It's March 19th which means tomorrow is officially.........SPRING! Yay! Interesting thing though, it's felt like spring for a long time and I attribute that to two reasons: 1) we've had an abnormally warm winter the past month or so and, 2) all of the garden planning and seeding and greenhouse building we've been doing the past couple months have made it SEEM like spring even though it was winter. That's all good for me. I'm not naturally a winter person. I have to convince myself to enjoy winter and see all the positives it can present, so a very long extended spring is just fine with me.
I've had some very enjoyable experiences as well as had the opportunity to learn some good lessons over the past month. I received several shipments of seeds which I had ordered for this year's gardens. Each shipment just feels like the best birthday present EVER! My husband and son and I also made a trip to Bozeman, MT, to visit our daughter for several days. Trips to Bozeman are always enjoyable events because I so appreciate the healthy attitude which is all about Bozeman. It's just in the air there. I like Bozeman so much that I don't think I'd ever want to live there because the shininess might wear off, if you know what I mean.
While we were in Bozeman I had the opportunity to visit a local farm/CSA called Gallatin Valley Botanical and meet the owners, Jacy and Matt. Even though their set-up has a lot of differences in how we are planning to or are doing things, there are some commonalities, too. It was so nice to see how another CSA is gearing up for the season.
Evidently the planets were all aligned when we visited Bozeman because I was also able to line up the purchase of nearly 200 pounds of organic certified seed potatoes from Kimm's Organic Seed Potatoes. This was one of those situations that was borne out of my lack of foresight (a lesson hopefully learned) that led to a wonderful meet-up with Yvonne Kimm, the owner of Kimm's Organic Seed Potatoes.
The week before our trip to Bozeman I decided it was time to get my seed potato order in and started checking out online places to order the potatoes. I had made some quick calls about the Black Hills to find out there really weren't any opportunities locally to buy local organic seed potatoes, and then started the online quest. I did finally find a couple places to order the potatoes and saw that many varieties were already sold out for the 2012 season (lesson), but this being my first year of growing organic potatoes, I wasn't in a terribly picky state of mind. I just wanted at least a couple varieties with one being a good storage potato so hopefully I can have extras to put in a root cellar in the fall. So, I finally got my order lined out with an out-of-state company and got to the "add on shipping and handling" portion and realized that for 200 pounds of seed potatoes I would be paying approximately $200 in shipping. Yikes! Up until now I'd only been ordering seeds, so shipping was very minimal or even free. I hadn't even considered the fact that 200 pounds of seed potatoes would weigh 200 pounds! Yep, seems obvious, doesn't it? At this point I began to get a little panicky. The shipping cost would throw my seed budget way out of whack, yet I dare not wait very long or I wouldn't have any organic options at all. So then I started thinking, "where could I potentially drive and pick up organic seed potatoes"........ah ha! We were heading for Bozeman in a few days!
After several phone calls, interesting conversations, and e-mails around the Bozeman area, I finally hooked up with Yvonne Kimm and was thrilled to find out that they did have 4-5 varieties of certified organic seed potatoes available right now and yes they could hook me up with around 200 pounds while we were in Bozeman. Woohoo! So while we were visiting our daughter, we made a drive out to the Kimm Farm and had a chance to talk with Yvonne and learn a little about the family's several generation conventional seed potato business and how that had by chance given way to a side business of organic seed potatoes for Yvonne. I'm so glad it did! From that visit I ended up with Yukon Golds, Russets, Cherry Reds, and Fingerling potatoes and I can't wait to get those babies in the ground.
Another lesson I have learned in the past month is that no matter how nice it may seem in the greenhouse, you (meaning I) should not assume baby seedlings will want to make the big move from inside the 60-70 degree house under grow lamps to the big bright 40 to 100 degree greenhouse. So my baby onions unfortunately provided me with a good lesson about the need to slowly adapt tender seedlings (even if they are just onions) to a new setting. A visitor to the greenhouse suggested that I should probably just start early season seedlings like onions right in the greenhouse so they have a heads up right at germination about what's in store for them. So yesterday I seeded another 1000 onions and placed them immediately in the greenhouse for hopefully a better outcome.
