Winter 2009-10 Vol. 2, No.

83 Publication of the Northeast Organic Farming Association 1077-2294

36th Annual NOFA Summer Conference

Set for Aug. 13-15, 2010, UMass/Amherst

of us who would craft a better world. Finally,

her generous spirit that is totally free of the
trappings that sometimes attach themselves to
powerful and famous people shines through all
of her work.

by Julie Rawson, Co-coordinator

This will be the last year that Jack and I will

be in charge of organizing the NOFA Summer
Conference. As it is the 24th time we will
have performed this labor of love for the
organization, parting will be bittersweet. We
truly raised our children on the conference.
We wont miss the grind all summer long of
dealing with the multiple immediate needs each
day. But we will miss the opportunity to have a
strong hand in this event that is often the entry
point for folks who want to make a real change
in the way they live their lives, the place where
policy initiatives get a boost forward, the place
where growers, both young and old, pick up
new tricks of the trade. It might be fun to just
attend the conference and make the most of the
amazing amount of information, sharing and
inspiration that converges for three short days
each year. See below for a job announcement.

Though some of the hard core still think we
should go back to Hampshire College for the
Summer Conference, that door is closed for
now. We werent able to continue there as we
grew larger and came at a time of year when
our presence was too much of a stress on their
system. We on the Conference Committee
are very happy in our new home at UMass
where the conference services staff is highly
professional and responsive, and for whom
our arrangements needs are a high priority.
It has been a nice marriage of a somewhat
counter cultural organization and a large public
university. A little learning has rubbed off on
both of us. In this our third year with UMass we
expect to work out most of the remaining kinks.
Many participants hanker for an economical
and organic alternative to the dining commons
food. We are working on this. Additionally, we
hope to further advance the topic of convenient
access to parking.

Sally Fallon Morrel, is best-known for her

leadership in the Weston A. Price Foundation,
and for her ground-breaking cookbook,
Nourishing Traditions, which shows through
research and recipes how the wise food choices
and preparation methods of isolated traditional
cultures promoted vigorous good health,
longevity and freedom from dental problems
and mental disorders. Her basic message is that
animal fats, properly prepared whole grains,
enzyme-enriched foods and nourishing bone
broths kept our ancestors healthy, and that we
need these kinds of foods too. Beginning with a
presentation of Dr. Weston Prices unforgettable
photographs of healthy traditional peoples,
Sally explains the underlying factors in a
variety of traditional diets that conferred beauty,
strength and freedom from disease on so-called
primitive populations.
photo courtesy Sally Fallon

2010 keynoter Sally Fallon

Sally Fallon last keynoted for the NOFA

Summer Conference 7 or 8 years ago. Though
we have never invited back another keynoter
for a second round, Sally is an exception. Her
message that whole and traditional foods are of
central importance to a healthy diet has broad
support, from families of young children to the
farmers that raise these foods. Her impassioned
support for the consumption of raw milk on
one hand supports healthy families and on the
other provides a real way out of the dairy crisis
from the farmers standpoint. Her eminent and
fearless leadership on the topic of our right to
raise and eat health giving foods makes her
an important role model and mentor for all

As a presenter, Sally blends culinary expertise

with a finely honed capacity to cut through
to the truth about our eating habits and their
(continued on page 39)

Inside This Issue

Features

Calling All Organic Tomato Growers

7
Obituary for Frank White
9
Miles McEvoy Takes Over at NOP
9
Paul Detloff to Present at Winter Seminar 10
Feeding Ourselves
42
Organic Land Cares 10th Anniversary
44

Supplement on
Crop Nutrient Density

Nutrient Dense Crops

11
Degraded Soil, Food Shortages, Eating Oil 14
Farming for Health
18
Using a Refractometer to Test Crop Quality 9
1
Mark Fulford: Nutrient Dense Farming 21
Healthy Soil Grows Healthy Food
29
Biological Dairy Farming
31
Nutrient Density: Market the Advantage 36

Departments

Letters
Editorial
NOFA Exchange
News Notes
Book Reviews
NOFA Contact People
NOFA Membership
Calendar
photo by Lori Schafer

