years ago, and continues to plague area farmers. Bentgrass is prized for golf course greens because of its fine texture and habit of spreading in even, horizontal mats. The GE version has become a headache for farmers and other growers who battle its spread through the irrigation systems of Malheur County. The escape of this GE version of Agrostis stolonifera is especially alarming in Oregon, the grass seed capital of the world.

Organics In The News MOSES Farmer of the Year Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Services (MOSES) is accepting nominations for the 2019 MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year. The award recognizes a Midwest certified organic farmer or farm family for practicing outstanding land stewardship, innovation and outreach. Nominees must be certified organic and farming in a Midwest state: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin. The deadline for nominations is September 15; mosesorganic.org/projects/ organic-farmer-of-the-year. Supporting New Farmers With the support of its Next Generation Scholarship Fund, Rodale Institute is training the next generation of farmers to fill the gap using organic, regenerative production methods that improve the health of people and the planet, boost the economy and develop rural communities. Gifts to the fund help provide interns with housing, food from the farm, a comprehensive educational experience, and a weekly stipend. Help secure the future of healthy food in America by supporting the next generation of regenerative organic farmers. To contribute, email annie.brown@rodaleInstitute.org. Cornucopia Eyes Hain Celestial The New York Post reported recently that the prominent organic industry conglomerate, The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., said it plans to divest its interests in Hain Pure Protein (HPP). The operating division sells organic and “natural” chicken and turkey products under its Plainville Farms and FreeBird brands. The Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog, sent a formal request to antitrust regulators asking them to scrutinize the sale of HPP, claiming that, depending on who acquires it, the effect would be to harm competition in the already highly concentrated organic poultry sector.

SCIENCE ON YOUR SIDE PHOTO BY MASOUD HASHEMI

Faba bean pods come in a range of sizes and bear varying numbers of seeds. The plants help increase vital nitrogen in the soil.

Faba for Corn Nitrogen Needs Researchers have good news for growers. Farmers raising a nitrogen-hungry crop like sweet corn may save up to half of their nitrogen fertilizer cost. The key: using a faba bean cover crop. Faba bean is an ancient crop increasingly used as a cover crop. Cover crops are grown in the months between main crops when the soil would otherwise be bare. Cover crops can control erosion, build soil and suppress weeds. Grasses, legumes and other non-grassy plants are the most commonly used cover crops. Faba is a legume, as are peas, beans and lentils. They are a good source of protein. They also bring an important benefit to agriculture: they are nitrogen fixers. These plants, working with bacteria in the soil, take nitrogen from the atmosphere. The decomposing plants then add nitrogen to the soil. Faba is known to be one of the most powerful nitrogen fixers. Nitrogen is a vital nutrient for plants’ growth, and many farmers who grow sweet corn typically add nitrogen in the form of commercial fertilizer for best yield. Masoud Hashemi and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst tested faba bean as a cover crop before planting sweet corn. They wanted to learn if the nitrogen from the faba bean plants would meet the high nitrogen needs of the sweet corn. They also wondered whether tilling the faba residues into the soil or leaving them to decompose in place would provide more nitrogen for the corn. This study showed the timing of when faba was planted had a dramatic effect on the biomass — the total weight — the plants produced before winter weather stopped growth. More biomass means more nitrogen. Faba beans planted on Aug. 1 had more than twice the biomass of faba beans planted just two weeks later. Not surprisingly, the sweet corn planted the following spring produced much better yields when it was planted in the earliest-sown faba compared to later-sown faba. The amount of nitrogen legumes can add to the soil is closely tied to the amount of biomass they produce. The sweet corn yields were also significantly higher in the plots where the plant residue was left on the surface

(no-till). Tilled residues decomposed quicker than the notill, providing their nitrogen sooner. This proved to be too soon for the sweet corn. The no-till treatment slowed the decomposition of the faba bean residues. A delayed release of nitrogen into the soil better matched the needs of the young sweet corn. Even so, the faba bean residues alone did not provide enough nitrogen for the best sweet corn yields. Additional nitrogen was needed. However, only about half as much was needed compared to corn grown without a faba bean cover crop. “Faba bean cover crops can add a large amount of nitrogen to the soil,” Hashemi concluded. “But to make the most of its potential, especially if harvesting some fresh pods is expected, faba bean has to be planted as early as possible after harvesting the summer crop. Moreover, to contribute best to the nitrogen needs of the spring crop, the residues should not be tilled into the soil and must be left on the soil surface.” Read more about this research in Agronomy Journal. The research project was supported through grants awarded by Northeast Sustainable Agriculture and Research (SARE) and Massachusetts Department of Agriculture.

Radish Cover Crop Traps Nitrogen When you think of a radish, you may think of the small, round, crunchy, red-and-white vegetable that is sliced into salads. You might be surprised to learn that a larger, longer form of this root vegetable is being used in agriculture as a cover crop. The long radish root creates deep channels in the soil that can make it easier for subsequent crops to reach water in the soil below. Radish is also known to benefit water quality. It does so by taking up nitrogen, in the form of nitrates, from the soil. This leaves less nitrogen in the soil that can run off to nearby streams and lakes. Matt Ruark of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and colleagues wanted to know more about the effect of this nitrate uptake in the following growing season. They established test sites in three Wisconsin locations and studied them for three years. At each site, some plots received the radish cover crop and some did not. The radish cover crop was planted in August after a wheat harvest. Corn was planted the following spring. The research showed that radish significantly reduced the nitrate content in the soil as compared to the test plots with no cover crop. This finding confirmed the results of several earlier studies. It showed that radish did take up nitrogen, in the form of nitrates, from the soil. This research supports the use of radish as a cover crop as a trap crop for fall nitrogen. However, what happens to that nitrogen afterward remains unknown. There was no consistent evidence that nitrogen was returned to the soil as the radish crop decomposed. Radish did not supply nitrogen to the corn crop. The researchers concluded that in the Upper Midwest the nitrogen in radish could not replace fertilizer. September 2018 11

Keeping Regional Crops Alive Preserving the Intrinsic Value of Four Wild Crops

Efforts are underway by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians to restore the state threatened wild river rice Zizania aquatica from Nottawa Creek to the Pine River Creek Reservation. Photo by Barb Barton.

BY TAMARA SCULLY Crops that fed our ancestors and provided a sense of place are disappearing, but some growers and researchers are dedicated to the continuation of these old favorites, refusing to allow them — and our food roots — to disappear. Whether indigenous or introduced, wild-harvested or cultivated, these food crops at one time held great importance in their various localities. Interest in less commonly known specialty crops is increasing, even while their growing popularity is sometimes accompanied by controversy. This article will examine four of them.

NEW ENGLAND ROOTS It goes by many names: Cape White turnip, Westport turnip, Eastham turnip. These names — all taken from New England locales — are used in lieu of its 12 Acres U.S.A.

official one: the Macomber rutabaga. Traditionally a part of southern New England Thanksgiving celebrations, this rutabaga is a New England notable, although rutabagas — a hybrid between turnips and wild cabbage — are not native to the United States. “It’s very similar to parsnips,” said Chris Clegg of Four Town Farm in Seekonk, Massachusetts. “It is not nearly as bitter as purple top rutabagas or bland as yellow rutabagas,” and is quite popular in the region. Most people prepare the dish as a holiday meal rather than for everyday use. The extremely short season this rutabaga is in demand, combined with the lack of knowledge of the crop outside of this small region, contributes to only a small number of farmers growing the crop. Clegg selects the best plants — no disease and the most attractive shapes — for seed, which can last for several years when properly stored.

He has multiple storage locations, including some refrigerated seed, to protect against loss. His Macomber rutabagas are bred to be the best for his growing conditions, and he says he isn’t taking any chances. “My sales are very consistent from year to year, so I think the market is saturated,” said Clegg. “They are difficult to sell out of season, and it is a very short season. Eighty percent of my sales are for the weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.” Growing a specialty crop, particularly one rooted to the food traditions of a given community, is vastly different than growing a commodity crop. When specialty crops begin to become commercialized, the risk of losing their identity and variability is often at odds with the desire to develop a crop suitable for widespread production and introduction outside of its home range.

seed is gathered by hand from canoes. The grain is then dried in the sun and parched over a fire, de-hulled and winnowed. One reason this wild food is disappearing is, perhaps ironically, the cultivation of the plant. Cultivation isn’t simply creating a viable market crop, which in turn could offer some protection to the remaining wild rice stands or increase interest in restoration of historic beds. Instead, it involves taking the wild rice and altering its traits to fit the demands of modern farming. This altered rice is offensive to Native American tribes, to whom the plant and the customs and rituals associated with it are sacred. “The reason [Native Americans] are here is because of wild rice,” said Barb Barton, endangered species consultant and author of Manoomin: The Story of Wild Rice in Michigan. “All

PHOTO COURTESY OF J&D MAYHAWS, LLC

PHOTO BY JENNIFER SAWYER

PHOTO BY JENNY CARLEO

GO WILD FOR RICE Native wild rice is an annual aquatic grass with roots that grow in the soils beneath shallow waters. Wild rice species are found in very specific habitats in limited areas of the United States. Texas is home to a species that only resides within the state. Two species — Zizania aquatica and Zizania palustris — are found primarily in the Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, as well as in parts of Canada and along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts where conditions are favorable. Wild rice paddies play important roles in conservation, providing wildlife habitat and a food source for numerous species of birds, mammals and fish. These wild rice beds protect water quality by binding loose soils, tying up nutrients and acting as windbreaks. Natural wild rice-growing areas are being endangered by development, pollution and the pursuit of recreational activities, and work to re-establish and protect these habitats is ongoing in some regions. Michigan’s largest wild rice bed is a mere 700 acres. Historically, numerous 4,000-acre beds were common in the state’s coastal marshes, now dredged and unsuitable for the plant. Harvesting wild rice is labor-intensive. For every 100 pounds of harvested seed there will be about 40 pounds of finished wild rice. The crop is gathered in late summer, when the

LEFT: Farmer Matt Stiles on a tour of Plantation Farm, run by CMCBPA President David van Vorst. MIDDLE: Jenny Caleo performs a pollination experiment on beach plums. RIGHT: Johnny Smith with a mayhaw tree loaded with fruit.

cultures have wild food traditions associated with them, and now they are all disappearing.” Cultivated wild rice paddies have been established in the Great Lakes region, but the majority of the wild rice found in stores today is grown in California. In order to make wild rice a viable farm crop, the wild rice plant has been bred to mature at one time for ease of harvest, to produce higher yields, for shorter plants, to resist disease and to have seeds that are viable when stored dry. These traits have resulted in varieties that can only survive in cultivated rice paddies. If these Providing markets for organic growers throughout the Great Lakes Region Year-a-round contracts

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“The mayhaw, being a native fruit tree, growing in swamps and flatlands near practically every rural settlement in much of the South, plays an important role in southern culture.” — Johnny Smith, J & D Mayhaws PHOTO BY CHRIS CLEGG PHOTO BY BARB BARTON

TOP: Macomber rutabaga acreage at Four Town Farm. BOTTOM: Wild rice beds during the 2008-09 Wild Rice Camp held at Lac Vieux Desert Pow Wow Grounds in the western Upper Peninsula and Tubb’s Lake in Mecosta County, Michigan.

14 Acres U.S.A.

cultivated plants crossbreed with wild natives, the survival of the wild rice plants in their natural habitat is at risk. There is, however, a market demand for wild rice. Chefs are extremely interested. There are only a few remaining stands that produce enough rice to meet this demand. Instead, cultivated wild rice fills the gap. Domesticated varieties are less intensive to harvest and process and therefore sell at a lower cost per pound than the native wild rice that makes it to the market. To the Native American tribes, the main purpose of the wild rice plant isn’t to make money, but rather “to feed your family and elders in your community, and have it available for ceremonies,” Barton explained. Wild rice grown in its natural habitat, hand-harvested and processed via traditional means, retains its intrinsic values as a nutrient source, its role in conservation and its role in religion

and in community. That value is of the kind that doesn’t carry a price tag. Ideally, natural wild rice habitats would be abundant and would allow for the sale of rice not needed by the foragers, keeping its identity intact. “You can’t make a wild food a commodity,” said Barton. “It is not a domesticated crop where you have a monoculture. When you start to take these wild foods and then turn them into a money-making venture ... there is always a loss.”

PLUM CRAZY Beach plums, or Prunus maritima, are native to New Jersey as well as other locales along the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to Maryland. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agent Jenny Carleo and Joseph Goffreda, director at the Rutgers Fruit and Ornamental Research Extension Center, where 1,000 or so beach plums grow in the orchard, have been working to promote this crop to growers and eaters alike. While the beach plum evolved on the sandy coastal soils, “Anywhere you can grow a peach you can grow a beach plum,” said Carleo. Interest from New Jersey farmers is “growing slowly, as we are getting more information year after year on how to grow this other commercial crop.” The highbush blueberry had a similar history in New Jersey — a native wild plant that was bred for traits to make it a desirable crop for farmers. The success of the blueberry — now a staple food in our diet — is hard to ignore. It’s the goal of the Rutgers program to usher in the same results for the beach plum. Rutgers University introduced a new beach plum variety, “Rutgers Jersey Gem,” in 2017. It is a cross between a beach plum found on the dunes of Long Beach Island and a named variety, “Premier.” Scions are available. They are currently seeking a fruit tree specialty nursery grower to propagate the plant for widespread sales. Carleo has surveyed customers who have tasted beach plum products, with positive results. Over 90 percent of tasters indicate that they will likely try beach plum products

PHOTO BY CHRIS CLEGG

again. Wild-harvested beach plums, as well as those grown on several farms in the South Jersey region, are made into value-added products that “pretty much sell out every year,” she said. Beach plum genetics need to be improved to make the crop suitable for orchard growing. Breeders are trying to select for better growth habits, simultaneous flowering, annual production and enhanced taste and quality. Propagation occurs via root cuttings due to extreme variations with sexual reproduction. The existing native beach plum stands seemingly aren’t in any danger from the breeding of cultivars suitable for orchard commercialization. In fact, promoting their fruits might help to save wild stands as they gain increased recognition as a native coastal plant valuable for food and the environment. The beach plum isn’t the only native fruit tree with potential for commercial production. There are other native plums, such as the Sand Hill Plum, Prunus angustifolia, which is native to much of Kansas, that

might someday be common in grocery stores.

MAYHAW MADNESS “The mayhaw, being a native fruit tree, growing in swamps and flatlands near practically every rural settlement in much of the South, plays an important role in southern culture,” said Johnny Smith. Located in Singer, in southwest Louisiana, Smith’s J & D Mayhaws is dedicated to finding the best of the best of the wild mayhaw trees and cloning them via grafting so their fruits can be propagated by orchard growers. It takes seven or eight years for a mayhaw to fruit when grown from seed, and collecting wild seedlings is time-consuming and they are often less fruitful than anticipated. “A wild mayhaw seedling is often called a ‘chance mayhaw’ because there may be one chance in 100, or one in 1,000, that it will turn out to be a remarkable tree,” said Smith. “By grafting, I know what I’m getting.” Wild mayhaws are selected for propagation based on fruit size, col-

These rare rutabagas are known to southern New Englanders as a Thanksgiving staple.

or, quality, ripening, reliable harvest dates, the ability to hold the fruit on the tree until fully ripened, yield and disease resistance. Smith also hybridizes new cultivars. The fruit is traditionally made into jelly. Juice is extracted by steaming and pressing berries and is typically sold frozen by the gallon. Demand

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for the fruit is increasing and cannot currently be met by existing suppliers. “The fruit is simply not available — at any price,” said Smith. “We harvest anywhere from 1 to 25 gallons per tree,” with production varying based on age, weather and individual cultivar. “The wide variety in production between cultivars is another reason to graft select varieties.” Large orchards are being planted in the region in an attempt to satisfy some of the demand. Some mayhaw trees are viable outside of their native moist and swampy habitat, but most favor the hot southern climate.

THE RISKS OF COMMERCIALIZATION The renewed interest in heritage and regional foods is bringing crops such as the Macomber rutabaga, wild rice, beach plums and mayhaws into the spotlight, allowing us to enjoy and preserve important parts of our food culture. Increased exposure to these important foods does carry risks, though. Selective breeding for storability and shelf life could decrease flavor, as it has for tomatoes and other common produce items. They could also lose their luster and regional uniqueness if they one day become so commonplace that they end up in chain restaurants or grocery stores. Foods with real roots — ones that have an identifiable place in our history — deserve to remain a part of our lives. Balancing their preservation with our quest to domesticate them may be the best way to move forward while keeping an eye on our past and working to enrich our future. RESOURCES

Barb Barton’s books, articles, music & information on wild rice: barbbarton.com Chris Clegg’s Four Town Farm: 4townfarm.com Rutgers Beach Plum information: njaes.rutgers.edu/ultra-nichecrops/beach-plums J & D Mayhaws, LLC: themayhawman.com

16 Acres U.S.A.

Bringing Ultra-Niche Crops to Market BY MIKE BROWN Many beginning and established farmers are seeking to maximize their income by thinking outside the box of conventional crops to explore lesser-known plants and niche markets Focus crops in the Rutgers that will bring higher returns. One excellent Ultra-Niche Crops Program resource for these farmers is the Rutgers Ultra- include asparagus, basil, Niche Crops Program for Beginning Farmers. blueberries (U-pick), cut The program focuses on education for a flowers, garlic, lettuce (high target audience of small-acreage growers with tunnel winter), peppers (speanywhere from a fraction of an acre to as much cialty), beach plums, roselle as 10 acres. Growers with larger holdings have and strawberries. also benefited from the program. The Rutgers Ultra-Niche Crops Program was created several years ago when Jenny Carleo, the project director, also an extension agent for Cape May County in southern New Jersey, sat down with one of her coworkers to discuss ideas for future projects. As the conversation unfolded it became clear that many people had been contacting the office with similar questions. As Carleo explains it, many of them were asking variations on three basic questions: 1. How do I start farming? 2. I want to start a farm, but I don’t have a lot of land. What can I grow to start with? 3. What can I grow that is different and that I can grow on a small piece of land that will give me a good return? “A lot of these clients had no experience farming, but a lot of heart,” said Carleo. “I didn’t want them to take on too much because no one but an experienced farmer really knows how hard farming can be in the long-term. It is easy to fail, and I wanted them to have small and early success to keep them motivated and sustainable. We need new farmers. I wanted to be able to meet them where they were in a practical way and to provide them with factual information that would help prevent them from making costly mistakes and provide them with crop production and business tools they need to be successful.” After organizing an 11-member project team they received a USDA grant to create 33 videos and 25 fact sheets covering a range of niche crops suitable for small-acreage farmers. The goal of the project is to inform new and beginning farmers about the cultivation, marketing and business management of various ultraniche crops. Ultra-niche crops are defined as exceptionally high-value crops that can provide a significant source of income to the farmer while using a minimal amount of land to enable the farmer to net a minimum of $25,000 per acre. While some suggested crops are more mainstream, like basil and strawberries, others expand awareness of an assortment of less-familiar crops such as beach plum, roselle and specialty peppers. If a crop is included, it means that enough knowledge and experience has been accrued by researchers and growers to give new farmers an accurate picture of growing and marketing the crop. “Most of the crop information we used incorporates Rutgers University research, said Carleo. “Many of these extensive research projects illustrate how Cooperative Extension successfully puts research information into the hands of the people it was designed to help.”

The crops covered include: asparagus, basil, blueberries (U-pick), cut flowers, garlic, lettuce (high tunnel winter), peppers (specialty), beach plums, roselle and strawberries. Each of these crops (with the exception of roselle, which has one video) features two videos. The first is a virtual field trip that focuses on a farmer currently growing the particular crop. The second video is a panel, usually consisting of a mix of farmers, extension agents and/or buyers that discuss growing and marketing and answers questions. There are also 13 short videos that cover the business side of farming, including such topics as mission statements, ownership structure, financial planning and marketing, among others. Lastly, each crop profile includes a variety of PDF resources, including such things as fact sheets, sample budgets, demand assessments and production guidelines. Sheri Waide is one of the growers that has benefited from the program. She spent many years as a chef in Philadelphia but over the last few years has been transitioning to a small-acreage farmer in Cape May, New Jersey. She appeared in the UNC video on asparagus to offer guidance from the buyers’ side due to her former occupation as a restaurant owner and chef. She has also used the crop information to supplement knowledge she already had and to help her explore possibilities for new crops. In addition to helping growers, she thinks the project has great potential in helping buyers understand and work more effectively with local growers. “I feel like the more knowledge chefs have on seasonality and the obstacles farmers face, the better able they are to create menus for local and seasonal products. Also it might help create less frustration on a buyer’s end to have this knowledge.” Recognizing the benefits of the Rutgers Ultra-Niche Crops Program, Adrian Hyde, executive director of NOFA-NJ, has decided to take it one step further. NOFA-NJ is planning an Ultra-Niche 2.0 track for its 2019 Winter Conference on Jan. 26-27, 2019. The track is slated to comprise back-to-back sessions, over two full days, and dive deeper into the content covered in the original program while emphasizing organic methods. What does the future hold for this project? As Carleo sees it, “In the future we will be looking at possibly even NEED MORE smaller farms, ‘micro-niche’ as I INFORMATION? am calling it. In addition, we will For more continue to add more resources, information on including enterprise budgets and the Rutgers fact sheets to the website.” Ultra-Niche Crops Program, visit njaes.rutgers. edu/ultra-nichecrops.

Mike Brown’s Pitspone Farm in New Jersey (pitsponefarm.com) specializes in a wide range of small fruits and berries — both fruits and plants.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF KENTUCKY BLUEBERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION

A Kentucky Success Story

From a Declining industry to Thriving Organic Blueberries BY BARBARA BERST ADAMS Tobacco was once the king of cash crops in Kentucky. When health concerns initiated the market’s decline, starting around the mid-1960s, the number of farmers growing tobacco shrank to a mere fraction of what it once was. Some farmers still successfully maintain tobacco production, and demand for organic tobacco as a niche crop may even be expanding. Overall, though, many farmers have looked to other crops, including hemp and organic vegetables to replace tobacco. This is how the blueberry came to Kentucky. As the tobacco market waned, the small blue fruit became a successful, sustainable and healthy new crop for a region in which it had never previously been grown. It’s a story of adaptability and of farmers helping other farmers — experiences that sometimes bring the sweetest triumphs of all.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS It all started in the spring of 1995, when Larry Martin Sr. and Jenny 18 Acres U.S.A.

Martin, husband and wife, drove from Michigan to Kentucky in UHaul trucks filled to the brim with blueberry plants. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture reportedly stated that the Martins brought more blueberry bushes with them than existed in all of Kentucky at the time. They had been growing blueberries in Michigan and were now moving to Kentucky, a longtime dream of Jenny’s. To their delight, the blueberry plants flourished in Kentucky. Their success attracted a lot of attention, and other growers soon began to investigate the possibility of blueberry farming. Although they initially planned to produce and sell the berries, people started asking about growing blueberries themselves, and so they also started a small nursery. Once the Martins discovered that so many others wanted to grow blueberries, they became determined to not only sell plants but make sure those who bought them knew how to grow them. People learned from the Martins directly on the farm and from edu-

cational presentations Jenny offered around the state.