Along with the onions I have also seeded parsley, basil, leeks, and cabbage. Right now I'm seeding as quickly as I can make soil blocks which come 50 to a tray for the 2-inch size or 300 per tray for the micro's.
Last week we also had the opportunity to meet Trish and Jeremy from Cycle Farm (www.cyclefarm.wordpress.com) in Spearfish. I had been conversing with them through e-mail and phone for a few weeks, so it was so nice to finally get to meet them. They came out to our place to look at our new greenhouse as they are hoping to build a greenhouse soon on their acreage. Again, their acreage has many differences in comparison to ours, but we have a lot of common goals and ideals so it is fun to talk gardening and healthy living with them.
And finally, two other things we've been working on: our NRCS application for their high tunnel cost share program and the organic certification application. We just found out on Friday that we have been fully approved for our NRCS cost share application, so that means a new high tunnel is in our near future. Yay! And I am on the downhill side of our organic certification application which has really made us think through the next several years of garden management and cropland management. I believe that's all to our advantage and I look forward to the challenge of becoming organic certified.
Enjoy your spring and please e-mail, call, or Facebook message us if you'd like to compare lessons!
Michelle Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
www.BearButteGardens.com
605-490-2919
email: Michelle@BearButteGardens.com
Monday, March 19, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Endless Planning!
I am in Week 8 of 2012 and already feel like I have utilized the weeks of this new year very well! Let me illustrate:
Week 1 - attended the Growers' Conference in Missouri
Week 2 - released information about the Bear Butte Gardens CSAs for 2012
Week 3 - took inventory of the seeds I already had on hand and made a list of the seeds I wished to purchase and plant and received my first check for a CSA!
Week 4 - started fine tuning the "planting plan" and working on this year's farmer's market plans
Week 5 - seeded the first 1000 seed onions into the first round of soil blocks and placed them under grow lights in the house and became licensed to accept SNAP/EBT cards for selling produce
Week 6 - first seedlings began to successfully emerge under grow lights, seeded first seeds into containers in the new greenhouse
Week 7 - placed orders for the seeds I still needed for the spring and summer plantings ( a LOT!) and started the second batch of seeds in containers in the greenhouse
Week 8 - moved onion seedlings in soil blocks to the greenhouse and finished detailed planting plan
So now I'm at a point between initially getting things started and patiently waiting for my seed orders so I can gradually get the rest of the produce started. There are a lot of variables to keep in mind when creating a planting plan for the amount of produce I wish to harvest this growing season. There are the uncontrollable variables: non-viable seed and weather. I'm trying to minimize the effects of the uncontrollable variables by having multiple back-up plans such as lots of extra seed on hand for quick re-seeding of non-germinating seed and a small greenhouse now plus hopefully a larger high tunnel within a couple months to help compensate for the ever-present "wacky South Dakota weather" variable.
And then there are the controllable variables which tend to create the most headaches for me:
There are some things that are thankfully just decided and I don't need to debate them anymore:
Week 1 - attended the Growers' Conference in Missouri
Week 2 - released information about the Bear Butte Gardens CSAs for 2012
Week 3 - took inventory of the seeds I already had on hand and made a list of the seeds I wished to purchase and plant and received my first check for a CSA!
Week 4 - started fine tuning the "planting plan" and working on this year's farmer's market plans
Week 5 - seeded the first 1000 seed onions into the first round of soil blocks and placed them under grow lights in the house and became licensed to accept SNAP/EBT cards for selling produce
Week 6 - first seedlings began to successfully emerge under grow lights, seeded first seeds into containers in the new greenhouse
Week 7 - placed orders for the seeds I still needed for the spring and summer plantings ( a LOT!) and started the second batch of seeds in containers in the greenhouse
Week 8 - moved onion seedlings in soil blocks to the greenhouse and finished detailed planting plan
So now I'm at a point between initially getting things started and patiently waiting for my seed orders so I can gradually get the rest of the produce started. There are a lot of variables to keep in mind when creating a planting plan for the amount of produce I wish to harvest this growing season. There are the uncontrollable variables: non-viable seed and weather. I'm trying to minimize the effects of the uncontrollable variables by having multiple back-up plans such as lots of extra seed on hand for quick re-seeding of non-germinating seed and a small greenhouse now plus hopefully a larger high tunnel within a couple months to help compensate for the ever-present "wacky South Dakota weather" variable.