Young oxen charm children and train for farm life at the NOFA Summer Conference

2
2
4
6
39
46
47
47

Letters to the Editor

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

Dear Jack,
Thanks for the fine issue on local organic food!
Regarding Ernest Wrights cold frame design in the
letters section of the Fall issue, there is a reason
why people do not build cold frames with the floor
slanting parallel to the top glazing - watering. The
flats of plants in a cold frame need to be watered. If
they are on a slant, all the water runs to the bottom
leaving the top plants high and dry.
Peace, Liz Henderson

Why Nutrient
Density?
by Jack Kittredge

Julie and I have, for the last three years, been

experimenting on our own farm with some of the
practices recommended by advocates for nutrient
dense or biological farming. This is in large part
because our son Dan is such a proponent of these
ideas, in part because they make a lot of sense in the
abstract and we want to see if they are practical and
productive in an operation such as ours, and in part
because we are encouraged by the results we have
seen so far.
You will have a chance to evaluate Dans thoughts
yourself because he has written the introductory
article in this issues special supplement on nutrient
density.
Im deductive and like to look at the big picture.
What appeals to me in the abstract about this
approach is that it makes so many parallels with
what I believe in other things. Human health is
only partly about avoiding toxins, predators and
accidents. It is also about providing the body what
it needs (primarily through nutrition) to fulfill
its biological potential. Then its own systems
(immunity, strong circulation, quick reflexes, etc.)
will thrive and protect the body and mind. As Dan

The Natural Farmer

Needs You!

The Natural Farmer is a quarterly membership

journal of the Northeast Organic Farming
Association.
We plan a year in advance so those who want to
write on a topic can have a lot of lead time. The
next 3 issues will be:

Spring 2010:

Organic Animal Nutrition

Summer 2010:

Small Farms & Govt Regulation

Fall 2010:

Organic Farming and Money

If you can help us on any of these topics, or have

ideas for new ones, please get in touch. We need
your help!
Moving or missed an issue? The Natural Farmer
will not be forwarded by the post office, so you
need to make sure your address is up-to-date if you
move. Those who regularly send us a subscription
fee should send address changes to us. Most of
you, however, get this paper as a NOFA member
benefit for paying your chapter dues and should
send address updates to your local NOFA chapter
(listed at the end of each issue).
Archived issues from Summer 1999 through Fall
2005 are available at http://www.library.umass.
edu/spcoll/digital/tnf/. More recent issues are
downloadable at www.nofa.org as pdf files.

Jack Kittredge and Julie Rawson

411 Sheldon Rd., Barre, MA 01005
978-355-2853, fax: (978) 355-4046
tnf@nofa.org

ISSN 1077-2294
copyright 2009,
Northeast Organic Farming Association, Inc

photo by Jack Kittredge

Attendees at a workshop at Many Hands Organic Farm use refractometers to measure crop brix.

points out in his intro, plants and animals (including

humans) digest food with the assistance of billions
of microbes (for plants they are in the soil, for us
in our intestines). It is only if those microbes are
healthy and happy that we will be.

Julie tends to be inductive. She looks at results

and reasons back up from there. She has noted the
compliments we are getting from our CSA members
who remark that our produce tastes better this year.
She thinks perhaps our avoidance of late blight this
summer in the tomatoes, and a phenomenal harvest
of blight-free potatoes, may in part be due to two
years of heavy applications of calcium limestone,
fish, and soft rock phosphate with smaller amounts
of gypsum, azomite, and humates along with weekly
biological drenches and nutrient sprays. Though
the year was a tough one weather-wise, as was last
year, there is marked progress in yields, appearance
and flavor in crops like carrots, beets, all the greens,
onions, and all the fruit.
So we are bringing you an issue devoted to
discussing some of these ideas and the farming
practices they entail in organic systems. Acres,
USA has been a major vehicle for publicizing this

approach and several of these articles originally

appeared in their pages. They are gratefully
reprinted with permission. We also include an
extensive feature on Mark Fulford, a New England
farmer and consultant who has much experience
in using biological farming in our region. This
kind of farming makes the claim that its results
can be objectively measured with simple devices
according to scientific principles. So we are
running information about how to do just this and
get accurate brix readings with a refractometer.
And since successful farming involves not only
producing a high quality product, but selling it
as well, we include a piece on Beyond Organix,
a young California company which is starting to
market produce based on how closely it meets
standards of nutrient density,
This whole area is somewhat new (particularly
in the Northeast) and therefore inherently
controversial. But there are those in NOFA who
feel it is an important source of insight and can
help us distinguish our farms from industrial and
other organic ones that may be following the NOP
standards but are not necessarily producing food as
full of health as it might be.