KENTUCKY BLUEBERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION In 2002 the Martins started the Kentucky Blueberry Growers Association (KBGA), which promotes blueberry farming, marketing and processing for its members. From their own farm they sold both pre-picked and U-pick berries. Although they felt that a blueberry farm could be solely U-pick and do quite well, they also wanted to explore wholesale and other markets. The Martins eventually flourished. In 2007 Jenny told Fruit Growers News that when they first arrived in Kentucky they were “quite poor.” Twelve years into their venture, though, they had begun to succeed financially. Back then their plants were grown conventionally, and the KBGA processed and sold blueberries as conventionally grown. Travis Byrne is now the director of Kentucky Blueberry Growers Association, Inc., which his father-in-law — who also owns commercial blueberry acreage in Kentucky — purchased

Organic blueberry bushes at Brush Creek Berries.

from the Martins. Byrne manages his father-in-law’s and other farms. “We purchased our blueberry farm, Brush Creek Berries (BCB), in 201112,” said Byrne. (At the time, they were not yet the owners/directors of KBGA.) “At the point of our farm’s purchase, we began to manage our blueberry farm purely as an organic operation. Since BCB was in the process of becoming organic, we still had to market our transitional berries (at KBGA) as conventional, as the claim ‘organic’ cannot be made until you have the USDA organic certification from an accredited certification agency.” But eventually the BCB farm family wanted their blueberries processed in an organic facility so they could be marketed as organic. Their choice at the time was to either convince the current owners of KBGA to become certified organic or to construct a processing facility of their own. It isn’t unusual for people who have made a living off of conventional farming for years to resist requests to change their tactics and risk an unknown way of growing and an unknown market, but Byrne was con-

vinced an organic market would be there. The answer came when the Martins chose to retire, selling KBGA to Byrne’s father-in-law in the spring of 2015. “I then acted swiftly with the documentation and turned in KBGA’s organic application and paperwork for 2015, and we obtained organic certification just before the 2015 harvest season, allowing for the processing of our organic berries at KBGA for the first time in 2015.” Byrne said that the process of trying to convince other blueberry grow-

TOP: Organic blueberries at Brush Creek Berries in Burkesville, Kentucky. BOTTOM: The 2016 harvest at Brush Creek Berries.

ers to switch to organic methods has been slow. “Many folks are skeptical of managing their farms organically,” he said. Additionally, it is hard for some folks to change their management style when all they know is the conventional model. He also said that many extension agents are not formally trained in organic methods and lean heavily on conventional-style agriculture. “Once we established to other growers that ‘yes, you can farm blueberries organically,’ and ‘yes, you can get more for your commodity,’

September 2018 19

several members have taken the steps of transitioning their berry fields to organic management. It has most likely happened within the last three to five years, when BCB started the momentum at KBGA for organic growing.” There were still many conventional growers at the time not ready to jump into organic farming. Although the family discussed the idea of only accepting certified organic blueberries at their newly acquired processing facility, Byrne wanted to keep an open door to farmers who were transitioning to organic. “I objected to that move given the skepticism of the current members on organic,” said Byrne. “My notion was that if we are to advise growers to grow their crop organically, we must allow them the three-year transition period that is required to have their farms certified organic. Within that transition those growers will still need an outlet for their commodity. Allowing both organic and conventional to be processed at the warehouse allows those growers to transition while still having a market for their berries.”

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Byrne said that the facility is certified organic through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. “We are audited and inspected yearly to adhere to the USDA Organic guidelines. Because we process both conventional and organic berries, we run organic berries first over the conveyor belts, then clean the belts and run conventional berries, and then clean once more prior to the end of the day/night so that in the morning the organic berries are processed over clean belts. The fruit is then stored in separate coolers and freezers with labels, indicating organic or conventional. Our documentation process and records are very strict.” They track all berries from intake to processing to packaging to storage, and then finally to shipment. “We label berries as to when they were picked/processed/packaged/ sold by farm member numbers,” said Byrne. “I can go into our freezers and coolers, pick out a box and tell you exactly when they were picked, processed and packaged by our tracking labels.”

MARKETING ORGANIC BLUEBERRIES Byrne, who does all the marketing for KBGA, has found many good markets for the organic blueberries. “The greatest markets I have found have been the Kentucky school systems as well as Ohio Valley Food Connection [which connects regional growers with chefs and wholesale outlets] and Green Bean Delivery [which delivers organic and ecologically produced groceries to homes and offices].” Distributors deliver KBGA berries into other nearby states, although new cross-state opportunities may be on the horizon. “We have been looking to market our frozen ‘processed’ berries — berries that are culled for direct fresh/frozen markets and are good for processing, such as with wine and beer — into the Nashville region directly to breweries that make blueberry-infused beer. We have reached a couple breweries so far. We have only marketed lower quantities at this point but hope to have those numbers increase.”

KBGA purchases blueberries from local small-scale Kentucky Proud farmers, including those with less than an acre in production. The largest member farm has 15 planted acres, and the smallest has about a half-acre. Byrne said that they also have KBGA members who have some backyard blueberries, but they don’t market through KBGA. Kentucky Proud is the state’s official marketing program for its agricultural products. Membership is free and farmers can apply for grants, consult with marketing specialists and obtain promotional items at cost. “Kentucky blueberries are becoming a hot commodity, especially since they are grown in Kentucky and are Kentucky Proud,” said Byrne. “We hope to continue to work to get our berry farmers the best prices for their commodity and to promote blueberry cultivation across the state, putting Kentucky blueberries on the map. We hope to market more valueadded products NEED MORE in the near fuINFORMATION? ture, including For more infordehydrated mation about blueberries and the Kentucky fruit leathers.” Blueberry GrowFrom a virers Association, visit kybg.org. For tually non-exismore on Brush tent blueberry Creek Berries, industry to a visit brushcreek thriving one, berries.com or aimed carefully call 707-499and thought0995. fully toward organic production, Kentucky farmers have developed a sustainable industry that’s healthy for the planet and for people. Barbara Berst Adams (barbaraberstadams.com) is the author of several books including The New Agritourism: Hosting Community & Tourists on Your Farm (newagritourism.com). An established magazine feature writer for multiple publications since 1999, she also contributes to microecofarm ing.com.

This year’s Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, Dec. 4-7. For more information, visit acresusa.com/events or call 800-3555313. We hope to see you there!

Good Vibrations North American native bees, including bumblebees, boost blueberry crop yields with sonification and other specialized tactics. Blueberries are native to North America, and it makes sense that North American native bees, including native bumblebees, are especially good at pollinating them. According to the Florida Farm Bureau, a recent study by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences concluded that bumblebees could boost highbush blueberry yield by 70 percent. Other studies have shown that blueberry yields increase markedly depending on not just the total number of native pollinators but the number of different types of native bees (such as carpenter bees alongside bumblebees and other natives), each complementing the others’ attributes. European native honeybees are also used on many blueberry plantations to augment native pollinators, and honeybees can, of course, add other crops to the farm’s menu in the form of honey, beeswax, bee pollen, propolis and even honeybees themselves if the hives are owned by the blueberry grower. North Carolina State University says that its state’s blueberry fields typically stock one to four honeybee hives per acre. But native bees sonicate — vibrate their bodies — in a way that is especially good for blueberry pollination. This is also called buzz pollination. Honeybees don’t have this ability. Pollinator.ca states, “Honeybees are able to ‘drum’ on the anthers with their legs and collect some pollen, but they gather far fewer grains than bees that buzz pollinate.” Blueberry growers can attract native pollinators by finding non-cultivated edges and nooks near their bushes to plant native pollinator food sources (including those that offer food before and after blueberry blossom times). They can also provide active season shelter, overwintering shelter and water supplies. The bumblebee, for example, may nest in or near the ground, and is known for setting up house in old rodent holes and even old birdhouses that haven’t been cleaned out from the previous bird family. During a pollinator presentation I attended at the Department of Ecology research center in Washington State, the speaker told the story of how someone wanted an old birdhouse now housing bumblebees removed from their property, so she had it brought to her acreage. As soon as the bumblebees emerged in their new location she said they went straight for her blueberries. And bumblebees do seem to be highly recommended for blueberries. “Honeybees are not the primary source of pollination — it is the bumblebee that performs that task. I know on our farm we have a good population of native bumblebees,” said Travis Byrne.

September 2018 21

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to our on-site bookstore when you register by SEPT 30th

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY • BUILD SOLUTIONS FROM THE SOIL UP! ECO-AG U WORKSHOPS DEC. 4-5 | ECO-AG CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW DEC 5-7 The annual Acres U.S.A. conference sets the standard for agricultural innovation and learning! It is where the world’s leading ecological agriculture practitioners gather to teach, share and learn strategies for a healthy, regenerative and profitable farming system. Begin the week with two days of advanced learning workshops followed by three days of expert sessions, an Eco-Ag Trade show, and so much more!

TO REGISTER, GO ONLINE OR CALL: WWW.ACRESUSA.COM/EVENTS | 800-355-5313 (TOLL-FREE IN U.S. AND CANADA) | 970-392-4464 ECO-AG U ADVANCED LEARNING SEMINARS: DEC. 4-5 Before the Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show, come for 1-2 days of intensive all-day Eco-Ag U workshops. Dig deeper into the core technologies of eco-agriculture and gain the tools necessary to take your operation to the next level! This year’s workshop line-up includes:

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4: 8:30AM-5:00PM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5: 8:30AM-5:00PM

Nutrient-Dense Food Farming presented by Glen Rabenberg

Foundational Principles of Ecological Agriculture presented by Mark Shepard

Mineral Nutrition & Plant Disease presented by Dr. Don Huber Jump-Starting Your Farm’s Humus Engine presented by Edwin Blosser

Defending Against Disease: Healthy Soil, Microbiome Diversity and Your Food presented by Dr. Nasha Winters Large-Scale Farming For Soil Health presented by Steve Tucker

SPECIAL 2-DAY WORKSHOP DECEMBER 4-5 The Principles and Science of Developing Regenerative Agriculture Ecosystems presented by John Kempf

Space is limited for Eco-Ag U workshops. Register early to ensure your place!

Interested in exhibiting or sponsoring? Please contact us at: events@acresusa.com or 800-355-5313

22 Acres U.S.A.

5-7

Choose ONE Tuesday session and ONE Wednesday session OR choose 2-Day Seminar Tuesday & Wednesday:

Keynote Speaker Joel Salatin will be joined by many other experts and innovators to create an experience you will never forget!

Nutrient-Dense Food Farming Glen Rabenberg Jump-Starting Your Farm’s Humus Engine Edwin Blosser

Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms Keynote Presentation: Can We Feed The World?

Gary Zimmer Minerals for Soil Health

Mineral Nutrition & Plant Disease Dr. Don Huber

The Principles and Science of Developing Regenerative Agriculture Ecosystems John Kempf

Foundational Principles of Ecological Agriculture Mark Shepard Large-Scale Farming For Soil Health: No-Till, Cover Cropping and the Soil Eco-System Steve Tucker Defending Against Disease: Healthy Soil, Microbiome Diversity and Your Food Dr. Nasha Winters

Dan Kittredge Defining Food Quality: The Case for Nutrient Density Nutrient-Dense Food Farming, Glen Rabenberg Jump-Starting Your Farm’s Humus Engine, Edwin Blosser

Jeff Moyer Regenerative Organic Certification

Mineral Nutrition & Plant Disease, Dr. Don Huber

Foundational Principles of Ecological Agriculture, Mark Shepard

Vail Dixon Wake Up Your Soil With Weeds

Large-Scale Farming For Soil Health: No-Till, Cover Cropping and the Soil Eco-System, Steve Tucker Defending Against Disease: Healthy Soil, Microbiome Diversity and Your Food, Dr. Nasha Winters

Other topics include: • What Sustainable-Organic Vegetable Growers Should Know about Grafting • Using Multi-Species Synergies To Your Advantage • Biotic Farming for Large-Scale Producers • Building Humus Rich Soil with Compost • Farm & Ranch Water Management • Cover Cropping at Scale • Biodynamic Agriculture & Subtle Energies in Agriculture • Farm Policy and What It Means for Sustainable Ag …and more!

1-502-627-5045

Watch the Acres U.S.A. website for program details and additional information.

Mail registration and payment to: Acres U.S.A. | P.O. Box 1690 | Greeley, CO 80632

PHOTOS BY RUSSELL FRENCH FOR ORGANIC VALLEY

Evan Showalter produces Grassmilk for Organic Valley on his Virginia farm.

From Grass to Glass

Organic Valley Farmers Thrive in the Shenandoah Valley BY LEIGH GLENN Maybe it’s a chance remark heard from a fellow farmer or an epiphany that comes while attending a farming conference. It lands on fertile ground and a way of looking at things, a way of being in the world, shifts. For Evan Showalter a book his father picked up — Gary Zimmer’s The Biological Farmer — launched him down the path he’s on, which includes providing milk for Organic Valley’s Grassmilk brand. He came to the book in 2007. At the time, Showalter, of Port Republic, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, had returned from working in construction and landscaping to the dairy farm where he grew up. There, he had managed a renting farmer’s conventional dairy herd of 80 to 100 cows. As he and his father considered the prospects for dairy, Showalter decided not to buy that herd and to focus instead 24 Acres U.S.A.

on produce and corn for silage and grain; he also continued haymaking. He took over renting from his father in spring 2008. Showalter, who had planted genetically modified crops and sprayed glyphosate because that was what he knew, was interested in biological farming, so Zimmer’s book came to him at the right time. When he returned to the farm he began to phase out synthetics and by 2009 began to apply for certification for some areas of the farm. Between 2009 and 2011, Showalter began routinely testing soils and working with consultants. He saw a rapid shift in soil balance as he sold crops and had no animals on the farm to cycle nutrients. “What I was doing was exporting nutrients off the farm,” because there were no animals leaving their waste to be recycled as nutrients back into that

cycle. He pondered how to get animals back on the farm. “Beef was not going to cash-flow the rent,” he says. “We thought about organic dairy: ‘Lord, what do we do here?’” At that point, early 2011, Showalter reached out to Organic Valley, and the co-op agreed to take on the farm. Showalter sought cows later that year — a “mongrel herd” of crossbreeds with two primary components, including a Friesian base in one and Jersey/Normandy in the other — and joined the Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP) Cooperative in January 2012.

ORGANIC VALLEY GRASSMILK Because of his research into the benefits of grass-based dairy, Showalter was already geared toward having the cows on a low-/no-grain diet. “We fed a few pounds of grain for the first winter. And I haven’t fed any grain since mid-March of 2012.” Showalter urged Organic Valley to consider his farm and others in the area for grass-based dairying to develop Grassmilk. That Mid-Atlantic route came together in late 2016, with farm-

ers like Showalter and Arlen Beery in nearby Dayton, Virginia, toward the southern portion of the route, which ends in Staunton. In all, 168 dairies supply milk for Grassmilk products, including fluid milk, yogurt, half-and-half and cheese. The milk from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania is bulk-collected and taken to New York for processing. The market for Grassmilk is expanding while the market for organic milk is not, says Beery, who also operates an Organic Valley farm. Organic Valley has instituted a quota restriction this year pegged to the previous year’s production. Grassmilk is not restricted, he says. Of course, the Grassmilk requirements — such as no grain — go beyond those of the national organic standards, but the co-op also pays its grass-based farmers a total premium of $5, including $1 for soil amendments to improve pasture. Grassmilk farmers are audited annually. Organic Valley inspects the condition of the cows to ensure they are maintaining flesh and are in overall good health. Showalter and Beery had their annual inspections in mid-April, and the auditor said the cows looked great. As of 2018, Showalter is managing 250 acres. A herd of about 60 dairy cows — two-thirds freshen in the spring and one-third in the fall — and 15 calves/heifers graze 85 acres of pasture on the home farm. Another 80-acre tract is grazed by breedingaged heifers from his and two other Organic Valley farms. Supplying fluid milk to Organic Valley is the core of the farm’s operations, which also includes growing cole crops for fall sales, haymaking, making cheese and selling it at the local farmers’ market and the Friendly City Food Co-Op in downtown Harrisonburg, north of the farm, as well as some meat, such as lamb, pork and beef for direct sales at the farmers’ market. The Showalters go to the farmers’ market only in the fall. Showalter also works with a few Harrisonburg restaurants. This year, he is backing off sweet corn to take a break from that and restructure the vegetable aspects of the farm. Evan, his wife Judith, and

their seven children, ages 1 to 11, with some help from his father, take care of most of the farm chores. Someone comes to help with two milkings a week as well.

THE SOIL PUZZLE Even though the farm is succeeding, Showalter continues to be stumped — and intrigued — by some of his soil samples. It seems like improvements

should be coming more quickly, but certain markers, like organic matter, are stubborn to rise. And in visual inspections, there is too much bare soil. Even in areas allowed to go to seed, there is not a lot of seedling activity. “I’ve got more things to experiment with and learn,” he says. The current fertility program includes a dry blend consisting of several hundred pounds of lime, along with gyp-

September 2018 25

PHOTOS BY LEIGH GLENN

Showalter says he does not do everything “right.” He still uses diesel and plastic and doesn’t like that, “but we’re doing the best we can with the knowledge and circumstances we have.”

A LOCAL PRESENCE Showalter is grateful for the opportunity to work with Organic Valley. “From my perspective, CROPP has been built on openness,” with some standards that may go beyond those required by the National Organic Program. “That’s heartening to me. Their desire to help the smaller family farm and the great number of small, Plain farms they’ve taken on and support — I really appreciate that. … I know there are people out there who don’t feel the same way about Organic Valley, but with over 2,000 farmers and a billion dollars, it’s a lot to keep your hand on.” Still, Showalter wishes the dairy could be sold more in his local region and that consumers could look at an Organic Valley product label and tell which farms it came from. The ultra-high temperature processing of milk also frustrates him. “That’s what retailers are demanding. They want to have a longer shelf life,” he says. “I want it as fresh, as minimally processed as possible.” And, in a perfect world, he adds, there would be an opportunity for raw dairy. TOP LEFT: Organic Valley ruminant nutritionist Silvia Abel-Caines, Ph.D., D.V.M. examining pasture plants at Hidden Hollow Farm. TOP RIGHT: Organic Valley ruminant nutritionist Silvia Abel-Caines, Ph.D., D.V.M. and Gerry Cohn, Southeast Regional Pool Manager for Organic Valley, scan for diversity in the pasture at Hidden Hollow Farm. BOTTOM: Cows graze at Hidden Hollow Farm.

sum, boron and elemental sulfur applied in the fall. Showalter relies on Beery as a mentor and says Beery tells him to, “‘Just keep on, do what you know, give it time, just wait, tweak it and give it time.’” Showalter tries to graze a fairly tall sward to keep more of a balance going into the cow, and would like to get animals across more of the farmed acreage and have less hay and more pasture in the winter. Fencing and logistics have yet to come together to make this happen, he says.

26 Acres U.S.A.

Despite some of the frustrating aspects of managing soil, Showalter would not have it any other way. “I view soil and our interaction with the natural world as more stewardship versus dominance,” he says. “We have been given dominion by God, but that doesn’t mean exploit and run down. … I don’t know who brought it to my attention — there’s such a disconnect in much of agriculture. We think we can apply anything, spray anything and there’s no consequence after the fact. In no other area of life is this true.”

HIDDEN HOLLOW FARM In Dayton, Virginia, northwest of Showalter farms, is Arlen Beery’s Hidden Hollow Farm, which has been part of Organic Valley since 2010. Beery has managed a dairy herd there since spring 1990 when he was 17, which is when his family moved to that farm. He bought the farm from his father in 2001 and operates it with his wife, Evelyn, and 12 children — one son and a son-in-law run a second farm nearby, which also provides dairy for Organic Valley. Like Showalter, Beery appreciates Organic Valley’s attentiveness and support of its farmers. But he, too, would love to see more of a connection between Organic Valley Grassmilk products and helping consumers understand where the milk is coming

September 2018 27

from, because many consumers want to know that they’re supporting their local economies with their food dollars, he says. He also wishes that consumers were less fad-driven in terms of processed foods and isolated ingredients produced in industrial kitchens and more knowledgeable about how “complete” foods such as eggs and cheese are. He says, when it comes to animal welfare, “Lots of people don’t realize we take better care of the cows and chickens than they would exist in the wild,” where they are subject to predation and the elements. Hidden Hollow Farm encompasses 115 acres. Of that, 74 acres are divided among 12 paddocks for about 70 milking cows and another 20 to 25 acres are for the 25 or so dry cows and bred heifers. Within the paddocks are 10 acres for the 800 to 1,000 laying Red Sex-Linked hens — 10 acres that become winter pasture for the dairy herd. As with Showalter’s Portwood Acres, the Beerys’ main operation is providing dairy for Organic Valley’s Grassmilk line. They sell eggs and produce via the local Shenandoah Valley Family Farms co-op to Whole Foods and other retailers; run a grinding/mixing operation of domesticonly grain for feed, selling 500-plus-pound minimums; and Beery’s cousin Wayne gets two days’ milk supply every two weeks to make raw-milk cheeses, which are also sold through the local co-op. Stewing hens from among the local co-op’s pastured-egg producers go to a private processor near Washington, D.C. “The children are very instrumental in helping with the produce, the chicken, feed grinding and dairy,” says Beery. “We don’t hire any help at all.” The dairy herd, New Zealand Friesians, are mostly, if not completely, A2, Beery says, as they’ve been breeding for A2 genetics for 12 years, though have not tested recently. The herd is on about a 30-day rotation. When it’s hotter, that extends to 40 days. Because the chickens are destructive to the grasses, they don’t follow the cows too closely, he says. The pastures where the birds range are renovated within 36 months.

PLANTS AT THE HEART OF HIDDEN HOLLOW Pastures — which are in an eight-year rotation — consist of heat-tolerant brown mid-rib Sudangrass and millet, in a 2:1 ratio of Sudan to millet, for when the orchard grass, alfalfa and clovers slow down in the summer. (He has used sorghum-Sudan, but regrowth was so-so.) This year, Beery plans to seed cowpeas as well. The rotation works like this: Where the herd has wintered, those three paddocks (including for dry and bred cows) are seeded the following spring and summer with Sudangrass and millet. In autumn, they seed a pasture mix of grasses, alfalfa and clover, in descending ratio of amounts. The following year, another three paddocks are re-seeded. In all the pre-annual mixes, they use a nurse crop of triticale, which is the first graze crop in March, before the orchard grass, alfalfa and clover are ready. By early May 2018, the Beerys had already grazed the herd twice on the triticale and the other pasture grasses were coming on. Even though the triticale is a nurse crop — eaten down, it allows 28 Acres U.S.A.

sunlight to goose growth in the plants that follow it — it’s “vital in spring for getting the cows up quicker. They really milk well off it,” says Beery. Beery echoes Showalter’s concerns about pasture density. “That’s one reason we started pulling the chickens back off the whole grazing platform,” he says. Trying to establish seedlings with chickens ranging meant losing the young plants to the birds. “We are now seeing a bit of improvement with new undergrowth coming in a little better,” he says. “Yet, I’m still wishing for a thicker, more dense pasture than what I have. I’m trying to figure out what’s the right balance.” Other Grassmilk graziers, Beery says, manage their pastures differently with more of a mob-grazing style. They’ll let it go 40 to 50 days, then maintain a large stocking rate on a smaller area. Because the plants are more fibrous, the cows do eat it, but also stomp down the rest, creating a thicker pasture. “But when you do that, forage is high in fiber and is not as good for making milk,” Beery adds. The herd, in essence, is less productive, and the more fibrous the plants the greater the risk to the cows for maintaining body condition, which is less important when it comes to mob-grazing beef cattle. “[The dairy cows] eat a lot, but don’t make the milk or keep as much body condition on their back,” he says. That’s a big concern for Organic Valley ruminant nutritionist Silvia Abel-Caines, Ph.D., D.V.M., who toured Beery’s farm in April 2017. She used a refractometer to check several plants’ fluid content, including so-called weeds — which offer phytocompounds not found in typical pasture plants — for a qualitative assessment of their nutritional content. She notes that pastures with the highest species diversity provide the most balanced nutrition for cows. Aiming for that diversity, she says, is best for soil health, plants’ mutually beneficial relationships, cows’ health and, ultimately, human health. Still, Beery is experimenting with letting the grass head out and then clipping it with a bush hog to help

the plants re-seed themselves to create a thicker stand. He says if they don’t graze the cows too tightly in the spring, they may leave about 25 percent in the form of clumps, which then, as they mature, don’t taste good. Those plants go to seed by mid-June and the cows ignore them. The Beerys clip these in late June, which knocks the seed down so it’s ready to sprout by August. At the same time, the clipping discourages pig amaranth/sow thistle. By August, the fallen seeds that have sprouted are starting to gain succulence and appeal to the cows. If they leave the clumps, they would also reseed, but it would be a slower process and cut into the productivity of the forage. “He’s very intentional about the plants he wants to have regrow and come back into his pastures and the plants that he does not want to come back,” Abel-Caines says of Beery. “That requires more intention and more attention when he’s grazing.” Winter forage includes local certified organic hay for as long as Beery

can get that and hay from a grower in Minnesota who is part of Organic Valley’s growers’ pool.