And then there are the controllable variables which tend to create the most headaches for me:
- What kind of tomatoes should I grow this year?
- How many leaves of chard will I put in a weekly CSA box?
- Do I really need to grow turnips even if I don't like them?
- Is it better to have garden rows running north-south or east-west? These are the kinds of things that drive me crazy!
There are some things that are thankfully just decided and I don't need to debate them anymore:
- Sell produce through CSAs or farmer's market? Both!
- Organic or non-organic seed? Organic!
- Soil blocks or seed trays? Soil blocks!
- A variety of produce or just the basics? A variety! For anyone who knows me, this shouldn't be surprising.
- Heirlooms or hybrids? As many heirlooms as I can possibly find in organic seed, but I'll compromise for a really good, time-proven organic hybrid and be happy with that.
At this point this blog is going to switch from "I" to "we" as I'm going to start discussing farm implements and they are definitely my husband's area of knowledge, not mine.
There are several implement additions that we need to add to our arsenal over the next several years as budget allows. Part of this year's Planting Plan depends on the implements we can purchase. Currently we have a good tractor with a bucket, a platform mower, an old disc, a blade, an old plow, and a walk-behind rear-tine tiller. Items on the "to buy" list are a tiller for the tractor, mixer for mixing soil for seed starting, deeper plow, water wheel transplanter, cultivator, precision seeder, etc.
We also need to work into this year's plan purchasing more bee supers and the additional bees to go in them, putting up a high tunnel greenhouse, putting rain gutters on the present greenhouse and setting up a system of containers for gathering the rain, tearing down and building new fences, planting one shelter belt this year and plowing for another one to be planted next year, building a new chicken coop and some chicken tractors.
So, in reading back through this blog, what I'm happy about is that I know I'm going to be busy for a while! If any of these tasks sound appealing or you'd just like to discuss what we've learned along the way, just drop us an e-mail. We're always glad to have some help or just compare methods with a fellow gardener.
Michelle Grosek
Sturgis, SD
Sturgis, SD
www.BearButteGardens.com
e-mail: Michelle@BearButteGardens.com
Monday, January 9, 2012
Preparing for the Sun
I just got back from a four-day trip to St. Joseph, Missouri, to attend the Great Plains Growers' Conference. Having been through my first year of really seriously focusing on the gardens, I now understand why growers' conferences happen in January and February! Hopefully everyone has recovered from the holidays and is ready to buckle down and start planning their crops for the year in anticipation of some great sunshine. We are in perihelion this year, so let our proximity to the sun shine upon our faces and our gardens!
My husband attended with me and we split the sessions we attended to get as much information as we could. The weather was absolutely beautiful for the 12-hour drive both ways, our lodging was great (Museum Hill Bed & Breakfast), the conference sessions were well planned out and well presented, and we accumulated a lot of discussion items to consider over the next months to years as we build our business at Bear Butte Gardens.
This particular conference attempts to meld the different theories on gardening and farming ranging from conventional to organic and sustainable. You could sign up for whichever tracks and sessions you wanted to attend. Since we are pursuing organic certification and smaller scale gardening (small compared to conventional farming of hundreds or thousands of acres, large compared to the traditional family garden) on the first day Rick chose to attend a track geared toward using high tunnel greenhouses and I chose a track geared toward CSA (community supported agriculture) farming.
Most of what I heard during day one was on the organic side of the options. It just seems that people who do CSA farming are more geared toward organic than not, so the sessions tend to lean in that direction. Rick's sessions on high tunnels were somewhat organic, but really focused on the kinds of crops you can grow, the actual building of high tunnels, and utilizing high tunnels in all seasons. We came away from the sessions at the end of the day with a load of new information and some affirmations of things we already knew.