Advertise in or Sponsor The Natural Farmer

Advertisements not only bring in TNF revenue, which means

less must come from membership dues, they also make a
paper interesting and helpful to those looking for specific
goods or services. We carry 2 kinds of ads:
The NOFA Exchange - this is a free bulletin board service
(for subscribers or NOFA members who get the TNF) for
occasional needs or offerings. Send in up to 100 words and
well print it free in the next issue. Include a price (if selling)
and an address, E-mail or phone number so readers can
contact you directly. If you dont get the paper yourself you
can still send in an ad - just send $5 along too! Send NOFA
Exchange ads directly to The Natural Farmer, 411 Sheldon
Rd., Barre, MA 01005 or (preferably) E-mail to TNF@nofa.
org.

Frequency discount: we give a 25% discount for

year-round ads. If you reserve the same space for
four consecutive issues your fourth ad is free! To
receive the frequency discount you must pay for all
the issues in advance, upon reserving the space.
Deadlines: We need your ad copy one month
before the publication date of each issue. The
deadlines are:
January 31 for the Spring issue (mails Mar. 1)
April 30 for the Summer issue (mails Jun. 1)
July 31 for the Fall issue (mails Sept. 1)
October 31 for the Winter issue (mails Dec. 1)

Disclaimer: Advertisers are helping support

the paper so please support them. We cannot
Display Ads - this is for those offering products or services
investigate the claims of advertisers, of course,
on a regular basis! You can get real attention with display ads. so please exercise due caution when considering
Send camera ready copy to Bob Minnocci, 662 Massachusetts any product or service. If you learn of any
Ave. #6, Boston, MA 02118 or BMinnocci@nofamass.org
misrepresentation in one of our ads please inform
and enclose a check (to TNF) for the appropriate size. The us and we will take appropriate action. We dont
sizes and rates are:
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Contact for Display Ads or Sponsors: Send
Note: These prices are for camera ready copy on clean
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any changes we will be glad to make them - or to typeset a
Minnocci, 662 Massachusetts Ave. #6, Boston, MA
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check for the space charge plus $45.

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

Harris Seeds Benefits Package

Get Your Share!

When you become a customer of Harris Seeds, you can count on
the following:
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355 Paul Road, PO Box 24966 Rochester, New York 14624-0966

Please help us thank these

Friends of Organic Farming
for their generous support!

Supporting a Food Culture that is

Regional
Sun-based
Grass-roots
Kim Q. Matland

AO12

NOFA
Exchange

Blow Your Own Horn

For Sale: 2004 BCS Brushmower. 20 wide, for

use with hand tractor. Great for preparing cover
crops before tilling in. Barely used. Paid $800, will
take best offer. Call Leslie Chaison at 413-3694020, or email lesliechaison@comcast.net.
Farmers wanted to form group for purchasing
farmland preferably in the Rondout Valley in Ulster
County, NY. The larger the group, the lower the per
acre price. Email <farmers@earthlink.net>
Flower Grower, Tractor Operator, Vegetable
Grower, Farm Stand Caretaker and Intern
Positions for 2010 atRed Fire Farm, a certifiedorganic vegetable farm in Western Massachusetts.
Located in the vibrant Five-College area, Red Fire
is the largest CSA serving the Boston area and the
Pioneer Valley, and a provider in local wholesale
and retail markets, including our farm stands and
a farmers market. We are seeking experienced
applicants interested in joining the crew for longerterm positions. Please visit www.redfirefarm.com
for position descriptions and how to apply. Contact
Sarah: 413-467-7645,jobs@redfirefarm.com.
2 Vegetable Market tables: Angled with
chalkboard backs, 8 feet long, 36 wide. $100 each.
Cultivator for sale: 3 pt-hitch, 13 ft Rollins Rolling
5-spider gang. $400. 518-332-57