SHIFTING ORGANIC DAIRY Beery began selling organic milk in 2006. Seven local dairy farms, including Beery’s, got certified at the same time and supplied milk to Horizon. Back then, Beery fed about 10 pounds of grain to the cows and every year cut back on the grains by 2 pounds until he fed them no grains. He liked the results, but at the time, there was not a market for grass-only dairy. “We felt like the margins were tight enough to go back to feeding a little grain,” about 3 pounds, not because of body condition, but margins. “But when Grassmilk came along, I already knew that I liked it and that the cows would do okay. We went back to no grain again.” All seven dairy farmers shifted their supply from Horizon to Organic Valley in 2010 and then the Grassmilk line in late 2016. “We really encouraged them to consider us,” said Beery. “We tried to point out, the farther

September 2018 29

south, the longer the grazing season. We’ve also been remineralizing our soils,” which have been worn out through conventional production, by using “different kinds of rock powders, fish and different things. The cows are healthier and milk quality is a notch above average. … We do put more emphasis on quality feed and nutrient-dense forage. It’s always attractive when you’re looking at a specialized or niche market, where the taste of the milk is really, really important.” Taste is a big draw for Grassmilk products, but so is the nutrition that begins in the pastures. Abel-Caines says grass-based dairy offers a much lower omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratio and is higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Recent research bears this out (onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.610). Abel-Caines points out there are many types of CLAs, but one that has great impact on human health is synthesized only in the stomach of ruminants.

So, what the cows are getting for their own health and well being, they are passing along to humans. “One of the most impressive changes I witness as a veterinarian and ruminant nutritionist is the dramatic reduction in metabolic disesease, such as milk fever, ketosis and displaced abomasum,” she says. “Once they are transitioned from conventional bunkfeeding to pasture-based management, all these nutritionally related health conditions seem to disappear.” When visiting Grassmilk farms, Abel-Caines observes cows for body condition, locomotion, hygiene and hock condition. She says another area of profitability through savings for grass-based dairy farmers is the longevity of the cows and the number of lactations they can go through. Beery’s herd includes a couple of cows he’s milked for 13 years, though half are between five and 10 years old and half between two and five years old. That’s way better than the average 2.5 lactations of a conventionally raised cow.

Going forward, Beery hopes to better pinpoint what contributes to higher CLAs and a better omega fatty acid ratio by back-correlating what the cows were feeding on, whether clover or alfalfa, chickweed or dandelion. Providence and the growing interest by consumers in healthy foods have come together to provide the kind of space and incentive farmers like Beery and Showalter NEED MORE need to tease INFORMATION? out the mysterTo reach Evan ies of soil and Showalter and pasture. Portwood Acres, “We are so call 540-271grateful that 2145 or email the consumer portwoodacres@ is asking for gmail.com. the kinds of To reach Arlen food that we’re Beery, call trying to pro540-879-2054. duce,” says Beery. “God has given us an opportunity to be farmers, too. We couldn’t do this unless someone were asking for it.”

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PHOTOS BY KARIN DENEKE

LEFT: A 1,500-pound hemp-stalk bale, with Jim and Lisa Strang wearing shirts made out of hemp in the background at their Green Acres Hemp Farm. RIGHT: Green Acres’ greenhouse-raised hemp plants to be moved outside in early June.

More than a Fiber Crop

Industrial Hemp Making a Comeback BY KARIN DENEKE

A versatile field crop that was outlawed for more than 70 years is creating excitement in farming communities across the United States. Last fall, 23,343 acres of industrial hemp were harvested nationwide. Colorado ranks No. 1 in production and takes credit for one-third of these acres. The Centennial State is more famous for its towering fourteeners and outdoor recreation than for its agriculture. A short growing season and a statewide rainfall average of a mere 15.9 inches limits the cultivation of major cash crops commonly raised in the Eastern states, where dryland farming is the norm. Green Acres Hemp Farm in Colorado’s San Luis Valley is considered a pioneer in the industrial hemp industry. The commercially licensed farm produces its crop in a place known for its short 90-day growing season and annual precipitation of only 7.1 inches. Owners Jim and Lisa Strang learned that hemp requires much less water than the valley’s normal cash 32 Acres U.S.A.

crops — alfalfa and potatoes — that it tolerates light frost and that it does well in the alkaline soils found in this part of the state. It is an ideal crop for an area where irrigation is normally a must. When planted at high densities, hemp can quickly develop a tight canopy over a field within six weeks from emergence, choking out common weeds — making it unnecessary to use herbicides — providing shade and curtailing evaporation of soil moisture. It takes 12 to 14 weeks for the crop to mature. Hemp works well as a rotational crop between various cash crops, and its fibrous roots act as a soil conditioner, breaking up compaction and adding nitrogen. The plants also breathe in four times more CO2 than trees. An extremely versatile plant, hemp can be found in a large variety of products. Hemp fibers — called bast — are derived from the outer part of the dried stalks and are used in the manufacturing of plastics, paper, clothing and more. The inner core of the stalks — called hurd — is used in animal bed-

ding, mulch and building materials, and is known for its mold resistance. The oil contained in the seeds and green leaves serves as an ingredient for food and personal care products as well as bio-pharmaceuticals, and hulled hemp seeds make a tasty snack that is high in healthy fatty acids.

INDUSTRIAL HEMP’S RED TAPE Green Acres became the third commercially licensed industrial hemp farm in the state of Colorado and the first in the San Luis Valley. The Strang family planted their first hemp crop in late spring 2014, the same year President Obama signed a provision in the 2014 Farm Bill allowing the cultivation of industrial hemp for limited purposes, making registration and certification of grow sites mandatory. Since then, 33 states have passed laws to that effect. To this day, the federal government has not divorced industrial hemp from its psychoactive sister plant, even though the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) levels in industrial hemp are far below that of marijuana.

In order to be legal growers, hemp farmers such as the Strangs must strictly adhere to the laws set forth by the state of Colorado, and their crop is subject to testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Raising hemp involves dealing with a myriad of red tape, Jim Strang explained. Farmers cannot obtain loans to purchase equipment or seed because banks are tied to the federal government, which views hemp just like marijuana. The same applies to dealing with USDA agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency. There have been nine unsuccessful attempts to remove industrial hemp from the Controlled Substances Act at the federal level — six bills in the House and three in the Senate — and all died in committee. Now, for the tenth time, the effort continues in the form of a House Bill (HB 3530).

HEMP’S LEARNING CURVE The Strangs resided in Florida in 2014. Friends there had introduced the couple to the healing properties

Green Acres’ products including sandals made from hemp rope, and a double-sided scrubber to hold bath soap.

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An extremely versatile plant, hemp can be found in a large variety of products. Hemp fibers — called bast — are derived from the outer part of the dried stalks and are used in the manufacturing of plastics, paper, clothing and more. of hemp oil, which is legal as long as it contains less than 0.3 percent THC. They learned firsthand that this oil, pressed from the green leaves and seed-containing buds of industrial hemp, has healing properties and serves as the base for many personal

care products and bio-pharmaceuticals. The same year President Obama legalized industrial hemp research, the Strangs quit their full-time jobs and relocated to Colorado to purchase an 80-acre farm with water rights in the arid San Luis Valley, east of the town of Alamosa. Their calling was to raise industrial hemp for oil production. The couple cleared 20 fallow acres of their high desert land, which had not been cropped in more than 20 years, to make room for their first hemp field. In the past, hemp was primarily known as a fiber crop, reaching heights of 14 feet or more. The dried inner and outer layers of the hemp stalks require a process of separation called decording. The industry had been outlawed for more than seven decades, though, and modern farm machinery to separate and harvest these stalks proficiently comes with a hefty price tag. The first few years of raising industrial hemp presented a learning curve for the couple. Planting date,

seed depth and watering needs for their arid location had to be explored. They discovered that if they planted too early, a night frost as late as midJune could destroy their fragile, newly emerging seedlings. If they planted too late, their crop would not reach its potential by the latter part of September, which marks the average end of the growing season in the San Luis Valley. The use of water for irrigation in Colorado is strictly supervised, and Green Acres Hemp Farm is subject to well-water verification. The Strangs water their crops using domestic ponds. Finding seeds for his hemp crop was Strang’s first priority — no easy task since there was no commercial industrial hemp production in the United States for many decades. Most of the American hemp seed supply for the past few years has had to be imported from Europe and Canada. Even though marijuana and industrial hemp were declared illegal crops in 1937, the USDA launched its national “Hemp for Victory Program” at

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the onset of World War II. Hemp fiber was needed for the war effort to manufacture various necessities, including rope and uniforms. Thus, seeds were provided to farmers nationwide, and 36,000 acres were cultivated in 1942. These hemp fields used for the war effort were mostly destroyed soon after 1945. Like common weeds, though, unharvested hemp reseeds itself year after year. By chance, Strang obtained industrial hemp seed — which he refers to as old Kentucky seed — from an abandoned field in Iowa. This seed was likely a descendent of the Hemp for Victory Program. In November 2017, Schiavi Seeds of Lexington, Kentucky, produced the first certified hemp seed grown in Kentucky in many years. Strang recently crossed his old Kentucky seed with Schiavi’s to obtain a new strain, which is yet to be certified. Strang planted his first industrial hemp test plot with a grain drill, using 22 pounds of hemp seed per acre. The result was a tight field. He realized that he should have spread these seeds on 3 acres instead

of 2 in order to satisfy his need for harvesting the leaves and buds to produce hemp oil. During the past four years, Green Acres has developed into an on-thefarm business. Jim and Lisa pursued their goal, originally set when they left Florida. Lip balm and a natural skin lotion, both containing CBDs (cannabidiol oil, a natural component in industrial hemp) but void of THC, as well as capsules infused with CBD and olive oil, are available at three locations in nearby Alamosa. The Strangs no longer plant all of their hemp crop directly into the field. Half of it is raised in a greenhouse for outdoor transplanting at a later time. Germination in the greenhouse takes three to four days, Jim explained. In the field under average conditions it takes seven to 10 days.

HEMP 101 Hemp can be seeded with a conventional drill with 6-inch spacings in 17- to 34-inch rows, at one-half to

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three-quarter inch depth. Seed varieties call for 20-30 pounds per acre, while fiber varieties demand an average of 50-60. Hemp seed can also be scattered with an air-planter. Early planting is recommended and is dictated by the various climate zones. Soil temperature should reach 50°F in the top 6 inches of soil. In dry climates such as the San Luis Valley, it is recommended to water the seedbed lightly before planting to avoid crusting. This allows uniform germination of the tiny seeds before overhead irrigation is fully activated. Suggested amounts of fertilizers for fiber and seed varieties are: 80-100 units of N 30-45 units of P 60 units of K 15 units of S Hemp can be grown in any agronomic system, and under ideal conditions it requires no herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. Colorado is the first state to produce U.S.-bred hemp seed to qualify as Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) certified seed. In 2016 the Colorado Department of Agriculture launched the first certified hemp seed program to plant hemp across Colorado’s diverse growing conditions, with the mission of discovering which seeds would produce crops that fall within industrial hemp THC requirements. The program tests industrial hemp requirements set forth by Amendment 64 in the Colorado constitution, which closely resembles the federal Farm Bill. Colorado’s state NEED MORE law requires INFORMATION? that industrial For more inforhemp must test mation about at or below 0.3 Green Acres percent THC. Hemp Farm, visit Seed varieties greenacreshemp farm.com or call are tested in the 941-782-7307. northeast part of the state, the Arkansas Valley, the Front Range, the Western Slope and in the San Luis Valley.

by PAUL SCHNEIDER JR., AG-USA Anaerobic soil microbes (microbes that don’t need oxygen), bring with them compaction, pathogens (disease) and a sour-smelling soil. Anaerobic soil easily becomes waterlogged, but when it dries out it can quickly become as hard as a rock. The end product created by anaerobic microbes is formaldehyde, the fluid used for embalming. Formaldehyde is not at all good for soil life. On the other hand, aerobic microbes produce a wonderful “earthy” smell, take out compaction and make for a much healthier plant.

highly structured the soil will be. Soil structure means more oxygen is available to support aerobic bacteria!

CREATING AEROBIC SOIL Good farming practices, like rotational grazing, cover crops, balancing soil pH and soil nutrients, minimal tillage and limited use of chemicals are all helpful for creating aerobic soil. Applying a biological can also help. MycorrPlus is all about helping the soil transition to an aerobic state. MycorrPlus contains 70 strains of aerobic bacteria and 4 strains of mycorrhizal fungi, but it is much more than just a microbial product. MycorrPlus is a bio-stimulant, a food source for its aerobic microbes. These microbes help to balance soil nutrients and pH. They also aggregate the soil, so aerobic microbes thrive. MycorrPlus helps create conditions in the soil that encourage a greater amount of carbon sequestration. The more carbon that is sequestered, the more

RAIN AND AEROBIC SOIL Normal amounts of rainfall help the aerobic microbes in the soil. Rain pushes out stale, oxygen-depleted air. As rain water flows down into the soil, it draws fresh, oxygen-rich air behind it. However, super saturated soil is very hard on aerobic microbes, as the oxygen in water is quickly used up. In addition, there is a constant battle in the soil between aerobic and anaerobic microbes, and between good microbes and pathogens. When the soil is super saturated for a number of days, anaerobic bacteria start to take over the soil. The more this happens, the harder it is to restore aerobic microbial dominance. Of course, when soil conditions favor beneficial microbes, these microbes will thrive and take the soil back from pathogens and anaerobic microbes. Once again, MycorrPlus highly structures the

Super-saturated soil creates conditions favorable for anaerobic microbes

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soil and helps to create soil conditions where beneficial microbes thrive. RESTORING AEROBIC SOIL Has your ground been water saturated for a week or more? Once things dry up a little, you can apply a quart of MycorrPlus ($20 per acre) to help quickly turn things around. Elaine in Georgia has used MycorrPlus for three years. In March, 100 acres of flat, exposed land was hit hard by five days of frost, turning the grass brown and causing soil microbes to stop working. On April 4th Elaine applied a quart of MycorrPlus, which jump-started the microbes on that 100 acres. On July 9th I spoke with Elaine. She said that now there is no difference in any of her fields. She said they have never had grass this thick and tall, and amazingly, the clover is still there. Sometimes the soil just needs some help to fire up the aerobic microbes and restore them to dominance. Summer and fall are great times to apply MycorrPlus.

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PHOTOS BY DR. ROXANNE BRUCE

Contain the Cute

LEFT: A mischievous goat at Knotty Goat Soapery in Central Maine. MIDDLE: An alpaca at Gallifreyan Farm, located in Aroostook County, Maine. RIGHT: Photos of babies are social media gold, like this one from Knotty Goat Soapery.

BY DR. ROXANNE BRUCE

would practically climb a wall to get her lips on some. Gallifreyan Farm, located in Aroostook County, Maine, takes a similar approach with a photo of a silly alpaca (above, middle). The adorable smiling face, partnered with the “Happy New Year” stamp, makes viewers feel as if the alpaca wanted their New Year to be a good one. One of Gallifreyan Farm’s products is hand-dyed alpaca fiber, and their alpacas are often featured in funny ways with comical expressions. Those images are often followed by photos of the gorgeous dyed yarns from their fiber. The story that Gallifreyan Farm is sharing is that their animals are happy, healthy and having fun, and you should be too with their fiber. The photo from Pixabay (page 40), a website for sharing high-quality public domain images, is a great photo of farmers doing what farmers do, and the photographer did a nice job getting a clear image. For most purposes, this is a great photo. Women are out working in the field and there is a person far in the background with a plow. What I want to do now, though, is point out some of the things that can go wrong with photos.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Pictures Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a four-part series focused on helping you navigate the world of social media marketing for your farm, ranch or other agricultural enterprise. No matter which social media platforms you have chosen to place your farm on, pictures are the best way to create an immediate connection with your potential customers. You can use a single photo to announce the birth of babies, share items for sale, show off the quality of your wares and announce events. Farm photos can be used to attract attention quickly. They often entice online visitors to click on an image and read more about what is going on at your farm. Think of the pictures that you post on social media as your farm’s storybook. When you read a great children’s book, the photos do as much of the storytelling as the words do. That is what you are going for! You want visitors to come back each week to check out what you have done and what’s happening at your farm. The readers want to feel like a part of everything that is going on. Do you remember the thousands of viewers who tuned in for the birth of the baby giraffe? Those viewers tuned in because they were part of the experience. They cheered on the momma giraffe from home and called 38 Acres U.S.A.

their friends, family and neighbors to talk about what they thought was going on. They blasted social media with links and comments on the birth. Use your pictures to tell a story. If you have a broody hen sitting on eggs, take some photos of her and speculate on when the eggs will hatch. Encourage your viewers to speculate with you. If you planted a row of seedlings, ask your viewers to guess what each one is and perhaps even give a gift certificate or prize of some kind to the winner. Help them feel involved with your farm through your photos and encourage them to actively participate. The more comments, likes, shares and interactions with your postings, the higher your farm will appear on feeds and the more people will have the opportunity to see what you do.

WHAT IS APPROPRIATE? The picture with the little goat peeking through the hole in the fence (top left photo) is one of the photos posted by the Knotty Goat Soapery in Central Maine on its Facebook page. This photo got outstanding feedback from Facebook followers. It was a hit partially because it had a cute goat being mischievous, but mostly because the business really took it to a whole new level with the words on the photo. On top of that, regular readers know that this particular little goat has a deep love of cookies and

MISCONCEPTIONS Social media is made up of a big jumble of people from all over the world who have various opinions on

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large enough to sample and treat separately, should be evaluated and fertilized accordingly. One sample per field may be better than guessing, but it is not the way to obtain the most productivity from each field on the farm. As a result we see farmers and growers losing true yield and quality on each individual field and consequently the entire farm, just to save time and money on soil samples that cost a mere fraction Soil nutrition is more than applying what the crop of what fertilizing the crop improperly winds up costing needs to make a good yield. That is only an estimated in the end. type of “plant” nutrition and does not consider what is required for the proper environment for the biological In addition, many farmers who mean to correctly life in the soil. Dr. William Albrecht always advised that supply the materials required to grow the best crops we should feed the soil and let the soil feed the plant. are spending their fertilizer dollars in the wrong place. Too many working in agriculture have had the idea We receive thousands of samples from over 75 drummed into their head that all you need is a good countries asking for a detailed soil analysis measuring pH and plenty of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium current fertility levels and a recommendation for what is to grow whatever crop is planned for each field each needed to correct (or in many cases to begin to correct) year. And this is generally based on what the crop each particular soil’s nutritional needs. Therefore, we takes out, not what the soil has or does not have to not only see soils from all around the world, we see offer in terms of growing the best crop each year. the condition of those soils in relation to each one’s ability (or many times the lack of that ability) to grow Time and again we see the lack of proper soil testing, the lack of using the correct fertilizers and the lack and produce high-yielding, top quality crops. of properly understanding the products and especially Few soils are in the shape they need to be to produce how they work in the field, as the true limitations for either top quality or the highest potential yields. There increasing the productivity of farmland throughout the are various reasons that help contribute to such world, including the countries that are perceived as problems. However, one of the greatest obstacles is being the most advanced at using the latest methods that far too many farmers and growers are not willing for crop production. to invest sufficient time or money to take advantage of what present day methods for evaluating soil fertility Our company does not sell the fertilizers or soil can offer. Understanding these methods helps add to amendments we recommend. We receive no overall profitability as well as building up the quality of “kick-backs” from those companies who provide what is purchased by our clients. Our business is the crops that are being grown at the same time. advice. We earn our livelihood from the consulting The place to begin on every farm is by correctly taking services we offer, which includes evaluating soils a sufficient amount of soil samples. The problem in and recommending the proper fertilization for each too many cases though is that farmers only want one specific situation. composite soil sample per field and consequently just It is in keeping with this philosophy - the more growers one specific fertilizer formulation for each field, if not know about soil fertility management, the better it is for the entire farm. This will never help all the different for everyone – that shapes our thinking and we gladly soils attain to the best they can be. In fact, every share as much information as we can with those who observable difference in growing patterns in a field, if want to learn from our consulting services. igher yields or higher quality – which would you like to produce? Providing more money or better health from your crops – which would you choose if you could not have both? Farmers, ranchers, gardeners and all types of growers are generally told you cannot have both, but what is the main obstacle that prevents this from happening?

September 2018 39

Farmers in a field, from Pixabay.

everything. This is what makes it great and what makes it terrible. There are many people on social media with the intent to hurt others. Farmers need to keep this in mind and look at photos with a non-farming eye. Without the text in the image, Knotty Goat Soapery might have to field questions about why the goat’s head looks stuck. Gallifreyan Farm’s photo has just enough of a blur that haters may pick on the photographer’s abilities. The photo with multiple farmers from Pixabay could get a fair amount of snarky feedback, and may even pop up as a meme since it does show a row of women’s backsides! While there are no hard rules about what kinds of pictures make the best social media pictures, here are a few: • If a fourth-grader could make jokes about it, then perhaps it isn’t a photo for social media. • If that perverted person we all know could say crass things about it, then perhaps it isn’t a photo for social media. • Lighting is important; you should be able to see what’s in the photo. • Clarity of content is important; if you can’t figure out what it is from 3 feet away, then try again. • Your message is the most important thing, so keep it clear and in line with your brand. • Always have it in the back of your mind that some folks out there are just jerks, and no amount of clarity, lighting or brand awareness will make them a better person. So how do you protect yourself from misconceptions and people interpreting your images incorrectly? First, I encourage you to refrain from 40 Acres U.S.A.

posting pictures that would raise the eyebrow of the average non-farmer. You can count photos of slaughter, mating and animal injuries on that list. It’s not that we shouldn’t share these types of photos with our social media followers, but many of the social media platforms have gone the way of banning this type of imagery. That means that after one or two photos are reported, more or less, the farmer’s whole page/account could be deleted for reports of infractions. Perhaps you have heard the phrase “being put in Facebook jail.” Whether the photo was in true violation or not may not matter. What will matter is that someone was offended enough by the image that they reported it. That is why I feel it is often better to steer clear of these kinds of images. If you want to use pictures like the goat stuck in the fence, then make sure that the viewer can see the humor in it as well. Shea from the Knotty Goat Soapery does a great job with that on her Facebook Page. I have produced a few YouTube videos with Shea, and she is excellent at choosing just the right set of words to go with her pictures. Shea smartly adds words to her images so that the viewer has no misconception about what is going on in the photo. She also follows up her photos with great stories about what the picture is about. Pictures like the stuck goat can be your most widely viewed and shared photos when you make a great pairing of words and imagery. The photo that I featured from Gallifreyan Farm is what I would put in the safe-to-post-whenever column. Aside from a little bit of blur, there is nothing in that image that could

be misconstrued. It’s an alpaca being cute and doing alpaca things. For folks who don’t know anything about alpacas, it seems like a perfectly lovely little critter. Remember, babies (animal and human) are always a hit (page 38): Babies doing cute things, videos of babies making funny sounds, stories about the baby’s first steps. The social media world is your oyster when it comes to pictures of babies. Sweets can sometimes get this kind of result as well.

DON’T FEED THE TROLLS If you are on social media for any period of time, you are going to run into haters, trolls and plain jerks. Let me give you a few pointers to help push off some of the negative. • Say “Thank You.” Always tell your readers you are glad that they made a connection with you and offer to clarify what they have misunderstood or correct their misinterpretation. • Stick to facts — only facts. When you are dealing with negative people, getting emotions involved can often escalate things. When you can stick to cold hard facts it leaves little room for the negative person to continue, and it will often get positive people backing your side. • If it gets really bad ... hit delete. You are in control of your social media environment, so if comments are getting really bad or really out of hand, feel free to delete them. Make sure to leave a line of your own stating that there were some comments that did not meet the standards of your page, and apologize, but let users know they had to be deleted. In article three I will discuss time management expectations that you should have when you delve into the world of social media. I mention a few products and services that you may find helpful, and we will dig deeper into those products and services in article four. Dr. Roxanne Bruce, D.B.A., has been involved in the agriculture industry since childhood. She received her Doctorate in Business, focusing on agricultural marketing, from Capella University. She can be reached at roxannebruce@gmail.com or 207-267-5070.