Day two was interesting because there wasn't a track per say, but you could pick and choose different sessions throughout the day. Rick chose to sit in on some small fruit sessions and I chose sessions focused on transitioning into organic. Again, my sessions were as you would think.....mostly geared toward organic production. Midway through my first session of the day, which was about methods of seeding and transplanting, I was pretty engrossed in the basics of building your benches in a greenhouse, watering options, seed trays vs. soil blocks.....when I got a text from Rick asking where I was. A couple minutes later he showed up and I asked, "what happened to the small fruit session?" to which he replied, "well, the first sentence out of the presenter's mouth was "when you're growing small fruits such as berries you will want to start off with spraying all of your plantable area with Roundup" and they just never left that mindset", so 30-40 minutes later he determined that wasn't the session he wanted to attend and joined me for the rest of the day in my sessions. Just for a little history, we bought our land almost 16 years ago and we've always strived to go as natural as possible and use as few sprays as possible. So, the "Go Roundup!" cheer never lasts very long on Team Grosek.
I think this example just goes to show the widely varying views that are occurring now, even just in the Plains states, about how to grow a simple strawberry or tomato. I fully respect those who are conventional farming the way their father did and possibly even their grandfather. They have put food on our tables for decades. But I am very excited that I have the opportunity to explore some different options in small acreage farming and that there seems to be a good-sized population out there waiting for me to do it. I am a very cheap person at heart and the idea of laying out a lot of cash for pesticides and herbicides has just never set well with me, so I utilize as many free or near-free environmentally friendly methods as I can to avoid that cash outlay. I'm hoping that in the end I will be able to cover my costs, maybe share some information that I have learned with others along the way, and make for some healthy eating at the same time. Because, you know, at the end of the day it's all about the food. ;-)
Michelle Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Sturgis, SD
michelle@bearbuttegardens.com
Follow us on Twitter & Facebook!
My husband attended with me and we split the sessions we attended to get as much information as we could. The weather was absolutely beautiful for the 12-hour drive both ways, our lodging was great (Museum Hill Bed & Breakfast), the conference sessions were well planned out and well presented, and we accumulated a lot of discussion items to consider over the next months to years as we build our business at Bear Butte Gardens.
This particular conference attempts to meld the different theories on gardening and farming ranging from conventional to organic and sustainable. You could sign up for whichever tracks and sessions you wanted to attend. Since we are pursuing organic certification and smaller scale gardening (small compared to conventional farming of hundreds or thousands of acres, large compared to the traditional family garden) on the first day Rick chose to attend a track geared toward using high tunnel greenhouses and I chose a track geared toward CSA (community supported agriculture) farming.
Most of what I heard during day one was on the organic side of the options. It just seems that people who do CSA farming are more geared toward organic than not, so the sessions tend to lean in that direction. Rick's sessions on high tunnels were somewhat organic, but really focused on the kinds of crops you can grow, the actual building of high tunnels, and utilizing high tunnels in all seasons. We came away from the sessions at the end of the day with a load of new information and some affirmations of things we already knew.
Day two was interesting because there wasn't a track per say, but you could pick and choose different sessions throughout the day. Rick chose to sit in on some small fruit sessions and I chose sessions focused on transitioning into organic. Again, my sessions were as you would think.....mostly geared toward organic production. Midway through my first session of the day, which was about methods of seeding and transplanting, I was pretty engrossed in the basics of building your benches in a greenhouse, watering options, seed trays vs. soil blocks.....when I got a text from Rick asking where I was. A couple minutes later he showed up and I asked, "what happened to the small fruit session?" to which he replied, "well, the first sentence out of the presenter's mouth was "when you're growing small fruits such as berries you will want to start off with spraying all of your plantable area with Roundup" and they just never left that mindset", so 30-40 minutes later he determined that wasn't the session he wanted to attend and joined me for the rest of the day in my sessions. Just for a little history, we bought our land almost 16 years ago and we've always strived to go as natural as possible and use as few sprays as possible. So, the "Go Roundup!" cheer never lasts very long on Team Grosek.