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

25 acres pasture seeks farmer to renew & hay.
Rolling pasture farmland in southern Worcester
county seeks organic/nutrient dense believing
farmer to help renew this acreage or partial, in
exchange for all the free hay they can nourish to
grow and cut. Available to begin CSA or other
organic farming operation such as pasture land for
cows. Inquire at suzeblue9@yahoo.com or 508-6676719.
Paid apprenticeship available for the 2010
growing season (May October). Help plant,
cultivate and harvest vegetables for a 90 member
CSA in our 9th year near Brattleboro, VT. Send
resume and work references to: Elizabeth Wood,
New Leaf CSA, 111 Dutton Farm Rd., Dummerston,
VT 05301, (802) 254-2531, littlegoat1@hotmail.
com
Athletes, efficiency freaks and obsessive-compulsivetypes sought for variety of farm positions at
Full Moon Farm, a 155-acre certifiedorganicCSA
in Hinesburg, Vt. Crew Manager/ Market Coordinator/ Livestock Coordinator/ Field-Workers
/ andApprenticesall wanted. Experienced and inexperienced persons sought. On-farm housing available. Live like a farmer: long-hours, low-pay, great
food, great company, great location, great views,
great mental and physical work-outs. For more info
contact davidz@together.net or view us at www.
fullmoonfarminc.com
Farm manageropportunity, exciting opportunity
forFarm Manager to playsignificant role in defining
and developing a new community farm.Start up
yearresponsibilitiesinclude: Purchasing seeds,
seedlings, farm equipment, Installing irrigation,
Growing herbicide, pesticide-free food on 2
acres, and Harvesting food foronsite farm stand/
CSA Share Program. Community farm concept
includeseducation, volunteer and public event
components.Non-profitboard willmanage
thesecomponents but will ask for feedback
fromFarm Manager. Goal is to create dynamic
team effort withFarm Manager andnon-profit
board of directors. Contact Heather Scott at
hks130@hotmail.com for more information. www.
medwaycommunityfarm.org

We custom grow your seedlings- Spring

2010.The Natick Community Organic Farm
will grow certified organic annual and perennial
vegetables, herbs, and flowers seedlings for you.
Contact us for more information. 508 655 2204 or
jcbourrut.ncorganic@verizon.net
Help wanted on non certified organic farm.
2 Interns or apprentices for 2010 season
April- Nov. in Western NY. 8 acres of field
vegetableproduction plus greenhouse and high
tunnel, including work with CSA, farmers markets,
and farm stand. Contact Bob at 716-484-7300 or
bob@busticidermill.com,www.busticidermill.com
Thanks to all of those who participated in the
first ever MA/CT/RI fall bulk order. Information
about the spring bulk order will be available 1/1/10.
Please contact Cathleen OKeefe with any questions
or suggestions, bulkorder@nofamass.org, (413)
584-6786.
For Sale: Limited quantity of freshly harvested
worm castings. Promote soil vitality with beneficial
organisms, enzymes, and nutrients. Use for potting
mixes, soil amendments, chemical-free lawn care.
Mix for foliar spray or brew castings tea. 2 lbs5.00, 5 lbs- 12.00, 10 lbs - 20.00, 25 lbs- 45.00
plus shipping and handling or you pick up in
Florence, Mass. Better yet, make your own castings.
Worm bins and workshops available. Bens Bins
- 413-586-3699, bins@wehaveworms.com, www.
wehaveworms.com
The FARM Institute (TFI) is an educational working
farm on 162 acres of coastal sand plain on Marthas
Vineyard Island, Massachusetts. TFI operates a
teaching farm that educates and engages children
and adults in agriculture through the operations of
a diverse working farm. More info: farminstitute.
org or 508-627-7007. Jobs 2010: Summer Farmbased Educators (15x) (June 6 August 27, or
September 10) education@farminstitute.org, Farm
Apprentices (2x) (March 15- November 15) Julie@
farminstitute.org, Farm Apprentice (1x) (June 1August 31), Garden Apprentices (2x) (March 15November 15) Kristen@farminstitute.org, Garden
Apprentices (3x) (June 1- August 31)

Offering Natural Fertilizers, Soil Amendments,

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the location of your nearest wholesale distributor

Many NCO products are:

Depot Street, Bradford, VT 05033 Ph. 802.222.4277 Fax 802.222.9661 info@norganics.com

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

SAVE THE DATE!