SRT (Seed & Root Treatment) • SRT is an advanced biological root inoculum that boosts plant growth, reduces nutrient leaching and increases production. • SRT is a professional grade, water-soluble inoculant with endoand ecto-mycorrhizae, multiple species of beneficial bacteria and trichoderma fungi to colonize the rhizosphere. • SRT helps plants absorb nutrients, reduces fertilizer usage and out-competes pathogens. • Use once at planting.

PTM (Pasture Turf Management) • PTM Products are cost-effective, water soluble soil fertility boosters and soil conditioners that enhance both soil and roots with natural plant growth hormones and an advanced biostimulant nutrient base. • PTM Products restore sandy and/or compacted clay soils to their full potential, boosting water retention, alleviating pollution and creating stunning lawns and landscapes. • PTM Products include PTM, PTM Organic, PTM-Myco and PTM Myco Organic. The Myco products include endomycorrhizae.

CT (Instant Compost Tea Alternative) • CT Products are soil and foliage conditioners with the premium ratio of molasses, kelp extract and humic and fulvic acids that plants need for robust growth. • CT Products instantly and conveniently deliver all this plus select blends of naturally occurring, stabilized bacteria and fungi species. • CT Products eliminate time-consuming compost tea brewing with a completely reliable, ready-to-use inoculant in powder form. • CT Products include CT and CT-Myco which adds endomycorrhizae.

PHOTOS BY ANNE C. RANDLE

• Cover Cropping • Boosting Organic Matter • Integrating Livestock

Sunn hemp branches prolifically, making it resistant to grazing pressure.

Sunn Hemp: Grow this Soil-Building Superhero with Forage Potential BY ANNE CUMBIE RANDLE Sunn hemp, a tropical plant primarily grown as a cover crop or green manure, has increased dramatically in popularity over the last decade. Originally from India, it’s easy to understand what makes it so popular among vegetable and row crop farmers in the United States. Sunn hemp possesses many soilbuilding traits, including high rates of biomass production — over 20 percent greater than crimson clover and hairy vetch in research trials. It is not only resistant to plant root nematodes but actively suppresses them. In as little as 60 to 90 days it can produce 120 pounds of nitrogen per acre and can suppress weeds up to 90 percent. It is also adapted to a wide variety of soil and environmental conditions, thriving through hot, dry summers and continuing to grow until the first frost. But sunn hemp isn’t just a soil 42 Acres U.S.A.

builder — it also offers benefits as a forage producer. Recent on-farm grazing trials have yielded an abundance of information on using this crop for grazing.

GRAZING SUNN HEMP Sunn hemp is highly palatable and recovers quickly from grazing. In its leaves, the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) reaches 22-28 percent, acidic detergent fiber (ADF) 22-27 percent and crude protein 25-30 percent. These numbers rival the nutritive value of other forage legumes, including crimson clover. Its stems are of lower forage quality, so the key to sunn hemp management is grazing it early before the lower leaves begin to drop. Removing the top shoot also promotes branching, which increases leaf production. Plants can be grazed when they reach 1.5 to 3 feet tall and can be eaten down to within about a foot of

the ground without suffering mortality. After four to six weeks, forage quality declines rapidly. As long as animals can still reach its leaves, sunn hemp remains suitable for grazing until flowering. This crop isn’t without drawbacks, however. It is a member of the Crotalaria genus, notorious for seeds that are high in toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Ingesting the seeds at a high rate can cause damage to the liver, lungs, heart and nervous system. Susceptibility depends on the animal species: pigs are most vulnerable, followed by chickens, horses, cattle and sheep. Goats have the lowest risk. Although the total content of toxic compounds in sunn hemp is much lower than other Crotalaria species, the alkaloids are still present in amounts that warrant special management. Plants begin to flower five to six weeks after planting. At this point ani-

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What is Sunn Hemp? According to the USDA NRCS Plant Guide, sunn hemp originated in India where it has been grown since the dawn of agriculture. It has been utilized as a green manure, livestock feed and as a non-wood fiber crop. It is a member of the legume family. It is a branched, erect, herbaceous shrubby annual growing 3 to 9 feet high with bright green simple, elliptical leaves. It has deep yellow terminal flowers (open raceme to 10 inches long), and the light brown pods are small (1 inch long and a half inch wide) and inflated. It has a well-developed root system with a strong taproot. The number of seeds per pound is 15,000.

mals should be removed to avoid exposure to toxic compounds in the seeds, especially if the livestock are prone to grazing seed heads. This isn’t a major loss, as forage quality begins to drop at this point. It also isn’t an issue in northern U.S. climates: because plants are photoperiod-sensitive, flowering in response to shorter days, a killing freeze will usually occur before the plants are able to produce seeds in these areas. However, one farmer in Alabama found that the plants began to flower while animals were still grazing in the late summer. It’s unclear if sunn hemp was directly responsible for any ill effects on his small ruminants, but it’s not a bad September 2018 43

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Even after grazing, sunn hemp leaves a substantial amount of organic matter in the field, unlike many other forage crops. It may be necessary to cut and chop up the fibrous stems before the pasture can be replanted. idea to proceed with caution once plants begin to flower. (It should be noted that leaves and stems do not contain any of the toxic alkaloids.)

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Sunn hemp is easy to grow and amazingly productive. Plant when soils reach above 50°F and at least four to five weeks before frost. Plants will be killed when temperatures dip below 28°F. Optimal soil conditions include a pH between 5 and 7.5 and good drainage. Seed can be treated with cowpea inoculant to increase nitrogen fixation. For forage production, a seeding rate of 30-50 pounds per acre is recommended. Seed should be drilled at ½-inch depth for best germination. Because plants can reach 4 to 6 feet in height, wide spacing between rows (6 inches is recommended) may make plants susceptible to lodging. With adequate moisture, temperature and fertility, researchers have recorded a growth rate of 1 foot per week. Plants can return to or exceed this growth rate if slowed by temporary drought. Sunn hemp should be used sparingly, if at all, in mixes with other cover crop species. It has a tendency to hog nutrients and sunlight, suppressing the growth of other plants. The benefit of its growth rate is that it is highly competitive with weeds, even outpacing crabgrass in on-farm trials. Sunn hemp itself has a low potential to become a weed, unlike other Crotolaria species. Even after grazing, sunn hemp leaves a substantial amount of organic matter in the field, unlike many other forage crops. It may be necessary to cut and chop up the fibrous stems before the pasture can be replanted. While sunn hemp seed cost has in the past been a barrier to farmers, costs now compete with other legume cover crops, averaging around $70 per 50 pounds. This is slightly higher than current cowpea and crimson clover prices ($50 and $60 respectively) and lower than hairy vetch ($90). Sunn hemp has the potential to fill an important gap in summer annual grazing. Its hardiness, productivity and palatability make it an option worth considering for farmers looking to build their soil and grow their stock. Anne Randle is an Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent with the University of Georgia Extension. She can be reached at arandle@uga.edu.

POPULAR SHEEP BOOKS Sheep Success By Nathan Griffith Filled with great ideas for a profitable Cotswold flock, this book also shows how you can earn more money regardless of breed. See how today’s shepherds are getting up to six times the usual net returns by using longestablished—but not widely known—strategies for breeding, growing, and selling. Boost your flock’s profits with any one of the thrifty shepherd skills you’ll find in this book.

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Post-Harvest Fertilization After the produce is harvested, any plant intended to survive winter will bring in stores for next year. This protects against freeze damage and sets the table for another big yield. Before you take a break after harvest, your trees, bushes and soil will appreciate a good feeding.

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Compost Revolution

POISONING OUR CHILDREN by ANDRÉ LEU

HELMUT SCHIMMEL

Biochar Solution

Parenting was never easy. While loving, teaching and nourishing children, parents also seek to protect them from harm. The past few generations, however, have been silently attacked by thousands of manmade, poisonous chemicals carried into homes and children’s bodies in our food supply. Learn the truth behind: • The “Rigorously Tested” Myth. Are pesticides tested for safety before going on the market? • The “Very Small Amount” Myth. Can even a small amount o f chemical residue be harmful? • The “Breakdown” Myth: Do pesticides rapidly biodegrade, and are the breakdown products truly harmless? • The “Reliable Regulatory Authority” Myth. Do the regulatory authorities review unbiased evidence before declaring a product safe? • The “Pesticides Are Essential to Farming” Myth. Are pesticides the only thing keeping our planet from starvation? Sadly, parents must educate themselves on this serious danger to the health and development of our most vulnerable population, our children.

ALBERT BATES

#7485 • Softcover • 206 pages • $16.95

Composting has long been the backbone of a more nature-friendly, healthy form of gardening and farming. Compost Revolution brings a true revolution of thought to this vital subject. This breakthrough content in this book was long available only as first published in German; it is now available to Englishspeaking world and is certain to bring a fresh spotlight on the efficacy of vermicomposting. The author brilliantly combines classic and cutting-edge research with real-world experience in gardens and horticultural applications. Farmers and growers of all scale will benefit from learning about the original “organic farmer” … the earthworm. #7484 • Softcover • 164 pages • $25.00

Author Albert Bates analyzes our global climate and food predicament and offers techniques for the production and use of biochar and practical carbon farming — a new agricultural paradigm with a priority on ecological restoration that could turn us back into a garden planet.

#7148 • Softcover • 209 pages • $17.95

What do you give the eco-farmer in your life? Anything they want! Give an Acres U.S.A. gift card this holiday season. Call to order or go online.

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2 | ORDER FROM WWW.ACRESUSA.COM Eat Right

Small-Scale Grain Raising

NICK BARNARD

This comprehensive guide will show you how to find true nourishment and pleasure in the W E N discovery, preparation and eating of real food and drink. There are also 100 wholesome recipes that encourage the use of good animal fats, well-fed meat, sprouted grains, local and seasonal produce, which will leave you feeling happy and satisfied. This is an easy book to dip into for advice, inspiration and truly health-giving recipes. #7497 • Hardcover • 336 pages • $39.95

GENE LOGSDON

Fully updated and available once more, Small-Scale Grain Raising offers an entirely new generation of readers the best introduction to a wide range of both common and lesser-known specialty grains and related field crops, from corn, wheat and rye to buckwheat, millet, rice, spelt, flax, and even beans and sunflowers. #6972 • Softcover • 308 pages • $29.95

Kiss the Ground JOSH TICKELL

Four Seasons Organic Cow Care HUBERT J. KARREMAN, V.M.D.

The practical advice held within this book will equip the reader with the tools to prepare for the worst so that more time can be devoted to living life to its fullest, alongside all the life that calls to us and relies upon us just as we rely on it, life that we will see everywhere if we but stop and deeply breathe in the scents of the seasons. #7418 • Softcover • 256 pages • $24.00

Ask the Plant

ITOR’S P ED

K IC

CHARLES WALTERS & ESPER K. CHANDLER

NEW

Josh Tickell is a journalist, activist, author, and award-winning film director whose movies (Fuel, The Big Fix, Pump, Good Fortune) have been shortlisted for Academy Awards, shown in the White House, won awards at the Sundance Film Festival, and have been viewed by over 50 million people worldwide. #7496 • Hardcover • 352 pages • $26.00

Diabetes and Me CHASE SCHMITT

Written by a very talented 8-year-old, Diabetes and Me is the W NE story of a kid who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and his journey through treatment and management. Chase Schmitt wrote this book to help other kids who have been newly diagnosed to help them better know what it’s like to live with the disease. As he writes, “We all have our ups and downs, but I would say I have a lot more ups than downs. I have big plans for my future and diabetes will not stop me!” #7498 • Softcover • 38 pages • $9.99

The Greenhouse

This detailed exposition of and Hoophouse the agronomy Grower’s of renowned consultant “K” Chandler offers farmers a Handbook NEW better way to grow crops. By learning the ANDREW MEFFERD unique language of plants and utilizing leaf The Greenhouse and and petiole testing, you can determine which Hoophouse Grower’s fertilizers and soil-building ingredients are Handbook shares the best practices for both truly needed, when they are most needed. large- and small-scale production of the eight Instead of following the conventional model most profitable crops: tomatoes, eggplant, where plants are given copious amounts of cucumbers, peppers, leafy greens, lettuce, soluble nitrogen fertilizers aimed to forceand microgreens. From seed to sale, this book feed the landscape green, it is time to “Ask is the indispensable resource for protected the Plant” and find out what our crops and growing. soils are really telling us. #6991 • Softcover • 286 pages • $30.00

#7441 • Softcover • 288 pages • $34.95

Additional information on these books and more at www.acresusa.com

The Biological Farmer GARY F. ZIMMER & LEILANI ZIMMER-DURAND

Completely revised, rewritten and greatly updated - now over 500 pages! Biological farming was around long before researchers and entrepreneurs began their search for the best “biologicals.” The biological farming system developed decades ago by Gary Zimmer doesn’t manipulate soil life or sell it; it instead creates the conditions where soil life flourishes. His system feeds soil microbes, balances soil minerals, promotes tillage with a purpose, and relies on both cover crops and diverse rotations. #6438 • Softcover • 536 pages • $30.00

Advancing Biological Farming

GARY F. ZIMMER & LEILANI ZIMMER-DURAND

One of the leading authorities on biological farming, Zimmer is recognized for improving farming by restoring soils. Arguing that an optimally productive soil contains a balance of inorganic minerals, organic materials and living organisms, he relies less on modern improvements than on “the things we’ve learned by improving fertility in a natural, sustainable way over many years.” This book offers invaluable scientific support for committed organic farmers as well as conventional farmers who’d like to reduce chemical inputs. #7066 • Softcover • 244 pages • $25.00

Both Zimmer Books #S-6438 – $45.00

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Hands-On Agronomy

NEW

NEAL KINSEY & CHARLES WALTERS

ITOR’S P I ED

The soil is more than just a substrate that anchors crops in place. An ecologically balanced soil system is essential for maintaining healthy crops. This is a comprehensive manual on effective soil fertility management providing many on-farm examples to illustrate the various principles and how to use them. The function of micronutrients, earthworms, soil drainage, tilth, soil structure, and organic matter is explained in thorough detail. Kinsey demonstrates that working with the soil produces healthier crops with a higher yield.

Subtitled SmallScale, Holistic Grain Production for the Home and Market Producer, this is the ultimate guide to growing organic grains on a small and ecological scale. The Organic Grain Grower is invaluable for both home-scale and commercial producers interested in expanding their resiliency and crop diversity through growing their own grains.

#7203 • Softcover • 448 pages • $45.95

#4120 • Softcover • 391 pages • $30.00 Share & Save! 2-4 copies $22.50 ea.; 5-9 copies $19.50 ea.; 10+ copies $18.00 ea.

Hands-On Agronomy (DVD) NEAL KINSEY

Neal Kinsey teaches a sophisticated, easy-to-live-with system of fertility management that focuses on balance, not merely quantity of fertility elements. It works in a variety of soils and crops, both conventional and organic. In sharp contrast to the current methods only using N-P-K and pH and viewing soil only as a physical support media for plants, the basis of all his teachings are to feed the soil, and let the soil feed the plant.

JACK LAZOR

Quality Pasture ALLAN NATION

Allan Nation explains how to match pasture quality to livestock class for seasonal dairying, beef production, baby calf rearing and multispecies grazing. Punctuated by examples of real people making real profits, Quality Pasture details such essential topics as pasture silage making, stored forages, extending the grazing season, a drought management plan, wet weather tips and more. #6179 • Softcover • 288 pages • $32.50

#6442DVD • DVD format • 80 minutes • $30.00 Share & Save! 2-4 copies $22.50 ea.; 5-9 copies $19.50 ea.; 10+ copies $18.00 ea.

“

Written by agriculture technology experts Neal Kinsey and Charles Walters, Hands-On Agronomy: Understanding Soil Fertility & Fertilizer Use is an information-packed guide for soil scientists and professional farmers alike. Now in a newly revised edition, Hands-On Agronomy covers how to balance soil nutrients for maximum yield, why simple N-P-K fertilization isn’t enough, how to properly use manures, compost, tillage, and micronutrients, and much more...Hands-On Agronomy is an absolute ‘must-read’ for any professional in the field. —Midwest Book Review

NEW

Soil 2017: Notes Towards the Theory and Practice of Nurture Capital

WOODY TASCH

“

Concise, practical information for smallscale farmers and market gardeners about the importance of healthy soil and how to control weeds holistically.

The foundation of organic management is to create a healthy farm system that builds soil fertility and prevents the proliferation of pests, weeds and disease. Well-timed rotations between cash and cover crops can help you achieve this goal.

Since 2009, Slow Money founder Woody Tasch has been at the forefront of a new economic story—a story about bringing our money back down to earth. And it’s not just a story, it’s a movement that has catalyzed the flow of over $60 million to more than 625 small organic farms and local food businesses, via dozens of local groups in the U.S., Canada, France and Australia. SOIL: Notes Towards the Theory and Practice of Nurture Capital uses poetry, essays, and photography to explore a new vision of finance. It is about billions and trillions of dollars in the global economy, and billions and trillions of microbes in healthy, fertile soil. Nurture capital starts where investing and philanthropy leave off, giving us a new way to reconnect to one another and places where we live, all the way down to local food systems and the soil.

#7080 • Softcover • 127 pages • $12.95 $10.99

#7095 • Softcover • 96 pages • $12.95 $10.99

#7499 • Softcover • 164 pages • $24.95

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Organic SoilFertility & Weed Management STEVE GILMAN

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Crop Rotation & Cover Cropping SETH KROECK

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4 | ORDER FROM WWW.ACRESUSA.COM Lentil Underground LIZ CARLISLE

Unearthing the deep roots of this movement, Lentil Underground introduces readers to a memorable cast of characters, from gun-toting libertarians and Christian homesteaders to peace-sign-waving environmental activists. Journalist and native Montanan Liz Carlisle weaves an eye-opening and richly reported narrative that will be welcomed by readers of food and farm memoirs, as well as everyone concerned with the future of American agriculture and natural food in an increasingly uncertain world.

Albrecht’s Enduring Vision Vol. IV

WILLIAM A. ALBRECHT, PH.D. This collection presents more of Professor Albrecht’s brilliant, classic essays providing essential insights into the health of our soil. Albrecht explains how the soilcrop system works, and provides his substantiated theory and observation that the lack of major elements and trace minerals is responsible for depleted crops, weeds and poor animal health.

#4075 • Softcover • 325 pages • $30.00

#7492 • Softcover • 298 pages • $30.00

Butchering Beef

The Other Side of the Fence (DVD)

ADAM DANFORTH

Using detailed, step-by-step photography of every stage of the NEW process, Adam Danforth shows you exactly how to humanely slaughter and butcher cattle for beef. From creating the right pre-slaughter conditions to killing, skinning, keeping cold, breaking the meat down, and creating cuts of meat you’ll recognize from the market, Danforth walks you through every step, leaving nothing to chance. He also covers food safety, freezing and packaging, and tools and equipment. This comprehensive reference is the only guide you need to successfully, safely, and humanely slaughter and butcher your own animal. #7317 • Softcover • 352 pages • $24.95

Top-Bar Beekeeping LES CROWDER & HEATHER HARRELL

WILLIAM A. ALBRECHT, PH.D. In this 1950s-era film, Professor Albrecht’s enduring message is preserved and presented for future generations. With introductory and closing remarks by Acres U.S.A. founder Charles Walters, Albrecht explains the high cost of inadequate and imbalanced soil fertility and how that “dumb animal,” the cow, always knows which plant is the healthier. A period film, dated in style, but timeless in message. Historic video.

#6289DVD • DVD format • 26 minutes • $20.00 #6289DVDPAL • DVD format • 26 minutes • $20.00

Soil Fertility & Human and Animal Health Vol. VIII

WILLIAM A. ALBRECHT, PH.D.

Albrecht on Soil Balancing Vol. VII

WILLIAM A. ALBRECHT, PH.D.

In Top-Bar Beekeeping, authors Crowder and Harrell guide you through the specifics of this innovative, natural, low-stress approach to hive management, including raising queens, harvesting and processing honey and beeswax, and planting for pollinators.

This new volume explains the logical connections among soil health, animal health and human health until it grows into a public demand for fundamental change that is as compelling as it is necessary. A commitment to restoring the natural fertility and productivity of the soil must arise as a means of restoring health to humanity.

A carefully organized and convincing explanation of the interconnection between soil, plants and animals — everything is related to everything else. Albrecht reveals the importance of the balance equation, that it isn’t enough to have nutrient to soil connections, it is the ratio of one element to another that counts.

#7153 • Softcover • 192 pages • $20.99

#7168 • Softcover • 336 pages • $30.00

#7078 • Softcover • 227 pages • $25.00

Additional information on these books and more at www.acresusa.com

ORDER FROM WWW.ACRESUSA.COM | 5 The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm

THE WORKS of Harold Willis, Ph.D.

How to Grow Great Alfalfa

PEG SCHAFER

The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm is a cultivation guide for small-scale organic growers to raise high-quality efficacious herbs historically used by ancient practitioners.

HAROLD WILLIS, PH.D. Essential information for anyone whose operation depends on growing forage grasses. Learn how to establish a healthy stand. Is high potassium necessary for high quality? How can you measure forage quality? Put just one idea from this booklet to work and it will pay for itself a thousandfold.

#113 • Softcover booklet • 44 pages • $12.00

R’S PIC K ITO

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How to Grow Super Soybeans

How to Grow Top Quality Corn

Foundations of Natural Farming

HAROLD WILLIS, PH.D.

Packed with knowledge that will help you grow superior examples of this profitable crop. Learn how bacteria helps your crop grow better; how to droughtproof your soil; whether herbicides and pesticides are really necessary and more. #3070 • Softcover booklet • 50 pages • $12.00

Learn which is better: hybrids or openpollinated corn. How important is humus to high quality crops? Which fertilizer materials are harmful and which are beneficial? Practical hands-on knowledge that is hard to come by. #114 • Softcover booklet • 71 pages • $12.00

Join ecological farming author/researcher Harold Willis as he explains the concepts of natural farming and issues the call for cleaner forms of food and fiber production. The author discusses how lessons from nature provide the roadmap to efficiency, effectiveness and profitability. #6854 • Softcover • 367 pages • $30.00

Herd Bull Fertility JAMES E. DRAYSON

James Drayson has spent a lifetime researching and teaching about cattle breeding and fertility, with 35 years of experience in measuring bulls from a fertility standpoint. He followed 1,500 bulls from birth to death and recorded findings that are unequaled by any other researcher. Herd Bull Fertility will teach you how to recognize whether a bull is fertile even before the semen test. This manual, generously illustrated with photographs and diagrams, is a must for the cattle grower choosing a bull for his breeding program.

#6582 • Softcover • 135 pages • $22.00

#7133 • Softcover • 336 pages • $34.95 $29.50

Growing & Selling FreshCut Herbs SANDIE SHOREST

The definitive guide for those looking to start or expand their own freshcut herb business. #6702 • Hardcover 457 pages • $34.95

Growing & Using Herbs Successfully BETTY E.M. JACOBS

Open your garden to the beauty of herbs, and the reward will be manifold. Herb growers and those who have always wanted to try will find a wealth of encouragement and sound advice in this well illustrated book. #6628 • Softcover • 223 pages • $14.95 $13.25

Dirt Hog KELLY KLOBER

In today’s market, range-rearing of swine provides the family farm with a key venture for diversification and cash flow-perhaps no other large animal enterprise offers as fast a turnaround on investment. Rangeproduced pork is now sought out by the informed consumer concerned with the issues of production and willing to pay a premium to get it. This comprehensive manual on raising hogs the natural way includes sections on housing and fencing, selection and breeding, herd maintenance, feeds and feeding, marketing and more. #6844 • Softcover • 320 pages • $25.00

For personal service call 1-800-355-5313

6 | ORDER FROM WWW.ACRESUSA.COM Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture SEPP HOLZERT

With a focus on ranch-based consumer marketing, the marketing principles included are universal and contain much for everyone to become better marketers in any competitive marketplace.

