Good Earth

When Beach Plum Farm started in 2007, it began bringing the farm to Cape Resorts’ tables long before farm–to–table was a household phrase. The vision was to revive local agriculture and give Congress Hall a farm for its tables as it had under Watters Miller, the owner of Congress Hall in the 1850s.

Not legally “organic”, but truly “sustainable”, Beach Plum is moving past these hijacked buzzwords. The farm has always rejected the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides, and it supplies food to restaurants just 1.5 miles away, meaning greenhouse gas emissions are minimal.

Today, Beach Plum Farm is taking another big step forward with regenerative farming. An exciting agricultural method still in its infancy, regenerative farming is green growing—or growing green, the farming of the future. “This is about understanding the natural ecological system,” explained agricultural director Christina Albert. “It’s about working with nature, instead of trying to control it.”

Regenerative agriculture allows for the conservation of soil by rotating its use. Beach Plum Farm’s fields all follow a 3-year cycle. To start the process, a field is given a season of rest by planting a cover crop. Livestock grazing and allowing free-range poultry to roam is the focus of the second season, while the third season is a return to growing produce.

According to the United Nations, the world needs topsoil to grow 95% of its food. But conventional farming practices are degrading this soil so rapidly, we could run out within 60 years.

Part of the problem is large-scale tilling, the practice of loosening soil to suppress weeds and allow plants to spread their roots. This process releases planet-killing carbon dioxide into the air, increases erosion and depletes soil nutrient levels. This, in turn, leads to an increased need for synthetic fertilizer.

“You know it’s better for humans to eat their vitamins rather than take a supplement,” Albert said. “Fertilizer is like that supplement. It may get the job done, but crops would rather have their nutrients come from a natural source.”

To sidestep these problems, Beach Plum Farm is opting to forego tilling on certain fields throughout the year. Instead, the operation is planting cover crops—such as millet, clover, sun hemp and cowpeas. While these grains and legumes are not profitable, they are beautiful, and

they allow for the benefits of tilling (aerated soil, weed suppression) while counteracting the drawbacks. Instead of releasing carbon dioxide into the air, cover crops sequester it. They also prevent soil erosion and help maintain nutrient levels. As an added bonus, cover crops boost biodiversity, increasing the presence of birds and helpful insects, like honeybees.

Following each cover-crop cycle, farm livestock—either free-range chickens or grazing pigs—are set free on the rested land in an effort to, as the farmers say, “keep the poop in the loop.” Rather than synthetic fertilizer, animal waste is used to cycle nutrients back into the earth, just as nature intended. This way, when the land is ready for, say, zucchini or eggplant or Jersey tomatoes, the soil is as healthy as can be.

“We’re allowing for an environment the crops understand,” Albert said, “rather than making them conform to an environment that’s been thrust upon them.”

If this sounds less than appetizing, no worries—the poop composts for a year before the crops you eat are

This season, Christina planted rye and crimson clover as cover crops on the Main Field.

The farm's chickens play an important part in the soil fertilization process.

anywhere near harvest, whereas synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used by conventional farmers are far more likely to end up all over your plate.

Because the end result of regenerative farming includes healthier land, healthier farmers and better tasting food, Albert’s hope is that it catches on like wildfire—or at least like the organic craze did. In the meantime, she is content making a small-but-powerful impact in Cape May.

“Having the opportunity to supply our restaurants while doing right by the land is fantastic,” she said. “We hope to be a beacon for those interested in promoting good ecological practices, and we want people who visit this place to know: Our food was grown in a way that mirrors the values of Cape Resorts. We’re not just talking the talk… we’re walking the walk, too.”

A Timeline of Beach Plum Farm

2005

Discovery & identification of the land, using aerial wartime reconnaissance photos

2006

Bushwhacking our way through to clear the fields & main path

2007

The main path is constructed

2008

The first harvest. Meager, but significant!

2009

Our Farm Stand opens

2010

Beach Plum Farm gets its first livestock: Berkshire pigs!

A Timeline of Beach Plum Farm

2011

Beach Plum Farm gets its first egg-laying chickens

2015

The main Amish Barn is raised

2015

The Farm Market opens

2016

The Farm Kitchen opens

2016

Beach Plum Farm hosts its first Farm-toTable Dinner

2018

The Beach Plum Farm Cottages are introduced