I think this example just goes to show the widely varying views that are occurring now, even just in the Plains states, about how to grow a simple strawberry or tomato. I fully respect those who are conventional farming the way their father did and possibly even their grandfather. They have put food on our tables for decades. But I am very excited that I have the opportunity to explore some different options in small acreage farming and that there seems to be a good-sized population out there waiting for me to do it. I am a very cheap person at heart and the idea of laying out a lot of cash for pesticides and herbicides has just never set well with me, so I utilize as many free or near-free environmentally friendly methods as I can to avoid that cash outlay. I'm hoping that in the end I will be able to cover my costs, maybe share some information that I have learned with others along the way, and make for some healthy eating at the same time. Because, you know, at the end of the day it's all about the food. ;-)
Michelle Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Sturgis, SD
michelle@bearbuttegardens.com
Follow us on Twitter & Facebook!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Christmas for a Gardener
Today I had an opportunity that I couldn't pass up......the chance to buy approx. 150 packets of various kinds of organic seeds for a good deal. As I was looking through my bag of seed packets after the deal had been made, a friend asked me if it was like Christmas and I'm sure I was beaming as I said "yes, yes it is!"
I'm a person who likes to be very independent and controlling of my destiny, yet I like a little surprise now and again. So the idea of a whole bag full of seed packets that I hadn't individually chosen was very exciting to me. There wasn't a lot of risk to the purchase as I knew the lady who was parting with the seeds, I knew the brand of seeds, and I had actually planted several packets of this brand of seeds this year and they all did great. So it was just a good deal all around.
I had never really considered the idea of seeds as a "gift" before today, but for crying out loud, why hadn't I? It's a land of never-ending choices for the gift giver and receiver. What gardener wouldn't love seeds?! I can't believe I haven't thought of it sooner. Although I do feel the need to insert a word of caution here: Do not try to turn a non-gardener into a gardener by giving them seeds. It more than likely won't be a well-received gift.
So, here's a little sample of what I got in my "grab bag":
I'm a person who likes to be very independent and controlling of my destiny, yet I like a little surprise now and again. So the idea of a whole bag full of seed packets that I hadn't individually chosen was very exciting to me. There wasn't a lot of risk to the purchase as I knew the lady who was parting with the seeds, I knew the brand of seeds, and I had actually planted several packets of this brand of seeds this year and they all did great. So it was just a good deal all around.
I had never really considered the idea of seeds as a "gift" before today, but for crying out loud, why hadn't I? It's a land of never-ending choices for the gift giver and receiver. What gardener wouldn't love seeds?! I can't believe I haven't thought of it sooner. Although I do feel the need to insert a word of caution here: Do not try to turn a non-gardener into a gardener by giving them seeds. It more than likely won't be a well-received gift.
So, here's a little sample of what I got in my "grab bag":
- royal burgundy bush bean
- swan lake melon
- garden sage
- scarlet keeper carrot
- blue ballet squash
- picotee cosmos
- beetberry
- lavendar bergamot
- lemon cucumber
- holy basil
These are all things I have never had the opportunity to grow before, how exciting! There are also many seeds that I have grown and loved before:
- sweet marjoram
- summer savory
- german chamomile
- nira chives
- lemon basil
- dark star zucchini
- marigold (many varieties)
- calendula
- echinacea
- spaghetti squash
- small sugar pumpkin
- bunching onion
- mideast prolific cucumber
- iceland poppy
- sugar pod two snow pea
- mesclun salad mix
- butterhead lettuce
I'm not sure what it is about looking at a seed catalog or holding packages of seeds in your hands that creates such excitement.......maybe the thoughts of the growing season to come and sunshine or just that basic connection to the earth when you get to garden. It's pretty awesome and I hope I never get to the point where I'm ordering the same seeds every year to grow the same produce.
All in all, I think I made a good purchase today. I basically spent my pumpkin income on seeds for next year's gardens which, in my mind, is like taking dividends from stock and re-investing in more stock, right? If nothing else, my bees will be very happy come next summer!