VEGETABLE GROWERS:

Eighth Annual Winter Conference

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Plan now to extend your 2009 season sales!

Bejo offers a range of organic or untreated varieties for your
winter and earliest spring sales. Plan ahead now to include overwintering and cool weather crops in your 2009 season lineup!
In the Northeast, storage, winter harvest and overwintering can
bring winter and early spring market income, with much of the labor
and maintenance done the previous season.
Try overwintering kale and leeks for spring harvest, store carrots
mulched in the field or in storage, and harvest winter-sweetened cabbage right out of the snow! Store cabbage, beets, fennel, kohlrabi and
onions for winter sales. Restaurant suppliers can supply celeriac, a
chef favorite, through the winter: try our variety Rowena. Want more
winter income ideas? Call your local Bejo dealer or 315-789-4155 for
more information. Extensive range of certified organic seed available.

A Place
at the Table
Gardeners & Growers
Families & Friends

Celebrating Organic Food!

Building Ecologically Sound
Agriculture!
Rowena celeriac

Kale rapini harvested

April 2008.

Deadon in Snow

Nectar Carrot

Bejo Seeds, Inc., 1088 Healey Road, Geneva, NY 14456.

315-789-4155
www.bejoseeds.com

Green Market Fair

Forums Workshops

Rundlett Middle School, Concord

8:30 am- 5:30 pm
Early Bird Registration by February 1st

Murray McMurray
Hatchery

interConference@NofaNH.org
(603) 654-7595 www.nofanh.org

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www.Sanctuary-Healing.com

News
Notes
compiled by Jack Kittredge

Empowering Beginning Women Farmers

Holistic Management International has been funded
through the USDAs Beginning Farmer Grant to
teach beginning women farmers the tools of whole
farm planning. Groups are forming in New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
and New York. Classes will begin in December
2009. Participants must attend the 6 sessions that
will take place over the winter of 2010 and 4 farm
tours that will take place during the spring and fall
of 2010. Each session will be on a Saturday and last
7 hours. There will be farm mentors also available.
If you are a woman farmer who has been farming less than 10 years, contact the coordinator for
your state for an application. If you would like to
participate as a farmer mentor, please also contact
your state coordinator. NH - Kate Kerman, (603)
876-4562; leader@sbfnh.org, MA - Kelly Coleman,
413/665-7100; kelly@buylocalfood.org, NY - Erica
Frenay, 607/255-9227; ejf5@cornell.edu. ME - Gail
Chase, 207/568-7599; gchase@uninets.net, VT Mary Peabody, 802/223-2389; mary.peabody@uvm.
edu, CT - Bill Duesing, 203/888-5146; www.ctnofa.
org
source: Holistic Management International press
release, October 15, 2009

Maine Organic Milk Producers Form Company
to Save Farms
Last February, a group of Maine organic dairy farmers thought that their businesses as they knew them
had come to an end. Citing a soft organic market, a
depressed economy and the great distances to serve
organic milk producers in far-flung Washington
and Aroostook counties, 10 farms were given their
pink slips by H.P. Hood Inc. The farmers were flabbergasted. Each had a contract, and all said they
had made substantial investments in their farms to
convert to organic. But with true Yankee ingenuity
the 10 farmers banded together to find a solution.
Through a cooperative agreement among the farmers a new company has been launched: MOOMilkCo., short for Maines Own Organic Milk Co.

