Howle’s Hints

BY JOHN HOWLE

IT STILL TAKES FAITH

FROM PLANTING TO HARVESTING

There was a time in Alabama agriculture following WWII where farmers began to see enough real income to purchase a truly innovative piece of equipment to replace the mules. It was the tractor. Today GPS, computerized round balers, artificial intelligence for interpreting a field’s statistical data, cell phone apps, and disease resistant plant species are all currently available if you’re willing to pay for it. All these innovations, however, do not take into account that faith is required in any planting or animal raising enterprise.

Here’s an excerpt from a magazine article I read recently on incorporating artificial intelligence into the farm. The entire article gives no regard to the faith required so that the produce or the animals will grow, and it

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” - Ecclesiastes 11:4

probably causes a blow-out on their jargon generating machine. Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it fully.”

“Remote sensors enable algorithms to interpret a field’s environment as statistical data that can be understood and useful to farmers for decision-making. Algorithms process the data, adapting and learning based on the data received. The more inputs and statistical information collected, the better the algorithm will be at predicting a range of outcomes. And the aim is that farmers can use this artificial intelligence to achieve their goal of a better harvest through making better decisions in the field.”

Farm to Table

We may never find the perfect weather conditions for planting or harvesting through technology, but it takes faith to make the decision to do either one. Faith tells us to expect a garden harvest from seeds we planted in the spring and calves from bred cows.

Changes Coming

After the pandemic, we realized just how quickly food could diminish from store shelves and how supply chains could disrupt the inventory of food supplies. As we watch the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, there are more implications for the food supply. The Russian invasion and the sanctions of Moscow have greatly reduced the production of crops and fertilizer in Russia and Ukraine. This has sent certain areas of the Middle East and Africa into the threat of famine.

Combine this with rising food and fuel prices and ever-increasing inflation, and you have a recipe for serious food production problems. Instead of posing gloom and doom scenarios, many folks in the state of Alabama are taking matters into their own hands by raising their own backyard chicken and eggs, producing more of their own food through gardens, and buying more locally-raised fruits and vegetables.

In my area of Alabama, there have been many new businesses pop up on people’s farms to cater to the local community to make food available. Farmers markets are becoming much more in demand and local people are converting their barns and property into raising local food. In the community of Hawk, Alabama, a farm family converted a fourbay garage into an open-air restaurant and venue for selling locally raised meat and produce as well as a you pay, you pick strawberry patch. The name of their enterprise is called “The Market.” There are many new venues such as this opening up all around Alabama so that the local population can show their

The Omnivore’s Dilemma

A great piece of literature is a book called "The Omnivore’s Dilemma." This book showcases where our food comes from and explains how it is produced or raised. Written by Michael Pollan, the book allows you to go undercover at the supermarket asking questions like “What does the organic sticker on a banana really mean?” and “Where did the chicken in that nugget grow up?” Finally, the book showcases how some farming entrepreneurs have met the demands for locally-raised, healthy food products and how we as producers and consumers can keep a healthy, environmentally sound supply of food for our communities and neighbors.

Michael Pollan’s book showcases where our food comes from.

Put Clover All Over

Whether you are planting fall food plots or fall pastures, Durana white clover is a great addition to your fall food provisions. A good stand of white clover can fix up to 100-150 pounds of nitrogen per acre, and the good part is this nitrogen is available to the surrounding plant roots in an organic form. White clover grows great as a companion crop to fall grasses such as rye grass, wheat, fescue, orchardgrass or oats. Visit www.pennington.com to find out more.

Prescribed Burning

One of the oldest and most effective land management techniques is prescribed burning. The land where the burn takes place is left with a higher pH because of the potash-rich ashes. Other benefits include reduction in forest floor fuel, removal of unwanted growth or sprouts without spraying chemicals, and improved forage for wild game. Timing is critical when planning a prescribed burn. If you are wanting to control woody vegetation, you would want to conduct the burn in late spring. If you want to stimulate early spring growth, a late winter/early spring burn would be best.

Take time to support your local farmers through farmers markets and be sure to show your food independence by growing vegetables and produce on your own. Also, be sure to visit your local Co-op to stock up on your food production supplies. You know you’ll be getting a healthy and environmentally friendly product.

A prescribed burn is one of the oldest, cheapest, and most effective land management techniques for controlling forest floor growth.