Michelle Grosek
michelle@bearbuttegardens.com
www.bearbuttegardens.com
michelle@bearbuttegardens.com
www.bearbuttegardens.com
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Nutrition Levels in Our Food is Declining
This post is mainly a reference to a new article on the Mother Earth News website. The article is titled "The Nutrition Levels in Our Food is Declining". It is an interesting article. I'm not certain if all the facts of the article are absolutely correct (some of the comments seem very critical), but I do believe the high-level message is accurate.
Why am I posting this?
Well, people we know seem to be curious about our recent transition from Sturgis Center for the Arts, to Bear Butte Gardens. Most people can easily understand the reasons why we left Sturgis Center for the Arts (e.g. volunteering seven years at the art center is a long time, it is time for new leadership and new ideas at the art center, our own kids are now in college, etc.). But people don't really understand why we have started Bear Butte Gardens. The short answer is that we like to garden. Most people seem satisfied with that answer. But there is more. Much more. A deep rooted purpose. A real concern. A strong desire to contribute to society in a positive manner. A vision. What is it? Food!
I'm developing strong feelings about the current situation of our food sources. I've always had my concerns, but the more research I do and the more I learn about it, the more concerned I become. The article I reference above explains why I'm concerned.
There is a better way to produce food. We don't know exactly how we will do it (e.g. organic, biodynamic, permaculture, a combination, etc.), but we do know why it needs to be done (read the article), and we do know how we don't want to do it (conventional, chemical-based agriculture). One step at a time.
Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Rick@BearButteGardens
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/
Why am I posting this?
Well, people we know seem to be curious about our recent transition from Sturgis Center for the Arts, to Bear Butte Gardens. Most people can easily understand the reasons why we left Sturgis Center for the Arts (e.g. volunteering seven years at the art center is a long time, it is time for new leadership and new ideas at the art center, our own kids are now in college, etc.). But people don't really understand why we have started Bear Butte Gardens. The short answer is that we like to garden. Most people seem satisfied with that answer. But there is more. Much more. A deep rooted purpose. A real concern. A strong desire to contribute to society in a positive manner. A vision. What is it? Food!
I'm developing strong feelings about the current situation of our food sources. I've always had my concerns, but the more research I do and the more I learn about it, the more concerned I become. The article I reference above explains why I'm concerned.
There is a better way to produce food. We don't know exactly how we will do it (e.g. organic, biodynamic, permaculture, a combination, etc.), but we do know why it needs to be done (read the article), and we do know how we don't want to do it (conventional, chemical-based agriculture). One step at a time.
Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Rick@BearButteGardens
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/
Monday, October 17, 2011
What Kind of Agriculture are We?
As we get deeper into our little agriculture business, I’m doing more and more research into agricultural methods and practices. So far, I’ve only begun to understand various methods and approaches. I’ve been studying about conventional, organic, biodynamic, permaculture, and sustainable agricultural approaches. It is indeed a tangled web. All approaches have overlapping principles, and stark differences.
Here are some definitions that I’ve put together:
“Conventional” agriculture is the main-stream method practiced by the majority of producers. These are generally the big farms and ranches that are probably owned by some big agri-business organization, have lots of land (thousands of acres), use big equipment, use lots of chemicals (e.g. fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, etc.), use genetically modified seeds, and produce a very high yield.“Sustainable” agriculture was defined in 1990 by US Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683, as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”“Organic” agriculture is the government’s (USDA’s) attempt to govern specific agriculture practices based on the public’s concern over the use of chemicals in the food chain. As it turns out, the USDA has made a lot of compromises (influenced by big agri-business), so the rules & regulations are not as strict as you might think.“Biodynamic” agriculture goes beyond just organic. It is based on Rudolf Steiner’s work during the early 1900s. Biodynamic concepts include:
“Permaculture” builds agricultural systems modeled on the relationships found in nature – where each element supports and feeds other elements. The main concept is based on observation of how ecosystems interact.
What do I make of all this? It seems that conventional agriculture is the result of how main-stream farming has evolved, based on the primary goal of producing as much as you can. However, conventional agriculture has a lot of very negative side effects. Biodynamic and Permaculture are two alternative approaches that do not place high yields as the primary goal. Instead, the primary goal is the health of the environment. Organic and Sustainable agriculture is the result of the US government reacting to the negative side effects of conventional agriculture.