This is a terrific example of what can happen when all members of the Maine agricultural
family pull together, said David Bright, a member
of MOOMilks board of directors. Beyond that, the
support from the industry and the public has been
outstanding. What put this effort over the top was
the support weve found everywhere weve gone for
locally produced and processed milk. Consumers
want it and the retailers are welcoming our milk into
their stores. Things looked pretty dark not too long
ago and our farm families have placed an awful lot
of trust in us.

The farmers are nervous about the initiation of the new company, but are excited about its
goals. MOOMilk will begin by paying the farmers
$24 per hundredweight with a goal of $30 cwt. Im
nervous, Dexter dairy farmer Mark McKusick
admitted this week. But we are so optimistic. I
hope people realize this is fresh, local milk. Its not
ultrapasteurized. This milk is from us, right here in
Maine.
source: Bangor Daily News, October 10, 2009
Monsanto Loss Widens to $284 Million
Monsanto Co. posted a fiscal-fourth quarter loss,
while revenue dropped and overhead costs were
slashed 35%. The company in June unveiled plans
to separate its struggling Roundup and other herbicides into a new division. Roundup revenue weakens amid competition from generic herbicides and
lower global farm incomes. Last month, Monsanto
doubled its job-cut plans to 8% of its work force. At
its seeds and genomic segment, revenue fell 3.5%,
pulled down by lower sales of soybean and cotton
seeds and traits, despite gains at its larger corn and
vegetable segments. At the operations that include
herbicides, revenue slid 17%.
source: Wall Street Journal, Oct 7, 2009

The Natural Farmer

Issue 2 Passes: Agribusiness Rewrites Ohios
Constitution
The Farm Bureau-sponsored campaign to change
Ohios constitution and give industrialized agriculture control over livestock issues succeeded with the
passage of ballot Issue 2 in November. The newly
created entity, the Livestock Care Standards Board,
clears the way for factory-style animal operations to
self-regulate, now exempt from local and even state
legislation to protect the environment and public
health.

The grassroots coalition opposing Issue 2
faced a David and Goliath battle. Outspent by a factor of 40 to 1, the coalition faced-off against an entrenched, well-financed and powerful industry. The
whole country is now watching Ohio to see what the
new Livestock Care Standards Board will do with
its power.
source: Food & Water Watch statement, Nov. 4,
2009
Court Finds USDA Approval Of GE Beets Illegal
A Federal Court has ruled that the Bush USDAs
approval of genetically engineered (GE) RoundUp
Ready sugar beets was unlawful. The Court ordered the USDA to conduct a rigorous assessment
of the environmental and economic impacts of the
crop on farmers and the environment.The federal
district court for the Northern District of California
ruled that the U. S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
violated the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) when it failed to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before deregulating
sugar beets that have been genetically engineered
(GE) to be resistant to glyphosate herbicide, marketed by Monsanto as Roundup.

While industry asserts that the adoption
rates of GE sugar beets has been high, food producers have shown reluctance in accepting GE beet
sugar. Over 100 companies have joined the NonGM Beet Sugar Registry opposing the introduction
of GE sugar beets, and pledging to seek wherever
possible to avoid using GM beet sugar in their products. Sugar beet seed is grown primarily in Oregons
Willamette Valley, which is also an important seed
growing area for crops closely related to sugar
beets, such as organic chard and table beets. GE
sugar beets are wind pollinated and will inevitably
cross-pollinate the related crops being grown in the
same area. Such biological contamination would be
devastating to organic farmers, who face debilitating
market losses if their crops are contaminated by a
GE variety.
source: Center for Food Safety press release, Sep.
22, 2009
Community Supported Fishery Offers Fresh and
Local Seafood
Each week, a growing number of people buy produce directly from growers through community
supported agriculture, or CSAs. Now, Seacoast
residents can support local fishermen and buy fresh,
sustainable seafood through a new community supported fishery (CSF). The CSF, which will carry the
New Hampshire Fresh and Local seafood brand recently established in Portsmouth, is a collaboration
of the University of New Hampshire Cooperative
Extension and N.H. Sea Grant, the N.H. Commercial Fishermans Association, Yankee Fishermans
Cooperative, and local seafood groups, restaurants
and fish markets.