WHITEWASH: THE STORY OF A WEED KILLER, CANCER, AND THE CORRUPTION OF SCIENCE

by CAREY GILLAM

#7076 • Softcover • 218 pages • $24.99

Food, Farming & Health

#7487 • Softcover • 260 pages • $20.00

A Biodynamic Farm HUGH LOVEL

A practical, how-to guide to making all of the biodynamic preparations, this book will provide what you need to successfully put these proven techniques to work in your fields. #4168 • Softcover • 215 pages • $20.00

Grass, Soil, Hope COURTNEY WHITE

This book tackles an increasingly crucial question: What can we do about the seemingly intractable challenges confronting all of humanity today, including climate change, global hunger, water scarcity, environmental stress, and economic instability? #7313 • Softcover • 272 pages • $19.95

PAT COLEBY

Pat Coleby shares decades of experience working with a variety of horses. She explains how conventional farming and husbandry practices compromise livestock health, resulting in problems that standard veterinary techniques can’t properly address. Natural Horse Care addresses a broad spectrum of comprehensive health care issues. #6492 • Softcover • 164 pages • $20.00

DR. VANDANA SHIVA

This book shows how health is a continuum from the soil, to the plants, to our bodies. Chemical farming is based on monocultures, which deprive us of the diversity we need for a balanced, healthy nutrition. Chemical farming depletes the soils of nutrition, producing plants that are nutritionally empty but full of toxic residues. When we eat chemically produced food we suffer from diseases related to nutrient deficiency and/or toxics.

Natural Horse Care

In Whitewash, veteran journalist Carey Gillam uncovers one of the most controversial stories in the history of food and agriculture, exposing new evidence of corporate influence. Gillam introduces readers to farm families devastated by cancers which they believe are caused by glyphosate, and to scientists whose reputations have been smeared for publishing research that contradicted business interests. Readers learn about the arm-twisting of regulators who signed off on the chemical, echoing company assurances of safety even as they permitted higher residues of the herbicide in food and skipped compliance tests. And, in startling detail, Gillam reveals secret industry communications that pull back the curtain on corporate efforts to manipulate public perception. #7491 • Hardcover • 320 pages • $30.00 $24.00

Your Successful Farm Business JOEL SALATIN

As a germination tray for new farmers ready to take over the 50 percent of America’s agricultural equity that will become available over the next two decades, Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley stands as a beacon of hope in a food and farming system floundering in dysfunction: toxicity, pathogenicity, nutrient deficiency, bankruptcy, geezers, and erosion. #7455 • Softcover • 316 • $30.00

Additional information on these books and more at www.acresusa.com

Natural Goat Care PAT COLEBY

In Natural Goat Care, consultant Pat Coleby reveals how to solve health problems both with natural herbs and medicines and the ultimate cure, bringing the soil into healthy balance. #6491 • Softcover • 374 pages • $28.00

Natural Cattle Care PAT COLEBY

Natural Cattle Care is a comprehensive analysis of farming techniques that keep the health of the animal in mind. Pat Coleby brings a wealth of animal husbandry experience to bear in this analysis of many serious problems of contemporary farming practices, focusing in particular on how poor soils lead to mineral-deficient plants and ailing farm animals. Coleby provides system-level solutions and specific remedies for optimizing cattle health and productivity. #6490 • Softcover • 224 pages • $20.00

ORDER FROM WWW.ACRESUSA.COM | 7 Backyard Poultry Naturally ALANNA MOORE From housing to feeding, from selection to breeding, this book covers everything the backyard farmer needs to know about poultry husbandry — including preventative and curative herbal medicines and homeopathics. The author takes a permaculture point of view in raising poultry, creating a diverse base of plant life for the birds to choose from, all cohesively fitting into the landscape and overall farm. Complete enough for the beginner, yet the experienced poultry farmers will find the book packed with techniques and ideas found nowhere else. #6452 • Softcover • 135 pages • $20.00

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Manure Happens: Usage & Benefits Composting manure.

BY CHRISTOPHER CUMO Before the advent of industrial agriculture, manure was a go-to fertilizer and soil amendment. Farmers who kept livestock had their own natural fertilizer factories. Today growers know that many organic materials — grass clippings, pine needles, leaves and other plant materials — can be beneficial, but manure is sometimes viewed as too unpleasant, at least when fresh, to keep pace with the fertility needs of large-scale farming. This juxtaposition of old practices and a 21st century mentality requires a renewed appreciation of manure’s benefits. For eco-farmers striving to use the best inputs available, the quality of manure used to boost crop and soil health is a growing concern. One question is whether manure produced from pastured livestock is superior to manure from confined animals. Retired University of Nebraska soil scientist and crop nutritionist Charles Shapiro cautions that “‘better’ is a vague term with no scientific information,” making notions of improvement or betterment difficult to evaluate because personal preferences come to the fore. The progressive farmer knows that some people gravitate toward unsupported generalities and that any manure assessment depends on mea56 Acres U.S.A.

surable parameters. That is, farmers are as ready as scientists to embrace empiricism in judging manures.

HAPPY MEDIUM Kentucky organic farmer and stockman Lisa Munniksma frames her position in terms of manure management options. Her four-stage process stands at the junction between old and new — a recurrent theme, because she advocates that modern farming return to a time when livestock roamed the pasture dropping dung at intervals to deliver optimal nutrients to the soil, neither depriving nor supersaturating it with organic compounds. In Munniksma’s vision, simplicity defines the best approach to improving and maintaining soil health. Too little organic matter degrades croplands, dismaying farmers and policymakers alike. Soil without organic materials is little more than pulverized rock. Geologists and paleobotanists have demonstrated that no land plants grew during Earth’s early epochs due to a lack of organic matter. Eons passed before enough bacteria, yeasts and other microbes had decayed to provide the organic compounds necessary to nourish plants. Scientists call these microbial aggregates stromatolites; their decay yielded the organics suitable for absorption by plant roots,

although the first terrestrial plants might have lacked roots. Aspen Grove Gardens owner Robert Pavlis warns that too much organic matter is a problem as well. It can skew soil pH and imbalance nutrients. Pavlis pinpoints manure as the most potent and easily overused organic soil amendment, calculating that annual additions can endanger soils by distorting the nitrogen and phosphorus ratio, altering soil pH for crops that tolerate only modest variations. Changes in soil pH especially hurt legumes, whose roots house nitrifying bacteria that perish when too many or too few acids impair microbial metabolism. These problems plague an entire species, Phaseolus vulgaris. Vulgaris is the root of the English word “vulgar,” which just means “common.” But nothing is ordinary about this species because it contains most New World beans — the lima bean being a notable exception. Without P. vulgaris, global nutrition would arguably collapse. Even in food surplus nations like the United States, Walmart shelves would look barren without cans and jars of kidney (both red and white), great northern, pinto, black, navy, flageolet, cranberry and wax beans. Many texts preach what might be termed force-feeding, recommending the addition of as much manure as can be hauled in during a day’s exertions. This difficulty reinforces Munniksma’s position that soils need only moderate doses of manure to be healthy, an aim achieved by allowing livestock to roam while they eat and excrete. Wherever livestock are confined, manure is produced. This requires stockmen to discard it, notes food and agriculture writer Tove Danovich, leading to excessive algae and bacteria in water, which in turn can cause human illnesses via infections such as E. coli. University of Nebraska biological systems engineer Richard Koelsch adopts the chemical and nutritional perspective that manure’s ability to promote soil health and fertility depends on what livestock eat and on how well they derive nutrients from it.

Urine and feces are nothing more than what exits an animal after it has derived what nutrients it can from what it eats. Pastured livestock may yield more organic matter in their dung because grasses (excluding feed grains like corn) are difficult to digest and because inefficient digestion yields more organic matter than efficient digestion. Because confined livestock are fed the most nutrient-dense and easily digested food, they produce less organic matter. Yet Parvis implies that nutritional density means too much phosphorus in the diet, with the surplus excreted. Scientists have long advocated the benefits of phosphorus in jumpstarting plant growth, but this advantage disappears when the mineral is in excess because plant roots depend on microbes to create salts from these minerals. For example, if a mineral ionizes into a cation, a microbe then combines that cation with an anion in a process that yields a salt; but these microbes evolved in soils that did not have excess nutrients as salts. Too many nutrients kill these microbes. Bereft of these microbes, plant roots cannot absorb nutrients, and they starve. Unconfined and confined livestock produce different manures, but Koelsch emphasizes that differences often relate to stress. Confinement taxes the health of many animals, with experiments demonstrating, for example, that rats attack one another when they are overcrowded. “There will be differences in the manure from similar ruminants fed in a pasture-based system versus a confinement system,” said Koelsch. “However, I would think it would be hard to suggest the manure from one group is better than the manure from another.” Koelsch emphasizes the need for good livestock management: attentive managers do their best to protect animals from mistreatment and crowd diseases. Inattentiveness heightens stress and diseases in the same way that inadequate planning usually yields poor results.

ANTIBIOTICS IN MANURE According to a pair of new studies led by Dr. Diana Aga, professor of chemistry at the University at Buffalo, two of the most elite on-farm waste treatment systems available today do not fully remove antibiotics from manure. Advanced anaerobic digestion and reverse osmosis filtration leave behind concerning levels of antibiotic residues, which can include both the drugs themselves and molecules that the drugs break down into. In addition, the study uncovered new findings about solid excrement, which is often filtered out from raw, wet manure before the treatment technologies are implemented. Researchers found that this solid matter may contain higher concentrations of antibiotics than unprocessed manure, a discovery that is particularly disturbing because solids are often released into the environment as animal bedding or sold as fertilizer. “We were hoping that these advanced treatment technologies could remove antibiotics. As it turns out,

they were not as effective as we thought they could be,” said Aga. She does offer some hope, however: “On the positive side, I think that a multistep process that also includes composting at the end of the system could significantly reduce the levels of antibiotics. Our earlier studies on poultry litter demonstrated that up to 70 percent reduction in antibiotics called ionophores can be achieved after 150 days of composting. Testing this hypothesis on dairy farm manure is the next phase of our project, and we are seeing some positive results.”

SHARING THE LOAD Manure sharing connects farmers who have too much of the stuff with growers who want to use it to enrich their soils. Each grower can absorb only a fraction of the excess, so manure sharing is likely to remain one of many solutions. Several agricultural extension offices throughout the United States are expanding these programs, but these efforts have not eliminated the flow of manure’s potent chemicals into waterways and groundwater.

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Local efforts harness the internet to promote manure sharing, but no nationwide program exists. Large livestock operations and farms in particular have trouble coordinating efforts. The problem of distance magnifies this difficulty because many farmers do not have time to maintain close ties with livestock managers hundreds of miles away. And without easy access to manure, farmers often turn to synthetic fertilizers. A shift in thinking may help. Consider Brazil, where sugarcane has been an important crop since the Portuguese, Dutch and English scrambled to establish plantations there in the 16th and 17th centuries. Once the juices are extracted from a sugarcane stem, it becomes little more than waste to burn for electricity. The United States and other livestockproducing nations could employ a similar strategy by burning dried dung — sometimes known as “buffalo chips,” to evoke the prehistoric Native American practice of burning dried buffalo excrement to stoke fires — to generate electricity, possibly sparing fossil fuels from further depletion and humans from global climate woes.

IN PRACTICE Montana beekeeper and chicken raiser Amy Grisak focuses less on debates than on practicality. Knowing firsthand the value of chickens and their droppings, Grisak lets them into her garden. As they move about, her chickens deposit droppings wherever they go. These relatively uniform scatterings are valuable on their own because they give soils moderate amounts of nutrients, avoiding Pavlis’ warning of microbial death from toxicity. Her chickens multiply this benefit by scratching the ground, tilling their dung into the soil. Rodale Institute Compost Production Specialist Rick Carr composts manure in all weather conditions. Even when temperatures are frigid, manure piles stay around 130°F and cure in only a few months. The resulting compost is available for spring applications. These examples demonstrate that elaborate RESOURCES technologies are often unnecessary University of Illinois Extension — farmers and gardeners can imManure Share: web.extension. plement low-tech illinois.edu/manureshare solutions without Maryland Manure Matching much cost or efService: bit.ly/2l4OTqE fort. Lisa Munniksma: Simple steps freelancefarmerchick.com and a moderate approach let manure work for farmers. Moderation, long the watchword of success, is an approach that honors the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who counseled readers to seek the golden mean between excess and deficit. Moderation benefits farmers, consumers, the food supply, livestock, soils and the planet.

INTERVIEW

Defending a Way of Life Professor, Farmer and Author Philip Ackerman-Leist Discusses How One European Town was Able to Push Back Against Pesticides, Big Apple to Save Their Traditions

Philip Ackerman-Leist Interviewed by Tracy Frisch

For the full, in-depth article with author, professor and farmer Philip Ackerman-Leist, visit ecofarmingdaily.com.

In A Precautionary Tale Philip Ackerman-Leist tells the story of “how a group of unwitting activists in the small town of Mals, high in the Italian Alps, came together to confront the pesticide-intensive apple industry that sought to take over their valley, only to become the world’s first pesticide-free township.” He stumbled into the story in 2014 while leading an agricultural study tour for graduate students in the South Tirol, the autonomous German-speaking province where Mals (pronounced Mahltz) is located. Currently he is bringing lessons and inspiration from Mals to activist gatherings around the world, from Vandana Shiva’s Navdanya Foundation’s celebration of poison-free communities in the Himalayas to a Europe-wide meeting of leaders in the Pesticide-Free Towns campaign in Brussels. Ackerman-Leist’s association with the South Tirol spans 35 years, and he speaks the Tirolean dialect, giving him a unique perspective on this story. In the early 1990s he managed the vineyards and orchards at Brunnenburg Castle and Agricultural Museum for almost four years. As a young man in North Carolina, where his grandfather, a plant pathology professor, developed pesticide spray programs for southeastern fruit growers, he worked on conventional farms. Currently a professor of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems at Green Mountain College in Vermont, Ackerman-Leist developed the college’s undergraduate major in sustainable agriculture as well as the nation’s first online graduate program in sustainable food systems. Both have become top programs at the liberal arts college. He first came to GMC in the late 1990s to start the on-campus Cerridwen Farm, which has grown from a half-acre organic garden into a 23-acre organic livestock and vegetable farm where students produce and process food for the college and community. AckermanLeist and his wife Erin manage a grass-based herd of 30 to 60 Milking Devons and grow produce for their family at UpTunket Farm. He is the author of a memoir about the farm, Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader (2010) as well as Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable, and Secure Food Systems (2013).

ACRES U.S.A. Your new book, A Precautionary Tale, documents the inspiring story of how people in a small agricultural town in the Southern Alps achieved the unimaginable. Is Mals really the first municipality in the world to ban pesticides? 60 Acres U.S.A.

PHILIP ACKERMAN-LEIST. We haven’t found any other place that has utilized a public referendum in order to ban all pesticides. If there is another community that has, we’re happy to know about it.

ACRES U.S.A. What’s the setting for this remarkable feat of citizen action? ACKERMAN-LEIST. Mals is a township comprised of 11 different villages, the largest of which is called Mals. Since the town is at the nexus point of Switzerland, Austria and Italy, it has always been at the confluence of cultures, with the potential for conflicts between different ethnic groups. ACRES U.S.A. If we flew over the town in a helicopter, what would we see? ACKERMAN-LEIST. You would be totally blown away. The low-lying villages in Mals are at about 1,000 meters or just over 3,000 feet, and the highest village is at about 1,700 meters or close to 5,500 feet. That’s one of the highest elevations at which people in Europe have historically grown grains. For the Alps the valley is broad and flat. With 300 days of sunshine, it’s also the driest in the Alps. Some people consider it to be the equivalent of a steppe region. Although it’s dry, for now there’s plenty of water coming from the glaciers and the higher elevations. With such a dry climate and access to irrigation, the valley is ideal for growing apples, certain other fruits and also many other forms of agriculture. ACRES U.S.A. When I was reading the book, it took me a while to figure out what country it was taking place in. ACKERMAN-LEIST. The South Tirol region was a part of the AustroHungarian Empire. After World War I, the Americans accepted the Italian nationalists’ version of a map of modern Italy based on the southern and northern watersheds, and the region was ceded to Italy as part of the bait for joining the allies. But the people kept their allegiance to their AustroHungarian heritage and the German language. In the 1920s under the fascists, the Italian government took over the lower areas of the South Tirol where the railways, post offices, banks and other infrastructure were located. At much higher elevations

farmers were able to maintain their independence and culture to a pretty astonishing degree. ACRES U.S.A. What’s the population of South Tirol? ACKERMAN-LEI ST. 530,000.

Around

ACRES U.S.A. What first brought you to this region and why did you keep going back? ACKERMAN-LEIST. I grew up in North Carolina, mostly in the eastern part around cotton, tobacco and other commodity crops. As a college student in 1983, I was fortunate to go to Brunnenburg Castle and Agricultural Museum in the South Tirol and study with Siegfried de Rachewiltz. He’s an expert on the agricultural traditions of the area and has been a lifelong mentor for me. The South Tirol is the first place where I encountered an agriculture that made sense and appealed to me. Its agriculture is diversified in a way that you’re hard-pressed to find in the United States. On these

steep slopes people have somehow eked out their sustenance for 30 or 35 generations while maintaining the soils and their agricultural craft. In 1987 I took a group of students to Brunnenburg Castle. Then from 1990 until 1994, I lived there. After six months, the farmer died of a heart attack, so I took over the management of the farm. It consisted of vineyards and orchards and involved spraying pesticides. Though I had been around pesticides, I had never liked them, but I was hard-pressed to find examples of successful organic agriculture fruit production. ACRES U.S.A. What should we know about the agricultural heritage of Mals? ACKERMAN-LEIST. For several centuries Mals was considered the breadbasket of the Tirol, and the grains grown at its high elevations on its rich soils were revered. Going back to the Habsburg Empire, the Vatican and the royal family in England used the grains of Mals. Fortunately, agriculture in Mals is still diversified.

Permaculture Design Course Three Epochs of Humanity contains the creative and experiential application of living skills passed down by our ancestors into the present time and beyond. Epoch III course components will look at land use and planning, pattern understanding and observational skills, vegetation, land cover and natural resource mapping, natural medicine, earth works and water systems. This program is sponsored by the Naturopathic Community Center, and will be held at the Symbiosis Ranch in Mount Pleasant, MI. Class date: October 11 – 14 Class cost: $399. Lunch will be provided each day. Contact the Naturopathic Community Center, at (989) 317-4787 to enroll. If interested, rustic camping sites are available.

September 2018 61

INTERVIEW Dairy farmers generally milk eight to a dozen cows, though some farms are as large as 25 or 30 milk cows. They may ship the milk or create a value-added product. Farmers have typically had an apple tree or two and perhaps other fruit trees and grew a lot of their own vegetables. ACRES U.S.A. Describe the livestock and traditional food ways in Mals. ACKERMAN-LEIST. A lot of the cattle belong to heritage breeds. They tend to be smaller, stockier animals with big hooves and really thick bones. Their low center of gravity is good for dealing with those slopes. In the summer the cattle graze at elevations up to more than 2,500 meters (8,000 feet). They also have traditional breeds of goats, sheep, pigs and poultry. The South Tirol has a very rich tradition of charcuterie. Speck, which some people call Tirolean bacon, originated there. It’s cold-smoked — traditionally in home ovens with Kaminwurzen

(chimney sausages) where the cool smoke comes out at 80 or 90 degrees. Now some butcher shops there have replicated it. ACRES U.S.A. Given the traditional character of the agriculture in this town, it’s surprising that this region uses more pesticides per hectare than any other part of Italy. What’s going on? ACKERMAN-LEIST. Fortunately, Mals hasn’t been subjected to that onslaught quite yet, but 42 kilograms of pesticide product per hectare is the average annual usage in communities farther down in the valley. That’s an extraordinary 90-plus pounds per hectare or around 35 pounds per acre. ACRES U.S.A. How did pesticides come to be a new threat to the people, agriculture and environment? ACKERMAN-LEIST. The region has historically been devoid of monocultures. For example, they’ve grown grains in rotations as part of a farm’s whole enterprise. Apples though have

become very profitable in the rest of the South Tirol, where farmers are netting between 25,000 and more than 40,000 euros per hectare. (The Euro’s value is currently at $1.20.) And farmers there do not pay income tax. That was a progressive idea until suddenly farmers become so wealthy. Now that those farmers growing apples farther down in the valley have made a lot of money, they’re able to purchase the land in Mals. It’s basically landgrabbing. Climate is another factor. With warmer temperatures, suddenly Mals has become prime territory for apples. Farmers can buy land fairly cheaply, put in apples and make a small fortune. Growing apples in Mals 20 or 30 years ago was pretty much unheard of, except for a couple of trees around your house, because late freezes made it too unpredictable. ACRES U.S.A. I was surprised by how small these farms are. In the United States it would be very rare for an apple grower to make their living with a 3- or 4-acre orchard.

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September 2018 63

INTERVIEW ACKERMAN-LEIST. They adopted the slender tree trellis method developed by the Dutch, who are known for their efficiency. Then they built the markets. Their farmers’ cooperatives were very effective at building a brand. They encouraged the Russians and everyone around Europe to buy their apples. Now, if you buy an apple in Europe, you have a one in seven chance that it comes from the South Tirol. They did a lot of things that we can admire.

there. With apples there are months when you don’t have to do anything so it’s pretty appealing. Some landowners and farmers in Mals decided to go into apples. ACRES U.S.A. I’m curious why you call the apple industry there “Big Apple.” ACKERMAN-LEIST. I have to give Douglas Gayeton at “The Lexicon of Sustainability” credit for that. He said, “Let’s call them Big Apple,” because it’s sort of equivalent to our big ag.

ACRES U.S.A. How much land does the apple industry have in the region?

ACRES U.S.A. How did you first discover this story?

ACKERMAN-LEIST. About 19,000 hectares — nearly 47,000 acres.

ACKERMAN-LEIST. In 2014 I was taking a graduate student group to this region to explore turning traditions into markets. A few days before the study tour began my friend Brigitte told me that they were doing a referendum in Mals to ban all pesticides. I was sure she was joking. Then I thought someone must have concocted the whole idea, since there was no way it was going to happen.