So, what are these negative side effects of conventional agriculture? Well, I did a little research and tried to summarize it in a timeline of various agriculture revolutions.
Early Industrial Revolution (1760 – 1850)
Key points:
Later Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1950)
Key points:
Chemical RevolutionKey points:
Green Revolution (1940’s – 1960’s)Key points:
Genetic Revolution (1990s - )Key points:
In this timeline format, with the key points, pros, and cons listed, it is easy to follow the evolution of higher yields and negative side effects. The pattern is very clear, and very scary.
This realization is one of the driving forces behind Bear Butte Gardens. We believe there is a need for food production that does not follow conventional agriculture practices. Since Bear Butte Gardens is fairly new, we are not entirely sure where our path will lead us. Organic? Biodynamic? Permaculture? Some combination? What I do know, is that we are not conventional. :o)
Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Biodynamic Gardening - What is it?
When I first started hearing my wife talking about "biodynamic gardening", I had my doubts. What are these crazy ideas? Who is this Steiner guy? Planting crops by moon phases sounds silly to me. If it's so good, then why aren't more main-stream farmers doing it? You know, the guys with ten thousand acres of farmland and big tractors? These guys are professional farmers, right? They should know the best way to grow crops. Right?
Hmmm... So what exactly is "biodynamic gardening"? Well, maybe Google will know... Here is a definition I found on the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association's web site:
Hmmm... Well, that kinda makes sense. But I'm still not sure. Back to Google... Here is the Wikipidia definition:
So now, let's proceed a little deeper. Biodynamic agriculture addresses the following methods:
Here is a short explanation of the moon stuff that I found on the Down Garden Services website:
Hmmm... Does the moon's gravitational pull and moonlight really effect plants? When I was a young boy and learned about how the moon causes the ocean's tides, I found that pretty hard to wrap my mind around. Is this really any more far fetched than moving an enormously huge body of water up and down by 50-60 feet? The forces in play are absolutely huge! As I understand it, plants use "capillary action" to move water & nutriants throughout the plant. If the moon can cause tides, then it could certainly impact water & nutriant movement in a vegetable plant.
I don't fully understand the astronomical part yet, but at least I now know it has some basis on science and common sense, instead of "Oh! The full moon is so pretty! My garden plants like it too! They are gonna grow so good!"
So, actually, the more I learn about biodynamic gardening, the more sense it makes to me. I'm feeling good. I'm on a roll. I actually get this stuff! ...Until I read the details about Steiner's "Biodynamic Preparations" and "Treatment of Pests and Weeds". Da, da, da, dum! Come on! Horn of a cow? Oak bark placed inside the skull of a domesticated animal? Deploying ashes of field mice when Venus is in the Scorpious constellation? Spraying weed seeds with the clear urine of a sterile cow? Now I'm skeptical again. This sounds like witch doctor tactics! I guess I need to do more research, and try to find a more modern interpretation of this information. There must be a reasonable explanation somewhere. Oh Google...
If anyone can explain this to me, I'm all ears!
Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Rick@BearButteGardens.com
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/
Hmmm... So what exactly is "biodynamic gardening"? Well, maybe Google will know... Here is a definition I found on the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association's web site:
Biodynamics is:
An impulse for deep social change rooted in the practice of farming. Biodynamics calls for new thinking in every aspect of the food system, from how land is owned to how farms are capitalized to how food is produced, distributed and prepared.
A type of organic farming that incorporates an understanding of “dynamic” forces in nature not yet fully understood by science. By working creatively with these subtle energies, farmers are able to significantly enhance the health of their farms and the quality and flavor of food.
A recognition that the whole earth is a single, self-regulating, multi-dimensional ecosystem. Biodynamic farmers seek to fashion their farms likewise as self-regulating, bio-diverse ecosystems in order to bring health to the land and to their local communities.