ACRES U.S.A. It sounds like people have a lot of incentive to start growing apples. ACKERMAN-LEIST. The net profit is much higher than dairy farming where you have to take care of the animals twice a day and always be

We changed the study tour schedule and went up to Mals to meet with one of the provocateurs that was pushing the referendum forward. He spent two hours with us recounting their progress to date. From that day on, I haven’t been able to stop digging into the story. ACRES U.S.A. How had they gotten to that point? ACKERMAN-LEIST. In this kind of story there tends to be a canary in the coal mine. Günther Wallnöfer had turned the family farm into an organic dairy in 2001. In 2009, he saw two apple orchards being planted beside his hayfields. He realized that the 3-meter buffer required by law between spraying on one farm and the crops of another farm was not going to protect his hay. ACRES U.S.A. Only 10 feet! ACKERMAN-LEIST. You can’t even turn your tractor around in a 10-foot radius! In 2010, Günther had his first cutting of hay analyzed. Sure

64 Acres U.S.A.

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enough, it was tainted, as were the second and third cuttings. He told the mayor that they had to do something. All dairy farmers, conventional and organic, were affected. And the grain growers and anyone growing organic herbs or vegetables were going to face this same thing. He reminded the mayor that they were trying to be a sustainable community and market themselves that way and therefore they were all in trouble. ACRES U.S.A. You wrote about an herb farm. ACKERMAN-LEIST. The Gluderer family is farther down in the valley, midway up. Within a couple of years of starting their organic herb business, they were totally surrounded by apple orchards. They had been an applegrowing family who cut down all of their apple trees except for one as a reminder. Urban, the father, started the organic herb business. He no longer wanted to be a conventional apple grower. He had been working with psychologically disabled adults and after he learned how to farm

organically from a mentor decided that an organic herb business made a lot of sense. But confronting pesticide drift from every direction, they spent a quarter of a million dollars on greenhouses to cover everything under cultivation. They left some display gardens uncovered on the perimeter so that people would know what was underneath. ACRES U.S.A. So they were like a sentinel and they spoke up. Did they ask government officials to intervene? ACKERMAN-LEIST. The Gluderers spoke to government officials in the provincial capital and never got an adequate response. When the mayor of Mals found out about the predicament Günther was in he asked provincial and local government officials to do something. They said they’d establish two test orchards in Mals to monitor pesticide drift. What they didn’t tell him is that they would be trialing new fruit varieties there. Much to the dismay of the folks there, they put in those new research orchards. They talked about changing the buf-

fer laws, but nothing happened. In the end, however, the small parcel sizes worked to the Malsers’ advantage. ACRES U.S.A. How does their concept of property rights differ from ours in the United Sates? ACKERMAN-LEIST. The idea is you have the right to do as you wish on your own land until it impacts your neighbors. They took that notion from the philosopher Immanuel Kant and interpreted it. It’s a long-standing tradition in agriculture there and important as an ethical idea, but it has also permeated some of their legal system. ACRES U.S.A. In the U.S. people talk about the right not to be impacted by someone else’s pesticide application, which has been called chemical trespass, but I don’t believe that it’s enshrined in our laws. ACKERMAN-LEIST. Chemical trespass refers to involuntary exposure to pesticides or other toxins of a person or their property. The issue is popping

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September 2018 65

INTERVIEW up in the U.S. media right now — both in agricultural settings and in residential and public areas. In agricultural areas, there was a lot of discussion last summer and again this year about several very toxic agricultural pesticides — chlorpyrifos, dicamba and 2,4-D. A neurotoxin, chlorpyrifos, is particularly dangerous to children and seemed to be on its way out until the Trump administration again allowed its use. Dicamba and 2,4-D are two herbicides that are both highly toxic and prone to drift but were sprayed on commodity crops a lot last year. ACRES U.S.A. In Mals the organic dairy farmer whose hayfields were contaminated with pesticides wasn’t left to deal with it by himself. What factors led to concern about the threat of pesticide-intensive agriculture expanding into Mals to grow beyond a few affected farm families? ACKERMAN-LEIST. In a valley that has a wind bearing its name, the Vinschgerwind, drift is such a signifi-

cant issue that people knew no one is immune. Since the parcel sizes are so small, everyone realized they were in jeopardy in some fashion, whether through their personal health, the quality of their food, or their drinking water. Also the medical community very quickly stepped in. When the town pharmacist, town veterinarian and town pediatrician are all aligned, you suddenly had a power to be reckoned with. ACRES U.S.A. In the United States where most pharmacists work for chain pharmacies, hospitals or other big corporations, I can’t imagine many pharmacists sticking their necks out on pesticide issues. Were these outspoken individuals in independent practices? ACKERMAN-LEIST. Yes, they were both independent and independently minded. Johannes, the pharmacist, was officially elected as the spokesperson of the citizens group. His pharmacy is located on the town square of the biggest village, where the farmers’ market takes place every week. He

said, “As an independent pharmacist in a small village, you’re not just the person giving out prescriptions. You’re taking in information about people and their issues. You’re everything rolled into one — the Red Cross, the counselor and the firstaid supplier.” As the town chemist, he understands the dose makes the poison. “When I see something jeopardizing the population here, which is coming in tiny increments, just in the same way the medicine I give out is prescribed in tiny increments, there’s no way that I see that as appropriate.” ACRES U.S.A. I would question the idea that ‘the dose makes the poison.’ For instance, some endocrinedisrupting chemicals are more toxic and biologically active at lower doses. ACKERMAN-LEI ST. Johannes didn’t just stick with the dose makes the poison argument. He very much believes that we don’t have a good appreciation of the effects of combinations of these active ingredients. Similarly, Dr. Irene Witte, one of the toxicologists the citizens group brought in, talks about the combinative effects. She said sometimes they’re synergistic and sometimes they’re antagonistic — in many cases, you would not have ever expected what they do in tandem. Johannes says, “We’ve got all of these unknowns. We don’t know what the single active ingredients do. We don’t know what the combination does, and we don’t have any clue what’s going on with the so-called ‘inert,’ or inactive ingredients.” ACRES U.S.A. That’s a great lead-in for the precautionary principle. ACKERMAN-LEIST. The precautionary principle was a driving force and a theme for the campaign. The citizens of Mals felt that it wasn’t their job to prove that these pesticides were dangerous. They put the burden of proof on the manufacturers to demonstrate that their products are safe, but even the manufacturers don’t have that information. The manufacturers seldom have truly independent science documenting the safety of the active ingredients. And it’s impossible

66 Acres U.S.A.

scientifically to figure out the impacts of all of the combinations of pesticide products. ACRES U.S.A. In the United States, do any of our regulatory agencies recognize the precautionary principle? ACKERMAN-LEIST. Generally not. It’s total anathema to the corporate chemical world. Discussions have occurred with the EPA, but they never seem to go anywhere. But people in California have told me that their state government uses the precautionary principle to some degree. ACRES U.S.A. I’m guessing they’re referring to California’s Proposition 65, which requires warning labels for products containing carcinogens. Back in Europe, how did the agrochemical sector and the apple industry fight back? In most situations they seem to control the narrative, but here they did not.

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ACRES U.S.A. Was there a lawsuit? ACKERMAN-LEIST. Yes. Multiple lawsuits. Some farmers took the legality of the referendum to court. A judge ruled that the referendum was illegal because an advocacy group sponsored it. The Malsers saw that as a technicality. But the ordinances for a pesticide-free Mals were not overturned. They went into effect on April 1st of this year so this is the first summer. ACRES U.S.A. When was the referendum passed? ACKERMAN-LEIST. It was held from August to September 2014. It passed by 76 percent, which was astounding. They tried to make sure the referendum couldn’t be challenged. The mayor and town council couldn’t speak about it during the polling period.

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ACKERMAN-LEIST. There is no evidence that the agrochemical industry directly intervened there, but they didn’t have to. The apple growers, through the provincial government and the South Tirol Farmers’ Association, had plenty of power themselves in the region. However, neither “the Apple Lobby,” nor the provincial officials took the Malsers seriously in the early days of the campaign. As Peter, the veterinarian, said, “They thought we were a bunch of green crazies.” That was Big Apple’s first mistake. When they finally figured out that the Malsers were not only serious, but also savvy, they started to pour on the heat. They have continually exerted significant political pressure on Ulrich, the mayor, who is a member of the region’s main political party. They began a media counter-offensive with posters, conferences and websites. It got really ugly and it still is. Farmers destroyed Johannes’ garden and desecrated his family’s graves. There were threats of physical harm and even death against Johannes and others. The South Tirol Farmers’ Association has helped pay the legal fees for any farmer who sues Johannes, the mayor, or the town council for their actions.

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INTERVIEW Residents could vote in three ways: in the town hall during business hours, in a 24-hour box, or with an absentee ballot. ACRES U.S.A. As I understand it, the citizens’ approval of the referendum wasn’t sufficient to stop pesticide use in Mals. Voters alone couldn’t change the law. ACKERMAN-LEIST. About a year and a half before the referendum, Ulrich, the mayor, had very shrewdly talked to the town council about creating a new policy whereby it would have to consider any referendum proposed and passed by the people. That didn’t make it a binding referendum with a predetermined outcome. ACRES U.S.A. In other words, the town had to address it, but they didn’t have to approve it? ACKERMAN-LEIST. Yes — and once the referendum passed, it took more than a year and an election of town councilors before they actually voted to develop the ordinances to implement the referendum. In the meantime, an interesting power play was taking place. The ordinances were passed in March of 2017 and implemented a year later. ACRES U.S.A. What’s so interesting is that pesticides in the South Tirol were synonymous with the loss of tradition. I always want to understand what gets people to organize. They were facing a threat to their way of life, whereas in other places people have grown used to pesticide use. ACKERMAN-LEIST. For these folks in Mals, it hadn’t become a fact of life quite yet, but they had seen it go that way lower down in the valley. They could literally see and smell what was coming. Big Apple was challenging the food traditions that the people of Mals were trying hard to rebuild. Ulrich, the new mayor — who didn’t expect to be immersed in this controversy — ran for office in order to create a sustainable municipality. Their new train service was designed by the 68 Acres U.S.A.

Swiss. They were putting in microhydro-systems to produce their own electricity, which could then power the train and other electric vehicles. They were capitalizing off of ecotourism. Mals had the first organic hotel in the South Tirol and the first whiskey distillery in Italy, which utilizes grains grown by local farmers. Alexander Agethle, the cheesemaker who I profile in the book, was selected as a finalist for the prestigious 2018 Italian Cheese Award. Pesticides represented the death knell to the renaissance that Alexander, Ulrich, Günther and others had worked so hard to bring about. ACRES U.S.A. Were there examples of the apple industry’s response backfiring? ACKERMAN-LEIST. Probably the biggest mistake Big Apple made was overestimating their actual economic importance. Agriculture only accounts for 6 percent of the South Tirolean economy, while tourism is closer to 25 percent. It’s hard to bring tourists in to watch a parade of tractors spraying orchards; that’s an easy way to convince tourists to go somewhere else. Suddenly, Big Apple found itself up against the wall with the tourism industry, especially in Germany and Austria, key markets for tourism in the region. Mals is a living counterpoint to most of the rest of the South Tirol. When Malsers invoke green tourism, they really mean it. You go to the organic hotel and get organic foods and you don’t get sprayed while you’re riding your bicycle, whereas in the other areas, that’s what was happening. This week on social media channels in the area, a video was posted of people riding their bicycles as a farmer drove his tractor spraying pesticides. He kept spraying until he braked in front of the bicyclists — they stopped recording the scene when the farmer got right in their face. Thanks to the Malsers, these realities can no longer be swept under the rug. ACRES U.S.A. When the citizen campaigners in Mals looked at the official integrated fruit-growing recommendations, what did they find?

ACKERMAN-LEIST. In a single season 30-40 different pesticides might be used in an orchard, and one farmer might spray 25 to 30 times or even more. So you have the number of sprayings, the quantity of pesticides and the irony of integrated pest management (IPM). ACRES U.S.A. To be truly integrated, you would have to create habitat where beneficials can live and build soil health. But typically they just look for the pests. ACKERMAN-LEIST. And we don’t measure the negative impacts at all in terms of the whole ecological cycle. ACRES U.S.A. You talked about the combinations of pesticides. What other sorts of information did outside experts present to the residents of Mals to call the claims of safety and necessity of pesticides into question? ACKERMAN-LEIST. One of the strongest arguments was that we don’t need to use the pesticides. Researchers like Dr. Hans Rudolf Herren, a worldacclaimed entomologist who lives in Switzerland and California, presented living examples of successful organic practices. They had about 24 sessions with different experts to promote dialogue as well as community-visioning sessions. The Advocacy Committee also brought in a leading EU food safety expert who is a proponent of “safe pesticide use.” That was a testament to their openness. Her statements about the safety of pesticides really riled the community, but Alexander Agethle, the organic cheesemaker, stood up and contested her claims and that ended up winning the day. It’s not necessarily who you bring in, but the chemistry of the community meeting afterward. ACRES U.S.A. How many citizens groups were involved? AC K E R MAN-LE I ST. The environmental group, the Umweltschutzgruppe Vinschgau, which already existed, was keeping an eye on the whole valley. Peter, the veterinarian, and Albert, the forester, were key members. The next group

that kicked in was Adam & Epfl — Adam and the Apple. Those were the provocateurs who used guerilla art to push back. ACRES U.S.A. Now that the ordinance is in effect, have apple growers stopped moving into Mals? ACKERMAN-LEIST. They’re not allowed to spray now, and the municipal police are charged with addressing any infringements. So far, everybody is abiding by the ordinances. There are also the national police, the Carabinieri, and the EU food safety police. If they get involved then things get really sticky. ACRES U.S.A. What are the apple growers doing? ACKERMAN-LEIST. They are having to shift to organic. ACRES U.S.A. How does the organic apple grower you visited run his orchard? ACKERMAN-LEIST. It’s amazing. His apples, pears and grapes are beautiful. If I hadn’t seen the fruit, I never would have believed it. Ägidius Wellenzohn was a conventional apple grower who 30 years ago decided to go organic. Eventually he even weaned himself from copper and sulfur, which most organic orchardists still use. He plants at half the intensity, so with half as many trees and adds no compost or fertilizer. He aims to encourage all the biological cycles. He uses his tractor twice per year, once to mow between the rows. After that, he turns the scythe handle (without the blade) upside down and whacks all the weeds between the trees. He told me he just wants to make the plants senescent to maintain the habitat for all of the beneficials. He’s trying to slow down the growth, to reduce competition and make it easier to pick. But sadly, during the last week of September 2017, someone came through and sprayed his orchard with glyphosate. He said, “For 30 years, I’ve added nothing to this orchard, and now to have someone come and do this.”

ACRES U.S.A. I hadn’t realized the antagonism was so strong. ACKERMAN-LEIST. That ruined Ägidius’s crop for this year and his organic status. The town put together the equivalent of a GoFundMe to help him and his family get through this year. In messaging back and forth with Ägidius, he said, “Obviously, this is not something I ever wanted, but I also realize that this is the price sometimes you pay for activism. It’s still worth it to me to have been this involved.” Last week he was on a tour

in five different places in Germany giving talks on organic apple orcharding. He remains hopeful. Ulrich, the mayor, did an interview for a prominent German tourism magazine last fall. It’s just a little sidebar. The reporter called to ask him why tourism is doing so well in Mals. He essentially said, “We offer the perfect opportunity for ecotourists. Why wouldn’t you come to Mals, where you don’t have to worry about pesticide drift in your hotel or being sprayed when you’re out bicycling?” For saying this government officials from the South

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September 2018 69

Tirol viciously went after him. But Italy has been fairly accommodating. Some people think that the Slow Food movement, which has permeated so much of Italy, has been a bit of a buffer. And the people in Rome are far enough removed from agriculture that they’re not swayed by the agrochemical industry’s arguments, which surprised me. ACRES U.S.A. Has the momentum to ban pesticides spread to other European municipalities? ACKERMAN-LEIST. It’s really extraordinary. Mals is now the beacon for a Pesticide-Free Towns campaign around Europe, which is largely being orchestrated by the Pesticide Action Network EU. Non-governmental organizations like Friends of the Earth and ICLEI, a global consortium of towns focused on environmental legislation, have embraced it, as have certain politicians. I’m going to Brussels in early June for a gathering of these different groups with the EU’s Social and Economic Committee. There’s almost a competition to see how far towns and countries can go. In the last couple of weeks I’ve seen a lot of interest pop up in Italy. Denmark, the largest purchaser of organic goods of any country in the world on a per capita basis, has embraced it very strongly.

70 Acres U.S.A.

ACRES U.S.A. Talk about your invitation to the Himalayas from Vandana Shiva, who wrote the foreword to your book. ACKERMAN-LEIST. Vandana’s vision is to unite communities around the world that are pushing to become “poison-free.” Vandana invited Ulrich, the mayor, and me to an amazing conference celebrating 30 years of her organization, the Navdanya Foundation. She wanted to get together people from the Alps and the Himalayas for a ceremony celebrating poison-free communities. ACRES U.S.A. What’s going on in the Himalayas? ACKERMAN-LEIST. In the Indian state of Sikkim, the Chief Minister there, Pawan Chamling, has been reelected five times. Part of his platform has been to make Sikkim 100 percent organic. Bhutan aspired to become the first country to be 100 percent organic, but they’re not there yet. Sikkim has gone the whole way and gotten there first. They are still working through some of the challenges but one of the interesting things I’ve learned is that they’ve been able to make organic more cost effective there because they no longer have the expenses associated with segregating conventional and organic products.

ACRES U.S.A. You were recently a plenary speaker at the Beyond Pesticides Conference. Are any of the elements that you’ve seen in Mals present in the United States? ACKERMAN-LEIST. The conference was held in Irvine, the first municipality in Southern California to ban the use of synthetic pesticides for “cosmetic purposes” (like weed elimination) on publicly owned properties. A mother new to the area had seen the signs posted that herbicides were being sprayed on the school athletic field and found it unacceptable. She spoke to the principal and started a campaign, with the support of a deputy mayor who was a cancer survivor. It carries the hashtag #NontoxicIrvine, and that movement is spreading around the country. The folks from Irvine are traveling to different communities around the United States, telling them how they did it. South Portland, Maine, and then Portland, Maine, have also achieved a similar pioneering success. It’s exciting. ACRES U.S.A. What have you and the people of Mals learned about how to make something like this happen? ACKERMAN-LEIST. A key lesson is that these movements aren’t dependent upon experts. The momentum comes from concerned citizens. Very often women are the most important provocateurs in these discussions, which I attribute to nature, nurture and nutrition. Women are more attuned to the realities and to the precautions we should be taking but may not be paying attention to. We’ve put a lot of pressure on organic farmers, and also on consumers, to be the agents of change, but actually I think the biggest successes for good, fair and just agriculture are borne out of what we do as communities. It’s not just how the farmer changes their practices. We need to change how we support those local farmers that we really trust. I now believe that the real discussion should be much less about the certification of individual farmers and more about how community members come together and create first the will and then the

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INTERVIEW economic channels and infrastructure to create not just toxic-free agriculture and truly safe recreational areas and public spaces but also a local political system that upholds these values and associated markets. I’m also pushing back on the idea that local trumps organic. One element of the Mals ordinance involves shifting to organic food in all public settings. They started with the kindergarten. Now all the food served there is organic. ACRES U.S.A. I’m impressed by what you’ve been able to develop at Green Mountain College. ACKERMAN-LEIST. In 1997 we started with a small organically managed garden. It was less than a quarter-acre. We had no resources and at first we struggled to get students interested. Now we range from 45 to 55 students in the undergraduate major and 70 to 90 in our graduate program. Combined, the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs in sustainable ag and food systems typically

mean that we have the first or the second-largest program at the college. It has been amazing to be a part of that — all spawned by one year’s seed order 20-something years ago. We also started the nation’s first online graduate program in sustainable food systems. For someone who’s handson and highly experientially oriented, online education is not what I expected to be doing. With this year’s graduation, more than 100 students scattered around North America will have gotten their Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems. They’re predominantly women, about 20 percent are veterans, and 15 to 20 percent are dieticians and nutritionists. Some are very high up in the corporate sector, working in the conventional food system. They’re either horizontal jumpers or vertical leapers — folks who are moving into food systems from other professions or people who are looking to advance their careers within the food and ag sectors. It has been really fascinating. They come to the college for about five days each year in February, when we have a prominent visiting scholar join us.

Everything else is online, unless they want to join a study tour! It takes about two to two and a half years to get through the program. ACRES U.S.A. Could you name some of the people who have come to Green Mountain College as visiting scholars for the annual five-day residency? AC K E R MAN-LE I ST. Fred Kirschenmann was first. Next we had Helene York, who worked for Bon Appétit of the Compass Group for a number of years, transforming their food system. Then we had Natasha Bowens, who wrote The Color of Food. Douglas and Laura Gayeton came to help us investigate digital storytelling and art as a tool of change. Then nutritionist Melinda Hemmelgarn of Food Sleuth Radio joined us, followed by agroecologist Barbara GemmillHerren, who was joined by her husband agroecologist Hans Herren. It has been a great crew, full of inspiration and rubber-meets-the-road expertise!

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ACRES U.S.A. What do you teach? ACKERMAN-LEIST. I’ve taught the Contemporary Food Systems course, which is the first class they take and usually the Sustainable Livestock Production course, which has a heavy emphasis on the various certifications and trying to understand livestock from that perspective. ACRES U.S.A. How big is the college farm now? ACKERMAN-LEIST. It’s 23 acres. The vegetables and the poultry are certified organic. Though it was never an agricultural school, Green Mountain College had a really powerful agricultural heritage. At one point it had three farms. We found a wonderful postcard in the early 1900s that talks about coming to the dining hall for wholesome food fresh from the college farm. At some points in time students even paid their tuition and room and board in cows and chickens. Until 1947 the college served unpasteurized, raw milk. But by 1950, the college had given up its agricultural enterprises.

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ACRES U.S.A. I wonder, how are you bringing what you’ve learned from your research in Mals to the sustainable farming and food systems program at Green Mountain College? ACKERMAN-LEIST. I find myself introducing more pesticide literacy into the program. I think students need to understand what it is that they’re ultimately pushing back against. For a long time, I concentrated on the positivity of the organic agricultural piece, but I think they also need to understand the other side with more complexity. Without literate poliNEED MORE cy fighters, we’re not going to INFORMATION? get anywhere. Editor’s Note: Legal machinations continue on a daily basis regarding Mals. This interview was up-to-date at the time it went to publication.

Philip Ackerman Leist’s A Precautionary Tale is available from Acres U.S.A.; acresusa.com or 800-355-5313.

RESOURCES

Book: chelseagreen.com/product/a-precautionary-tale Audiobook: amazon.com/Precautionary-Tale-PesticidesPreserved-Heritage/dp/1603587055 Lexicon Multimedia Project: topplinggoliath.org Faculty Webpage: greenmtn.edu/faculty/philip-ackerman-leist Friends of the Earth Video on Mals: protectandresist. video/pesticide-free-town LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/philipackermanleist

September 2018 73

THE HARVEST TABLE: WHERE FOOD & FARMING MEET PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER NYERGES

Self-Reliant Gardening Carel Struycken tends to a fig tree.

BY CHRISTOPHER NYERGES Carel Struycken has long been interested in the principles of permaculture, not only as they relate to growing fruits and vegetables but also because of the perspective it gives him on human activities. Struycken, who lives in Altadena, California, is an actor. He played Lurch in The Addams Family movies and had roles in Star Trek, Men in Black, The Witches of Eastwick and many other films. He was born in Holland, grew up in Curacao in the Caribbean, and moved back to Holland at age 15. We met at his former Pasadena home to discuss his efforts at home food production and permaculture. Struycken showed me the bible of permaculture, Bill Mollison’s Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual, which 74 Acres U.S.A.

details a way in which we can grow food and live with the land in accord with nature’s principles. Mollison, who passed away in September 2016, coined the term “permaculture” as a combination of “permanent” and “agriculture.” “The whole idea of permaculture is to put in as little work as possible and allow nature to find its balance,” said Struycken, who produced all the vegetables for a family of five for many years using these principles. “I’m also a big fan of Fukuoka, author of The One-Straw Revolution. If I had the time I would love to go to Japan and work on his natural farm and learn about his methods.” Both Mollison and Masanobu Fukuoka were advocates of natural gardening and farming. They advised planting what is appropriate for the area, tilling as little as possible, letting

all the leaves and old plants serve as fertilizer for the new plants and using natural methods for pest and weed control. Using permaculture methods, Struycken grew lots of Asian greens, mostly those members of the cabbage or mustard family that have the highest nutritional value. He tended herbs, tomatoes, yard-long beans and 14 fruit trees. His yard is terraced with cement rubble — pieces of old cement walkways that have been neatly stacked to form impressive and long-lasting walls using a material that is normally discarded. He also experimented with raised beds because the soil in his garden area was so low in organic matter. Struycken never raked up or discarded leaves. Under an avocado tree he allowed the leaves to accumulate into a thick layer of mulch. “The layer

of avocado leaves is well over a foot thick, and when you look into the bottom of the pile, it is all naturally producing rich soil,” he explained. He composted kitchen scraps in multiple compost piles and worked at cultivating the earthworms that were already living in his yard to naturally till the soil and increase aeration. Struycken purchased ladybugs years ago because they eat the “bad” insects. He found that the ladybugs like fennel plants, so he recommends growing fennel to keep them happy. Although Struycken has tried to produce all of his fertilizer from his own backyard, he has occasionally brought in chicken and horse manure for his crops. “I stopped using the horse manure, though, since I found that it produced too many weeds. I was always amazed that I never had to do anything to my lettuce, and it was always perfect. The ecosystem took care of itself,” he said.