Hmmm... Well, that kinda makes sense. But I'm still not sure. Back to Google... Here is the Wikipidia definition:
Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that treats farms as unified and individual organisms, emphasizing balancing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants and animals as a self-nourishing system without external inputs insofar as this is possible given the loss of nutrients due to the export of food. As in other forms of organic agriculture, artificial fertilizers and toxic pesticides and herbicides are strictly avoided. There are independent certification agencies for biodynamic products, most of which are members of the international biodynamics standards group Demeter International.
Regarded by some as the first modern ecological farming system and one of the most sustainable, biodynamic farming has much in common with other organic approaches, such as emphasizing the use of manures and composts and excluding of the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include the use of fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost additives and field sprays and the use of an astronomical sowing and planting calendar. Biodynamics originated out of the work of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy.That helps some more, but the descriptive phrase on the Wikipidia site that I like best is:
Biodynamic agriculturalists conceive of the farm as an organically self-contained entity with its own individuality, within which organisms are interdependent. "Emphasis is placed on the integration of crops and livestock, recycling of nutrients, maintenance of soil, and the health and well being of crops and animals; the farmer too is part of the whole." Cover crops, green manures and crop rotations are used extensively and the farms foster bio-diversity.
Biodynamic farms often have a cultural component and encourage local community. Some biodynamic farms use the Community Supported Agriculture model, which has connections with social threefolding.The description above makes a lot of sense to me. This is very much a part of our vision for Bear Butte Gardens. We are already practicing several methods that directly support this description.
So now, let's proceed a little deeper. Biodynamic agriculture addresses the following methods:
- Field preparations
- Compost preparations
- Astronomical planting calendar
- Treatment of pests and weeds
- Seed production
Here is a short explanation of the moon stuff that I found on the Down Garden Services website:
Lunar Effects
The Moon reflects light and has a gravitational effect on the Earth. Steiner proposed that this affects plant growth. The Moon has a roughly elliptical orbit so the gravitational pull varies throughout its 28 day cycle. Root growth is improved when Moon moves further out causing a decreased pull on the Earth and vice versa - this force also causes the ocean tides.
- Planting of flower, fruit and vegetable seeds is best done 2 days before a new Moon because light and gravitational forces are more favourable in the seven days that follow.
- During the next seven days the Moon appears larger each night approaching a full Moon. The increased light stimulates foliage growth, but the gravitational pull increases so root growth is less favoured - young shoots thrive and the roots rest.
- For the seven days following the full Moon the light decreases slowing foliage growth, but so does the gravitational pull and the roots can develop. This is a good time to transplant seedlings as it gives the roots better conditions to flourish.
- In the last seven days of the lunar cycle the light continues to decrease, but the gravitational pull increases so both foliage and roots rest in the run up to the new Moon of the next lunar cycle.
Hmmm... Does the moon's gravitational pull and moonlight really effect plants? When I was a young boy and learned about how the moon causes the ocean's tides, I found that pretty hard to wrap my mind around. Is this really any more far fetched than moving an enormously huge body of water up and down by 50-60 feet? The forces in play are absolutely huge! As I understand it, plants use "capillary action" to move water & nutriants throughout the plant. If the moon can cause tides, then it could certainly impact water & nutriant movement in a vegetable plant.
I don't fully understand the astronomical part yet, but at least I now know it has some basis on science and common sense, instead of "Oh! The full moon is so pretty! My garden plants like it too! They are gonna grow so good!"
So, actually, the more I learn about biodynamic gardening, the more sense it makes to me. I'm feeling good. I'm on a roll. I actually get this stuff! ...Until I read the details about Steiner's "Biodynamic Preparations" and "Treatment of Pests and Weeds". Da, da, da, dum! Come on! Horn of a cow? Oak bark placed inside the skull of a domesticated animal? Deploying ashes of field mice when Venus is in the Scorpious constellation? Spraying weed seeds with the clear urine of a sterile cow? Now I'm skeptical again. This sounds like witch doctor tactics! I guess I need to do more research, and try to find a more modern interpretation of this information. There must be a reasonable explanation somewhere. Oh Google...
If anyone can explain this to me, I'm all ears!
Rick Grosek
Bear Butte Gardens
Rick@BearButteGardens.com
http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/
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