MULCHING California routinely experiences drought, so soil water retention is a priority for any gardener in the Golden State. Mulch helps hold in moisture, resulting in less need for watering. It also promotes the proliferation of earthworms and helps the roots of plants go deeper. Though many people use wood chips for mulch, Struycken’s research shows that wood chips can be problematic because they draw nitrogen from the soil as they decompose. He says leaves or straw are better. “I would only use wood chips after putting down a layer of fertilizer.” Struycken planted white clover as a cover crop in bare garden areas. He suggests sprouting the clover separately and then planting it. The clover spreads as a mulch and helps fix nitrogen in the soil. “I only used white clover in vegetable beds,” said Struycken. “The white clover is seeded, and once it is established you plant the vegetable seedlings. I used clover, vetch and buckwheat on soil that I wanted to improve for later planting.” He also recommends planting comfrey. It has deep roots, and when the leaves dry and decay they add

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Lentils Reduce Blood Glucose Levels Replacing potatoes or rice with pulses can lower your blood glucose levels by more than 20 percent, according to a first-ever University of Guelph study. Prof. Alison Duncan, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, and Dan Ramdath of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, found that swapping out half of a portion of these starchy side dishes for lentils can significantly improve your body’s response to carbohydrates. Replacing half a serving of rice with lentils caused blood glucose to drop by up to 20 percent. Replacing potatoes with lentils led to a 35 percent drop. “Pulses are an extremely nutrient-dense food that have the potential to reduce chronic diseases associated with mismanaged glucose levels,” said Duncan. The research was published and specially featured in the Journal of Nutrition. “This slower absorption means you don’t experience a spike in glucose. Having high levels over a period of time can lead to mismanagement of blood glucose, which is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes. Essentially, eating lentils can lower that risk.”

Mangoes Promote Smooth Moves The next time you suffer from constipation, you may want to consider grabbing a mango instead of reaching for a fiber supplement, suggests a new Texas A&M University pilot study published in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. The researchers found that mango, which contains a combination of polyphenols and fiber, was more effective than an equivalent amount of fiber powder in relieving constipation. “Our findings suggest that mango offers an advantage over fiber supplements because of the bioactive polyphenols contained in mangos that helped reduce markers of inflammation and change the make-up of the microbiome, which includes trillions of bacteria and other microbes living in our digestive track,” said corresponding author Susanne U. Mertens-Talcott, an associate professor in the department of nutrition and food science at Texas A & M University. “Fiber supplements and laxatives may aid in the treatment of constipation, but they may not fully address all symptoms, such as intestinal inflammation.”

Nuts Help Keep Ticker in Shape Eating several servings of nuts every week may help lower the risk of developing heart rhythm irregularity, atrial fibrillation, also known as heart flutter, finds research published online in the journal Heart. This level of consumption may also lessen the risk of developing heart failure, although the findings are less consistent, the research indicates. Previous studies have suggested that eating nuts regularly is associated with a lower risk of heart disease/stroke and associated death. Researchers also found people who ate nuts tended to be better educated and to have healthier lifestyles than those who didn’t include nuts in their diet. They were less likely to smoke or to have a history of high blood pressure. And they were leaner, more physically active, drank more alcohol and ate more fruit and vegetables. The more often nuts were included in the diet, the lower was the associated risk of atrial fibrillation, the findings showed.

September 2018 75

HARVEST TABLE

Struycken’s Picks Struycken’s favorite plant family is the Mustard family, which is arguably the healthiest and easiest to grow. He especially likes Asian greens. Here are some of his favorites: • Mizuna (a cultivated variety of Brassica rapa var. niposinica) • Mei qing choi, Bok choy or pak choi. This is Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis, a type of Chinese cabbage. Chinensis varieties do not form heads; instead, they have smooth, dark green leaf blades that form a cluster reminiscent of mustard or celery. • Tatsoi is also called Chinese flat cabbage and rosette-type pak choi. Tatsoi contains high levels of vitamin C, carotenoids, folic acid, calcium and potassium. • Tyfon Holland green: This is a hybrid between Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa Pekeninensis group) and stubble turnip (Brassica rapa Rapifera group). This one is easy to grow, and one of Struycken’s top choices. It was introduced into China from Holland in the 16th century. • Yard-long beans: Very prolific. • Tomatoes: Grow the smaller ones, Struycken advises. They don’t need as much work to grow or harvest, and you don’t need to do any staking like you would with heavy beefsteak tomatoes.

nutrients back into the soil. Comfrey works well between fruit trees.

LEARNING FROM THE PAST Struycken, who has been in the movie business for about 35 years, wants to do a series of documentaries on sustainable communities throughout the world so that their principles can be preserved for others.

2018 ECO-AG

“The Amish are the most successful sustainable farmers, and they are using early 18th century technologies,” he says. Struycken believes that the differences between Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures can help illuminate the food and sustainability problems we experience today.

“Humanoids have been around for at least a million years, and modern humans have been here maybe 500,000 years. The Paleolithics were the hunter/gatherers, and the Neolithics were those who were settled in one place and who began agriculture. When we settled, we had to make the effort to force ourselves into the new mind-set, but our true nature is Paleolithic.”

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Struycken said the Paleolithics would be considered more primitive by our standards, “but they controlled their populations, had fewer taboos and laws, had less possessions and managed to live on what the forest provided.” He cites the Bushmen of the Kalahari as an example. “Now, when you had agricultural and cow-raising people who lived adjacent to the primitive people, the Bushmen would rarely die of hunger, though the agricultural people would. This is because the agricultural people learned to rely on, and expect, much more. When cattle died due to drought, for example, the agricultural people suffered far more than the Bushmen. The farmers also had to work a lot harder, usually seven days a week, whereas hunter/gatherers worked maybe three days a week.” Struycken cites the Bushmen and many others to illustrate that one of our problems is that we are so advanced that we have lost our primal Paleolithic nature. Today, systems for gardening, farming, commerce, building, etc., are all essentially Neolithic and therefore unsustainable into the future, according to Struycken. In this sense, Struycken believes that the details of our very survival can be gleaned by looking to the past at the details of sustainable societies. Struycken is optimistic, and believes that the solution to our problems is to properly understand the living principles of (so-called) primitive peoples. Christopher Nyerges is the author of Extreme Simplicity, The Self-Sufficient Home and other books. He also teaches classes in self-reliance, and can be reached at christophernyerges.com or P.O. Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA, 90041.

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September 2018 77

STOCK & FLOCK PHOTOS BY WILL WINTER, D.V.M.

LEFT: That author’s Great Pyrenees. RIGHT: Great Pyrenees are effective livestock guardians. With purebreds, watch out for bad hips or other joints. They are fantastic LGDs in northern climates, but their thick coat can be a problem for them in the hotter regions.

Noble Beasts on the Farm

Key Considerations for Livestock Guardian Dogs BY WILL WINTER, D.V.M. Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part article. Look for the second part in the October issue. “Oh, if only I could be the quality person that my dog thinks I am ….” I have had this thought numerous times as I interacted with the dogs in my life. Some would add that our human race might not be as noble as those of the species who devote their lives to serving our needs. I’m thinking here mainly of dogs and horses, but the thought could be extended to other species as well. With dogs, it seems their ancient choice to come in from the wild has something to do with living their life to serve our needs. It’s especially true for companion dogs who have found a lifelong friend. Let’s begin by focusing on dogs that are bred and trained to be livestock guardians. With the recent increase in the interest of rearing both small ruminants and flocks of freerange birds it’s becoming necessary 78 Acres U.S.A.

for producers to acquire one or more guardian dogs for the farm or ranch. We no longer sleep in the field with our sheep and goats like the shepherds of yore, and that is likely when most predation occurs. The typical guardian dog will doze on and off throughout the relative calm of daytime hours so as to be most alert to the nocturnal sounds and movements that indicate incoming danger.

SELECTING THE RIGHT BREED The most efficient method of achieving a good working dog is to choose an animal with genetics that lean toward desired traits, i.e. guarding or herding. Trainers modify that skill set in specific ways to augment service to our needs. Ever since Canis lupus, aka, the timber wolf, was adapted to live with humans, there have been dozens if not hundreds of breeds of dogs that were genetically selected to serve us in a wide variety of ways. For all practical purposes these break down into guardians, herders, hunters (including

sight hounds and scent hounds) and companion canines. For livestock guarding, a dog must be strong enough to fight off other beasts; they should excel in vocal warning ability; and they should have exceptional sight and hearing. The breeds that come to mind include German Shepherds or Old English Sheepdogs, but in the past 10-20 years more of the lesser-known breeds have gained in popularity. These include the Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds, Komondors, a variety of Mastiffs, Maremmas, Karakachans, the Kuvasz and many others. Don’t forget, it can also be helpful to select a breed that thrives best in a climate similar to your area. Due to poor breeding and selection techniques, particularly by purebred breeders, and almost always to serve man’s ego or the whims of dog show judges, many purebred breeds have suffered enormous problems. This is often seen in areas such as conformation, temperament, intelligence and longevity. Many have even lost the

original working traits that were the foundation of the creation of the breed. Many modern Irish Setters, once noble hunting dogs, are now brainless peacocks; Collies have become pinheaded and virtually blind; and many Saint Bernards are bloated and enormous and some have been known to be biters. Without thousands of dollars of reconstructive joint surgery many of the so-called giant breed dogs can become cripples. It’s a shame. I’m happy to say though, that in the past decade or two many breeders and trainers of working dogs have made strides to rise above this. This has been done both through proper selection as well as by crossing two or more breeds to rid them of genetic flaws and capture the best of each breed.

DOG TRAINING 101 Here’s what I believe to be the main difference between a “professional” trainer and a hack, or “amateur” trainer. Professionals use three main tools or guidelines to modify behavior, 1) rewards for compliance, 2) limit-setting and 3) they never punish. Given these parameters, here’s what it looks like in a nutshell: The dog is only allowed to do the right thing and it is then rewarded for it. If the dog does the wrong thing, that means that either the rewards were given too freely (or without a connection to proper behavior), or the trainer allowed too much freedom (room for error), and the dog simply took advantage of it or made an honest mistake. The blame rests with the trainer rather than the dog. The hallmark of the typical amateur trainer is to give away all the rewards (food, freedom and praise) without any connection to behavior, and then they allow too much freedom (room to make the wrong decisions). Their so-called “training” virtually guarantees that the dog will mess up, and then they select varying forms of punishment (scolding, whipping, beating, yanking, choking, berating, shocking, etc.). Punishments escalate as the bond becomes destroyed and as the dog inevitably gets more confused. This is why most amateurs, at best, destroy the majority of the confidence and self-esteem of the dog, eventually, and at best create a dog that operates out of fear rather than service coming from respect, joy and love. The dogs who flunk out are blamed; “This is a very bad dog” or “this dog is untrainable.” In the worst-case scenarios, shamefully these dropouts get tossed away or meet their final demise. One of my first jobs as a teenager was working under one of these so-called “professional” dog trainers who, in spite of self-professed claims, was unschooled in the art of professional behavior modification. In this case, we were training bird dogs, pointers, setters and retrievers out in the country. Unfortunately for the dogs, this person was the Marquis de Sade of the animal world. The mantra was, “Ya gotta start by showing the dog who’s boss.” In fancier words, the alpha dominance model. However, in this case the trainer did it out of punishment mode, rather than through rewards and limit-setting. In competition, our dogs performed like soldiers under duress — they accomplished their duties (mostly), but they

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September 2018 79

STOCK & FLOCK

The absolute best guardians are grateful recipients of food, kind words or a pat on the head from humans, but then they have to get back to work. were never happy to do so, they only feared punishment, and you could always see the whites of their eyes. Therefore, we never took home the blue ribbons, always second or third place. The other dogs, with their shining desire to please and the effort to perform with joy won over us every time. Additionally, there was a tragic toll of dogs “taken out behind the barn” because they broke under the harsh and ignorant protocol. These are memories that continue to haunt and shape my own career and behavior. Any avid reader of Jack London’s novels such as Call of the Wild or White Fang know exactly what I’m talking about.

Clearly, these basic principles apply to the other categories of service dogs (or, for that matter, horses, cats, and I will probably catch the devil for saying this; the rearing of happy, healthy and respectful children!). I’ll switch back to dogs though. The basic principles begin with picking the right breed for the job; using true rewards including, food, play and freedom in association with good behavior; and avoiding all forms of shaming or physical punishment. This being said, if you were to talk with 100 professional trainers, you would probably get 100 different answers. It’s no different than the differing methods used in child psychology. When selecting a trainer I personally sum it up this way: Either they train with rewards, or they train with punishment. In general, it’s pretty much black or white. Both schools of thought can get somewhat similar results eventually, but at what cost?

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING I know I might be stepping on some toes here, and I know there are many exceptions to the general rules. My preference is to opt for dogs that are professionally bred and professionally trained. Spend some good

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money here and the rewards just keep coming back to you. However, this is easier said than done, because of the difficulty of finding the right person or kennel. There is also a bit of difficulty after the dog arrives, because, as many a trainer will tell you, the new owner frequently begins undermining the dog’s rigid training, often before they even get home. Most trainers believe that the original bonding for the dog should be to the herd or flock to be maintained. In other words, not bonded to humans. The absolute best guardians are grateful recipients of food, kind words or a pat on the head from humans, but then they have to get back to work. Secondly, there can be a problem with dogs that run away. This is a serious problem, and every trainer should be explicit in teaching the owner how to prevent this. The key word being “prevent.” Once a dog has been caught running away, there is nothing that can be done other than returning the dog and making sure it can’t happen again. In general, it’s preferable to have more than one dog at a site to not only prevent boredom but also to help the dogs not get so easily suckered by coyotes that can tag team a guardian dog, luring him off to one side whilst the damage is being done by other coyotes. In part 2 of this article, I will discuss advanced training, problem correction, breeding and the best tips for feeding guardians as well as the breeding, training and care of herding dogs. Will Winter is a retired veterinarian, a holistic herd health consultant and livestock nutritionist who hangs his hat in Minnesota. He is also a traveling lecturer and teacher focusing on sustainable livestock production and traditional nutrition. He provides consultations, workshops, lectures and access to natural livestock supplies to farmers and ranchers. For more information, visit grassfarmer supply.com or willwinterdvm@gmail.com.

SMALL-SCALE SUCCESS PHOTOS BY JILL HENDERSON

For more about harvesting and cooking bamboo, visit ecofarmingdaily.com/identifyingharvesting-cooking-bamboo.

The new young shoots of river cane grow with surprising speed.

America’s Native Bamboo

Grow Cane for Beauty, Conservation & Utilitarianism BY JILL HENDERSON Mention the word “bamboo” and visions of China, panda bears and exotic jungles readily come to mind for most of us living in the Western Hemisphere. Indeed, the majority of the 1,450 species of true bamboo found throughout the world originate in Southern and Southeastern Asian countries, with a few scattered species found in Africa and the beech forests of Chile in South America. Some bamboo species grow more densely than any forest you can imagine and produce giant canes as big around as a small tree, while others are as diminutive as a clump of native big bluestem prairie grass to which all bamboo is related. In fact, bamboo belongs to the true grass family 82 Acres U.S.A.

Poaceae which contains some 10,000 recognized species and represents the fifth-largest plant family on Earth. The United States is home to three very distinct native species of bamboo, which are collectively known as cane.

CANE HISTORY & ECOLOGY When the first Europeans set out to explore the New World they encountered massive canebrakes so dense they were nearly impenetrable. These natural obstacles were so massive that explorers had to navigate around them, sometimes for miles. While cane was present in much of the southern and southeastern half of the United States, the largest canebrakes in North America were found along the edges and floodplains of major

rivers such as the Mississippi and its tributaries. While these great brakes were a boon for wildlife and native peoples alike, early explorers and settlers found them little more than an impediment to travel — until they learned that cattle not only loved to eat river cane, but quickly grew fat on it. Soon enough the brakes would be eradicated by overgrazing and the settlers’ desire to farm the rich, fertile soil that the cane helped produce. Native Americans admired the rich soil found in canebrakes, often clearing small plots along the edges to grow corn, beans, squash and melons. Native people took great care in nurturing and protecting the canebrakes because they also supported a wide array of bird and animal species that were another source of food. As in all early indigenous cultures, plants served many roles within the society. River cane was not only a subsistence crop, but a source of strong, straight and sturdy material used to construct an array of tools, weapons, basketry, traps, cages, footwear, bedding and even lodging.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND Unfortunately, like so many of the abundant natural resources found in the New World, early settlers quickly decimated river cane through overgrazing and farming. This was the beginning of the end for American canebrakes. Today a whopping 98 percent of America’s native bamboo has been extirpated from the landscape, raising concerns for the future of the infinite life forms that rely on the habitat created by them. A. J. Hendershott, writing for Missouri Conservationist Magazine in 2002, succinctly describes the importance of canebrakes:

“Cane thickets make great wildlife cover. Indigo buntings, cardinals, hooded warblers, evening grosbeaks, water thrushes and other songbirds use it for refuge from predators. Golden mice, southeastern shrews and other small mammals hide in cane stands, too. Swamp rabbits use canebrakes for cover and food, hence their nickname: canecutters.” Needless to say, native bamboo isn’t just for the birds. Cane growing along embankments and floodways improves water quality by controlling erosion and stabilizing embankments, particularly during times of flooding. In fact, cane’s deep rhizomes hold soil better than any riverside plant, including trees. Cane also helps build and prevent the loss of topsoil along the river’s edge, while reducing the introduction of sediment to the river system through deforestation, roadbuilding and farming. Sediment buildup can clog gravelly or rocky riverbeds that fish and other native aquatic species need to reproduce.

IDENTIFICATION & CULTURE With such an important role in the ecosystem, the call to restore native bamboo was quickly acted upon and many riparian areas are once again home to these native plants. It also brought about the discovery of a new species of cane found in the Appalachian Mountains in 2007. Appropriately dubbed, Arundinaria appalachiana, hill cane joined river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) and switch cane (Arundanaria tecta) to make up the only temperate native species of bamboo found in the Northern Hemisphere. Although typically referred to as canes, these three distinct species are true bamboos that are very closely related to species found in Asia and parts of South America. All three are “running” bamboo, which means they spread via creeping rhizomes. Even with extensive restoration efforts and native cane becoming more common, most people don’t know the difference between the three native species and any number of non-native ornamental species. If you’re driving down the highway and see a thick stand of brightly colored giant bamboo, chances are you are witnessing what I call “landscape renegades” of Asian origin. According to Margaret Cirtain from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina, the most common and aggressive species of non-native bamboo found in the wild is golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea), sometimes referred to as yellow or fishpole bamboo. Her article, “Identifying Native Bamboos,” found on the Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia website (namethatplant.net/article_nativebamboo.shtml), is an excellent and detailed resource for anyone interested in learning how to tell the difference between native and nonnative bamboo species. America’s native bamboos were originally found growing in various parts of the southeastern United States, depending on the species: from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas on the western edge, along the southern boundaries of the Great Lakes north and east to New York and south along the coastal region to southern Florida and every state in between.

River cane spreads into large patches or thickets.

River or giant cane is the largest and most noticeable of the three natives. This lowland species prefers growing on the banks and along the floodplains of large rivers and their tributaries. The more sedate and diminutive switch cane and hill cane, found primarily in the southern states, prefer the drier and partly shaded woodland settings found at the edges of seeps, springs, small creeks, draws and wetweather streams.

GROW YOUR OWN Humans can enjoy native bamboo as a privacy screen or windbreak, to create shady nooks or hide unsightly obstacles such as propane tanks or ugly fences. Native bamboo often grows where grass won’t and is a great help at slowing down water and preventing erosion. When dried, the canes make wonderful building materials for garden trellises and plant supports, as well as a myriad of crafty and useful items. Like all true bamboos, native species spread via an underground system of segmented rhizomes from which their roots grow. All bamboos are classified as “clumping” or “running.” Clumping bamboo tends to grow outward in a circular fashion, rarely moving far beyond its original planting site. On the other hand, running bamboo seeks out new territory via creeping rhizomes that spread in all directions, often creating dense screens or stands. Although all of our native species are running bamboo, river cane is larger and much more aggressive than the other two, especially when it is grown in rich, moist, loamy soils — the ideal of conditions for any bamboo species. Planting native cane, particularly hill and switch cane in heavy soils or in areas that are excessively dry or sunny might somewhat curtail their growth and hence, their wandering habits. I strongly suggest planting any of these species in a place that will not infringe on neighboring property or wander into flowerbeds, under landscape blocks, or other sensitive areas. Plan to mow at least 4 or 5 feet around the entire patch, just in case. In general, native bamboos are heat- and cold-tolerant perennials that prefer rich, consistently moist, slightly acidic soils with a pH of 6-6.5. All but hill cane are evergreen in their native habitats, though the leaves may brown slightly during the winter months. September 2018 83

SMALL-SCALE SUCCESS River cane is the largest of the three native bamboos, reaching heights of 6 feet and spreading as far as it is allowed by soil and water conditions. When mature, river cane can tolerate periods of running or standing water and full sun. Switch cane generally grows to heights of around 6 feet at maturity when grown in excellent condition found in consistently moist soils and partial-shade generated by large trees like pine and oak. Hill cane, which is deciduous, also reaches up to 6 feet, but prefers full shade from mature trees and well-drained slopes or swales. Hill cane is especially fond of seeps and springs in its native habitat.

CULTIVATION The two biggest problems homeowners face when growing native bamboos include the scarcity of authentic nursery plants and the length of time it takes them to reach maturity. Keep in mind that removing plants from public lands is often illegal without a permit and may degrade the size or quality of the stand. The simplest method is to locate a reputable native plant nursery and buy from them. If you’re having a hard time finding a nursery specializing in native bamboo, try contacting your local conservation department. Whatever you do, do not buy bamboo “seed.” Bamboo rarely, if ever, blooms and produces seed, so either the advertisement is a scam or the person selling the seed has been misinformed. Should you have a private, identifiable source of true native bamboo, or are interested in dividing specimens you already have, take care to dig them carefully. Take only clumps that include a large portion of culms, rhizomes and roots while still retaining as much natural soil around them as possible. Transplanting is best undertaken in late winter or early spring. Start by digging a hole at least twice as deep and wide as the rhizomes you are working with and backfill with high-quality loamy soil. If your soil is less than ideal, adding plenty of shredded organic material at planting time is helpful to get new roots growing 84 Acres U.S.A.

quickly. Much like irises, the rhizomes of bamboo must be covered with only a few inches of soil. If buried too deeply, they can rot. As the bamboo matures, spent leaves fall and accumulate around the base of the plants. These leaves make perfect mulch, containing high levels of silica and other chemicals that the plants recycle into the nutrients they need to grow. Until this occurs naturally take steps to provide young plants with 2 inches of organic mulch, which helps keep the soil consistently moist and cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Because bamboo is related to grass, which contains high levels of nitrogen and silica, any kind of grass also makes excellent mulch for bamboo. Otherwise, hay, wood chips or leaves work well. In addition to mulching, newly planted bamboo may need to be shaded from the hot summer sun for a short time to prevent leaf scorch. They will also need regular, deep watering to ensure steady growth. This is especially true in the early period after transplanting and on very hot or windy days in the first year after transplanting. Although mature river cane can tolerate periods of inundation by water, none of the three native species ever grow in standing water, and young plants that are watered too much or planted in water-logged soils suffer as much as those not watered enough. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. If you are concerned about bamboo running amuck through your neighborhood, plan for that before you plant. Utilize natural barriers that are at least 6 inches deep and span a large area, such as along concrete driveways, roadways, rocky embankments and cement foundations. Planting bamboo within an area of lawn can also be helpful, as regular mowing will prevent rhizomes from spreading out-of-bounds. Another alternative is to install impenetrable bamboo barriers at planting time. Visit any nursery that specializes in bamboo for more information on installing barriers. If you don’t have naturally loose soil in the area in which you are planting, avoid

creating a deep bed of loamy soil at planting time. Keeping the relatively hard native soil beneath bamboo rhizomes can help stop the rhizomes from ducking under barriers. The Bamboo Garden website (bamboo garden.com), has a lot of useful information on planting and containing bamboo.

BEYOND AESTHETICS Once your native bamboo is mature, you can selectively harvest canes for a variety of uses. The shoots of all three native bamboo species are delicious, having a crunchy texture and a taste akin to raw sweet corn. They’re also nutritious and low in fat and calories. According to a brochure by Cooperative Extension Service at Washington State University, one cup of bamboo shoots is reported to contain approximately 14 calories and half a gram of fat. They are also high in fiber and a good source of heart-healthy potassium (640 mg per 1 cup serving). Fresh bamboo shoots also contain healthy phytochemicals that have antioxidant, antimutagenic, antibacterial and antiviral actions. They also include lignan, a natural phytoestrogen, and phenolic acids, which are known to be powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Besides being tasty and good for you and the environment, growing and selling native bamboo rhizomes, potted plants, cane poles and delectable young shoots, can also bring added income to your farm business. America’s native bamboo is as important and valuable today as it has ever been. It is an important natural and cultural resource that Americans should employ, both in the home landscape and in the wild. By avoiding exotic Asian cultivars and planting only America’s native bamboo species, we do ourselves and our environment a great service. Jill Henderson is an artist, author and organic gardener. She is editor of Show Me Oz (showmeoz. wordpress.com), a blog featuring articles on gardening, seed saving, nature ecology, wild edible and medicinal plants and culinary herbs. She has written three books: The Healing Power of Kitchen Herbs, A Journey of Seasons: A Year in the Ozarks High Country and The Garden Seed Saving Guide.

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REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Good Food, Bad Food REVIEW

The Food Cure Directed by Sarah Mabrouk The Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF) in the Nation’s Capital has for several years given prime-time slots to films about food. It remains to be seen whether the newest diet documentary, The Food Cure, will also receive top — or any — billing at the 2019 fest, the largest and most influential event of its kind in the United States. For those who care about what goes into their stomachs, The Food Cure is food for thought because of the message of hope it brings to cancer victims faced with a shortage of effective treatment options.

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The Food Cure has the potential to reach 30,000 viewers who attend the annual event in person and countless others who watch its selections online from their home computers. The film’s success ultimately depends on whether the corporate donors who pony up as much as $100,000 to the festival annually have the appetite to sponsor a movie with messaging that has the potential to detract from the revenue streams of their own subsidiary companies, particularly those tied to the pharmaceutical industry, which could happen if the DCEFF decides to showcase The Food Cure and enough of those who watch it begin to choose alternative holistic remedies over conventional allopathic pill-for-every-ill treatment protocols. The heavy hand of sponsorship apparently was in play in the case of Food Evolution, a 2017 DCEFF film narrated by celebrity scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Food Evolution was portrayed as an impartial examination of “a brutally polarized debate plagued by distrust and confusion surrounding genetically modified foods, demonstrating how fear and misinformation can overwhelm objective, evidencebased analysis.” Director Scott Hamilton Kennedy previously received an Academy Award nomination for The Garden, which described the plight of mostly Latinos who worked at a South Central Los Angeles farm demolished after a suspected backroom deal. However, Kennedy is suspected of a bit of backroom dealing of his own for failing to mention during his personal introduction of Food Evolution that the film received financial backing from corporations with a vested interest in promoting GMO agriculture. Before its screening, about half the audience members raised their hands after Kennedy asked how many of them had concerns about GMOs. After the showing, he posed the same

question, and only a few holdouts remained. Kennedy did likewise at other showings of his movie, including at the National Academy of Sciences, where he came across more as a GMO pitchman with a predetermined agenda than a serious cinematographer in search of the truth. While Food Evolution may attest to Kennedy’s persuasive skills as a filmmaker, it ignored a landmark 2015 finding by the prestigious International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization, that glyphosate (a key ingredient in the broad spectrum herbicide, Roundup, integral to GMO production), is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Food Evolution also neglected to note that thousands of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma victims of glyphosate/ Roundup have filed lawsuits against principle GMO producer Monsanto (recently taken over by Bayer). For that matter, it never questioned the safety of glyphosate/Roundup, period. Publications such as The Hollywood Reporter obscured these glaring omissions, kowtowing to industry hype that “the science on GMOs is settled,” and anyone who questions that narrative is “anti-science.” The involvement of Tyson, an astrophysicist, author and science communicator (but not, notably, a microbiologist) and The Hollywood Reporter’s mischaracterization of Food Evolution as “a polished and provocative call for activists to be as scientifically-minded as they believe they are,” shores up that narrative but does nothing to alter the facts. Nutrition expert and author professor Marion Nestle who appeared in Food Evolution, asked unsuccessfully to be removed from the film, and presumably is scientifically minded, accused Kennedy of taking her remarks out of context and dismissed his movie as a “slick piece of propaganda.” The DCEFF came under fire for screening Food Evolution by those familiar with the genetic modification of our food, including this journalist, who as a result was initially denied press credentials to the 2018 DCEFF.

The Food Cure, which has no corporate sponsors and nowhere near the budget of Food Evolution, takes the view that what we put into our mouths is a way to wellness rather than a commodity to enrich chemical companies. In a broad sense, this solid documentary stems from the timeless observation attributed to Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” — and also the failure of the “War on Cancer,” launched in 1971 by Richard Nixon. Despite having the best medical technology in the world and access to new medications pumped out by pharmaceutical companies, cancer still remains one of today’s top health scourges, with one-third of all women and one-half of all men statistically likely to become afflicted with the disease during their lifetimes. Because conventional medicine is both expensive and iffy in combating cancer, The Food Cure advocates greater access to increasingly popular alternative treatments for those who want them. Perhaps most notable among these are juicing protocols developed in the late 1930s by Dr. Max Gerson. Without fanfare, the film spotlights the successes of its subjects on their journeys to wellness at the same time it debunks, or at least tries to defuse, the narrative that only conventional allopathic treatments are worthy of our consideration and that everything else is quackery. To make her point, filmmaker Sarah Mabrouk takes us on a journey into the lives of six cancer victims of varying ages, genders and backgrounds who adopt get-well strategies for themselves centered around Gerson therapy while sidestepping conventional, allopathic treatment protocols pushed by conventional medicine. After being notified about their diagnosis, the six refuse to be bumrushed into accepting standard surgical and chemo therapy treatments. Instead each defers to the body’s own natural ability to heal itself. Mabrouk follows them around as they make the rounds between doc-

tors, researchers and psychologists. Their determination to pursue an alternative approach invited scorn from the medical establishment and sometimes members of their own families, even after prescribed juicing of organic fruits and vegetables revitalized the challenged immune systems of two-thirds of them. Detractors typically dismiss such success stories as quackery devoid of double-blind studies while overlooking the adverse effects of doubleblinded prescription drugs that according to official statistics kill in excess of 100,000 persons each year. In contrast, there is no official tolerance for age-old home remedies that cause no harm simply because there is generally no money in commercializing them. Novel “precision” treatments that are in the allopathic pipeline aim to ramp up the survivor rate, but may not be available for years to come, and then only at a cost that is beyond the reach of most people. The Food Cure offers hope that a “carrots over chemo” strategy will spark funding for alternative medical research, break the corporate crony stranglehold that favors pharmaceutical giants and diminish the use of drugs and regimens that, double-blinded or not, are largely ineffective and typically painful. For a crowdfunded documentary such as The Food Cure to finally arrive after eight years in the making attests to its resilience and integrity. But for this important film to reach growing numbers of consumers hungry for medical options it must now claw past the predetermined narratives of powerful industry players. Occasionally the unvarnished truth manages to slip through formidable barriers to entry. Hopefully, this will be one of those exceptions. — Mike Snow Mike Snow has worked as a journalist in Asia, Africa, South America and Washington, D.C., reporting about international and domestic politics, health, travel and agriculture. The Food Cure (2018). Directed by Sarah Mabrouk, produced by Alexander Wadough. Distributed by Upwind Pictures: thefoodcurefilm. com.

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Facebook can be one of the most effective social media platforms for marketing agriculture-based businesses. You can view ATTRA’s newly archived webinar, “Using Facebook to Grow Your Farm Business,” and find out how to best take advantage of what Facebook has to offer. The hour-long webinar — featuring National Center for Appropriate Technology Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Luke Freeman and Lauren Manning, Partner at Ozark Pasture Beef — will teach you how to set up and manage a Facebook page to help grow your farm business. It covers the basics of setting up a farm Facebook page from scratch, tips for creating content for your page, engaging with customers, leveraging Facebook advertising and tools for managing multiple accounts and scheduling posts.

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VIEW FROM THE COUNTRY FROM PAGE 2

does not create wealth. Wall Street trading of dollars does not create wealth, no matter what the pundits claim. There is a difference between a business profit and an economic profit. The United States has by and large shipped away its agricultural raw materials for decades while importing finished goods. Further, the value of raw materials is undervalued at the farm gate. The result is twofold. Undervaluing the raw material reduces the value that can be “multiplied” or built upon. Second, the wealth-boosting multiplier effect is given to other countries. Witness the tremendous growth of China’s economy and standard of living. In order to maintain the façade of a stabile and growing economy, debt is created and inflation ensues. That $800 acre of Iowa farmland 50 years ago is not really worth $10,000 now, nor is the $12,000 house of that era worth $350,000. The shortfall in payments to raw material suppliers — largely farmers — is the national debt.

Of course, all of the above is greatly simplified and hence inaccurate. Readers wanting to learn more about agriculture’s role in wealth creation and the economy as well as where we are in the curve of history will want to explore the founder of this publication’s book Unforgiven, the American Economic System Sold for Debt and War. This journal was founded on the premise that for agriculture to be economical it must be ecological. Understanding the parity equation is essential for all farmers. Modern-day farmers who are obtaining parity prices are doing so through producing non-toxic, premium-quality crops and animals and marketing them through fair sales mechanisms. Sometimes when the clutter of the day-to-day becomes overwhelming it helps to stand back (way back) and look at the big picture and the curve of history. Meanwhile the national news seems to focus on such essential topics as the sleeve style of the new princess. Oh well. And that’s the view from the country.

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tomatoes — managed comparably to all previous crops — never grew beyond the size of a golf ball. The farmer contacted his seed supplier who informed him that to make that organic seed available to him, they had acquired it from a new contract grower. The supplier reimbursed the farmer the cost of the failed seed (and presumably dropped that contract grower), but the damage was done. The farmer had to explain to his longtime customers that he’d be short on that popular variety while swallowing $25,000 in lost revenue. The statutory language for sourcing seed on an organic crop operation explicitly authorizes farmers to plant non-organically produced seeds under appropriate conditions. Determining whether those conditions have been satisfied begins once the farmer identifies the specific crop variety they will plant. The farmer has the discretion to determine this variety based on their knowledge of site-specific growing conditions on their land or specific marketing objectives (growing under contract, for example). The farmer is required to demonstrate and document that certified organic seed of that variety is not commercially available before they are authorized to plant the non-organic form. The regulations define commercial availability as, “the ability to obtain a production input in an appropriate form, quality, or quantity to fulfill an essential function in a system of organic production or handling, as determined by the certifying agent in the course of reviewing the organic plan.” This concept possesses an inherent element of subjectivity, but that hardly makes it unique within the crop standards. For example, the core crop requirement to “maintain or improve the physical, chemical and biological condition of soil quality” also lends itself to informed judgement rather than absolute certainty. Certifying agents typically require a farmer to search for the variety they intend to plant by contacting a minimum of

90 Acres U.S.A.

three organic suppliers before greenlighting use of non-organic seed. It is extremely important to note that the legal definition of “commercial availability” incorporates “quality” as a criterion for rejecting a potential source of organic seed. As the farmer from my example painfully learned, not all seed from any supplier is of equal quality and can be trusted to perform comparably. I’m sure that the farmer already knew this truth, though those who champion the availability of some untested current or market-inspired future organic supply may not. Farmers are generally aware of the differences in seed quality between individual suppliers in the attributes that matter most — germination, trait expression and yield — but may not realize that this knowledge is relevant to seed selection. The law specifically authorizes farmers to plant nonorganically produced seed when it is known to be of superior quality. I sincerely wish that every farmer applying for or renewing organic certification was aware of the information in the preceding three paragraphs. Countless times I have worked with organic farmers who thought that the organic standards compelled them to plant organic seed. In other instances, they were reluctant to push back when a certifying agent pressured them to do so. These farmers would greatly benefit from learning that the standards protect their right with proper documentation to plant non-organic seed. Is it too much for organic farmers to ask when they put their livelihoods on the line every planting season that they get to select the seed — both the variety and source — they believe gives them the greatest opportunity for success? Farmers can be forgiven for misinterpreting the standards because they tend to be quite busy actually farming. Certifying agents who work with the standards every day should know better. However, I am convinced that certifying agents who take a hard line on seed selection are responding (inappropriately) to pressure from USDA to crack the compliance whip.

So much of determining organic compliance is genuinely subjective: Is a farmer really maintaining or improving soil quality, doing enough good things with their rotation or conserving biodiversity? None of these requirements are easily quantifiable. Unfortunately, documenting annual increases in the percentage of organic seed planted has become a very dubious, yet readily measurable, yardstick for the “continuous improvement” element of compliance. In their letters, both Anthony and Kiki suggested that my preference for practicality over idealism when setting standards should count as a strike against my commitment to organic integrity. Not to worry, after 30 years of service to our movement, my faith in organic farming as the only viable remedy to the ecological and cultural blight attributable to industrial agriculture remains unshaken. I will continue to oppose efforts to “tighten” or “raise” the standards when the cost for doing so — which is always borne by the farmer — exceeds the value of the perceived benefits. This is an especially critical issue with regard to expanding domestic production of organic corn and soybeans. The vast majority of the germplasm necessary for doing so is only available in non-organic form — what is to be gained by denying organic farmers access to it? I commend Anthony for saving seeds adapted to his farm and Kiki for working with plant breeders to develop the next generation of organic seeds. However, that does not mean that all other organic farmers should be limited to those options when sourcing seed. Their choosing to work with a narrower genetic base should not impinge upon the right of other organic farmers to access the full range of resources available to them. When properly understood and enforced, the current organic standards clearly and appropriately sanction the planting of non-organic seed when the farmer makes the case for doing so. Diminishing that standard would expose many organic crop farmers to serious financial risk.

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COLORADO September 24-26. Women in Agribusiness Summit. Denver, CO. womeninag.com

CONNECTICUT September 22. Farm Aid 2018. XFINITY Theater, Hartford, CT. farmaid.org

ILLINOIS September 4. Field Day: Water Quality and Soil Health Field. Kirk Kimble, Water Quality Site, Cover Crop Plot Field, Toluca, IL. soilhealthpartnership.org September 6. Field Day: Cover Crops: Seeding Techniques. Decatur, IL. soilhealthpartnership.org September 11-13. Midwest Biosystems Compost Workshop. Tampico, IL. midwestbiosystems. com/workshops September 14. Field Day: Cover Crop Diversity and Soil Health with Greg Thoren. Stockton, IL. soilhealthpartnership.org September 26. Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day. PrairiErth Farm, Atlanta, IL. thelandconnection.org/farmers September 30. Women Who Farm Series: Pastured Livestock & Poultry with Beth Osmund. Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm, Ottawa, IL. thelandconnection.org/ WWF2018

INDIANA September 6. Shuter Sunset Farms Field Day. Shuter Sunset Farms, Frankton, IN. 765-2082422 or email Mike Shuter at mike@ shutersunsetfarms.com September 7-8. The Lean Farm Start-Up: 2-Day Intensive Course with Ben Hartman. Clay Bottom Farm, Goshen, IN. claybottomfarm.com/buy/leanfarm-design

IOWA November 2-3. 2018 WFAN (Women Food & Ag Network) Annual Conference: Stepping Into Action: Changing Foodscapes through Individual and Community Power. Des Moines, IA. wfan.org/2018-wfan-annualconference

KANSAS September 28-30. The Land Institute’s Prairie Festival: Economic Transformations for an Ecological Civilization. The Land Institute, Salina, KS. landinstitute.org/news-events/eventcalendar/prairie-festival or 785823-5376

LOUISIANA September 7. Chefs Taste Challenge 2018: Battle of the Gulf. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. New Orleans, LA. chefstastechallenge.com September 7-8. Farm & Table New Orleans. New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. New Orleans, LA. farmandtablenola.com or 504-582-3072

MICHIGAN September 16. Diversified Vegetable Farm and Commercial Kitchen Tour. Zilke Vegetable Farm. Milan, MI. oeffa.org, zilkevegetablefarm.com or 734-2602324

MISSOURI October 29-30. Organic & Non-GMO Forum: Oilseeds & Grains at the Crossroads. Hyatt Regency-St. Louis at the Arch, St. Louis, MO. ongforum.com

NEW MEXICO October 31-November 2. Regenerate: Nurture Diversity, Build Resilience. A conference of Holistic Management International, American Grassfed Association and Quivira Coalition. Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, Albuquerque, NM. quivi racoalition.org/regenerate

NEW YORK September 12-13. Lessons We Can Learn from the Pasture with Sarah Flack, Dr. Silvia Abel-Caines, Steve Gabriel and Jonathan Zeiset. The Heron Farm and Event Center, Sherman, NY. grassfedworkshop.eventbrite.com; facebook.com/greenher ongrowers September 13. Food, Farming, and Sustainability Conference. International Affairs Building, Kellogg Center, Columbia University, New York, NY. scienceandsociety.columbia.edu/cssevent/ food-farming-sustainability-conference October 3. 2nd Annual Food Tank Summit: Focusing on Food Loss and Food Waste. Tishman Auditorium, Vanderbilt Hall, New York, NY. foodtank.com

OHIO September 2. Small Sustainable Pastured Egg and Market Garden Tour. Freshtown Farm/ City Bird Columbus, Pataskala, OH. oeffa.org, freshtownfarm.com or 916-533-8646 September 9. Natural Fish Farm Tour. Kingdom Fish, Rushsylvania, OH. oeffa.org, kingdomfish. com or 937-539-2529 September 23. Regenerative, Year-Round Urban Market Farm Tour. Dayton Urban Growing Training Farm/Mission of Mary Farm. Dayton, OH. oeffa.org or 937-610-3845

VIRGINIA November 7-10. Fall Biodynamic Practicum: Comprehensive Training in Biodynamic Preparations Making by Hugh Courtney. Enrollment limited. Earth Legacy Agriculture, Woolwine, VA. earthlegacyagriculture.com or 276-930-1377

WISCONSIN September 25. MOSES Organic Field Day: High Tunnel Selection, Construction and Production. Thao’s Garden, Spring Valley, WI. mosesorganic.org or 715-778-5775

CANADA September 30. Salt Spring Apple Festival. Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada. saltspringapplefestival.org

INTERNATIONAL October 15-17. New Ag International Annual Conference & Exhibition. Nanning, Guangxi, China. newag-china.com November 14-16. Transforming Tropical Agriculture: Conference for All Belizean Farmers. National Agriculture & Trade Show (NATS) Grounds, Belmopan, Belize. regenerationinternational.org/belize-conference-2018 December 5-6. International Conference on Plant and Soil Science. Osaka, Japan. meetingsint .com/conferences/plantsoilscience

TEXAS October 14-16. Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance 12th Annual Farm & Food Leadership Conference with David Montgomery and Anne Biklé. Old County Courthouse, McKinney, TX. farmandranchfreedom. org/farm-food-leadership-conference or 254-697-2661

LIST YOUR ECO-AG MEETINGS AND SEMINARS HERE. Submit specifics at least 2-3 months in advance to editor@acresusa.com or call 800-355-5313.

September 2018 95

MEET AN ECO-FARMER

Why did you begin farming? We own farm property that has been in our family for generations. When I decided that I wanted a cattle herd like my grandmother’s, I had to consider what the purpose would be. The answer was to properly manage the land and provide ethically produced beef — all grass-fed and grassfinished for my family. Have you always been an eco-farmer? We have always been eco-farmers. What was the biggest hurdle you have overcome? Our biggest hurdle so far has been learning all about cattle herding and grass finishing, but I love the land, my cows and am very proud of our product. What is your current biggest challenge? Our biggest challenge now is distribution of beef. Because of FDA regulations, and the lack of abattoirs in our area, we can only sell by the quarter, half or whole carcass and cannot ship.

96 Acres U.S.A.

Farmers: Allen & Eleanor McCain Farm size: 80 acres established Year established: 2012 Products: Pasture-raised, grass-fed and finished Highland beef. From calf to harvest, we never leave our closed herd. We are not certified, but use organic practices. The cows are fed hay in the winter that we have produced and are never given antibiotics or hormones. Contact: redbriarhighlands.com; 850-864-3815

What is the best piece of advice you ever received about farming? Education is key! Consumers are unaware that a label may say grassfed, but that only means that a cow ate grass sometime during its life. It does not mean it lived on a pasture and was on grass from calf to plate. What do you see in store for the future of sustainable farming? The future of sustainable farming will depend on an educated consumer and the opportunity to get a great product to the people who want it. If you have ever been to a feedlot, you will never want meat except straight from the farm again. I have several articles that may be of interest to Acres U.S.A. readers on our website.

Red Briar Highlands Ashland, Alabama

Submit your farm story. If published, receive a $50 gift card: acresusa.com/meet-an-eco-farmer or call 1-800-355-5313.

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Please contact your local dealer: California - King City

(831) 262-4880

New Mexico - Artesia

Florida -Tampa

(727) 919-0511

New Jersey - Bridgeton (609) 970-0838

Florida

(401) 640-5117

NewYork - Finger Lakes (585) 526-5954

Idaho - King Hill

(208) 859-2887

Ohio - Dayton

Illinois -Tampico

(309) 314-5582

(513) 267-0148

Iowa

(480) 242-3344

Ohio - Warren

(440) 321-9604

Kansas

(480) 242-3344

Oregon (Southern)

(541) 297-4281

Michigan - Saginaw

(989) 737-6415

Missouri - Middletown (417) 253-6270 Missouri - Middletown (573) 549-2231

(575) 746-7708

Pennsylvania - Lancaster (717) 687-9606 x6 South Dakota

(480) 242-3344

Texas - San Angelo

(575) 513-4532

Nebraska - O’Neill

(308) 383-3287

Texas - San Antonio

(210) 863-3565

Nebraska

(480) 242-3344

Texas - Seminole

(432) 209-1362

New England

(401) 640-5117

Wisconsin - Hillsboro

(608) 489-3600

Inquiries for other regions, call (877) 323-3003 www.greatwesternsales.com

September 2018 97

potash noun potÂˇash \ pĂ¤t-ash \

Potash or potassium is one of the most misunderstood and potentially detrimental agricultural minerals. The overuse of potassium destroys soil structure, suffocating soil microbes. Without microbes, the potash left on the surface or applied as manure cannot and will not be converted into plant nutrients. Achieving nutrient density can only be accomplished with proper potassium management. In many cases, this involves incorporating organic matter through intelligent tillage and/or reducing manure applications. When organic matter or manure is left on the surface of a compacted soil, it will oxidize and burn much like a forest fire. The excess potash or potassium left behind creates a hotbed for weed growth and compacts the soil. The over-application of manure, potassium fertilizers, and improper soil health management also limits the plants' ability to attain nutrient density. Potassium is the only nutrient that a plant will absorb when amounts in the soil are in excess. This luxury consumption SEVERELY degrades crop quality and nutrient density. Potassium as an input is rarely needed, and with proper management this input can be reduced. Creating a proper soil environment with available calcium and incorporating potassium solubilizing bacteria into the soil can improve the availability of potassium in your soil up to 40%. Nutrient density and high crop production can coexist in a healthy soil built with help from Soil Works LLC.

FOLLOW US ON 4 2 0 0 W 8 t h S t , Ya n k t o n , S D 5 7 0 7 8 - w w w . s o i l w o r k s l l c . c o m - 6 0 5 - 2 6 0 - 0 7 8 4 98 Acres U.S.A.

September 2018 issue of Acres U.S.A. Magazine

Articles inside

Manure Happens