Modeled after community supported agriculture, a CSF is a shore-side community of people
collaborating with local fishermen to buy fish
directly for a predetermined length of time.CSF
shareholders give the fishermen financial support
and then receive a weekly share of seafood caught
during the season, says Ken La Valley, commercial
fishing specialist for N.H. Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension.

The term local seafood is considered having come from boats based in New Hampshire ports,
those that land seafood in the state, or those within
a 15-mile radius of the Seacoast border that are affiliated with the states fishing community. Vendors
sign an agreement that products marketed under the
N.H. Fresh and Local brand have been delivered efficiently and directly to consumers, that the species
marketed are those managed sustainably, and that
there is confidence regarding their point of origin.
source: University of New Hampshire press release,
Sep. 6, 2009

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

Can a Farm State Feed Itself?

Illinois, home to 76,000 farms and more than 950
food manufacturing companies, is a solidly agricultural state in the heart of Americas bread basket.
Fully 80 percent of it is farmland. But, of all the
food eaten in Illinois, only four percent is actually
grown there. Vast quantities of food are exported to
other states and nations, while similarly vast quantities are brought in to feed Illinois citizens. A new
bill, recently signed by Governor Patrick Quinn,
will make it easier for farmers to sell their harvests
within Illinois instead of shipping them out of state.

The Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act of 2009
draws on the recommendations of a 32-member task
force asked to determine Illinois potential for local food consumption. Illinois, the group found, has
lots of local food and lots of people willing to eat it.
Whats been missing is a way to connect them on a
large scale. The state spends tens of billions of dollars on imported food, much of which already is or
could be grown in state, and exports its own farm
produce. Illinois predominant farm and food system, the task force found, is designed to serve distant markets, not link farm production with in-state
markets.

The new bill represents the state governments commitment to restructuring the food system
so that it promotes local consumption instead of
hindering it. Specifically, the legislation sets up a
grown-in-Illinois label and certification program,
directs state agencies to purchase at least 20 percent
of their food locally by 2020, and allows them to
pay premium prices for local food. One particular
goal is to increase the amount of local food served
in public schools. The law also establishes a new
agency that will encourage farmers to grow food for
local markets and will help build the statewide distribution networks needed to get their fresh produce
to the people who want to eat it.
source: Yes Magazine, Sep. 4, 2009
British Supermarkets Reconsidering Ban on GM
Food
Britains food giants have privately warned that they
are struggling to maintain their decade-long ban
on genetic modification and called for the public to
be educated about the increasing cost of avoiding
GM. As major producers such as the US and Brazil
switch to GM, supermarkets are now paying 10 to
20 per cent more for the dwindling supplies of conventional soy and corn, according to a report by the
Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Warning of the price hikes, the report quietly published online last month said: Retailers were concerned that they may not be able to maintain their
current non-GM sources of supply as producers increasingly adopt GM technology around the world.

Although fierce public opposition to so-called
Frankenstein foods has fallen from its peak at the
end of the 1990s and early 2000s, when retailers
vowed not to stock anything with GM ingredients,
changing genes in human food remains highly controversial. Pete Riley, director of GM Freeze, the
anti-GM campaign, accused the Government of being desperate to back GM, adding that it had pressured Defra and the FSA into producing a scaremongering report.
source: The Independent, Sep. 1, 2009
NAIS Funding Cut By Congress
The National Animal Identification System (NAIS),
a proposal by the USDA to require registration and
tracking of the nations livestock animals, was receiving $33 million annual appropriations recently.
Apparently the hatred of this program at the grass
roots is getting back to Congress. The House budget proposed eliminating all funding for NAIS next
year, and the compromise with the Senate version
(which recommending $7 million) settled on $5.3
million. Maybe next year we can get it down where
it belongs -- $0.
source: Acres, USA, November, 2009
Elderberry Good for H1N1
Research published in the journal Phytochemistry
gives evidence that elderberries possess anti-viral
properties. A specific elderberry extract was found
to inhibit in vitro infection. Its components bound
directly to Influenza A (H1N1) virus particles. The
binding blocked the ability of the virus to enter and
infect host cells.
source: Growing for Market, October, 2009

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

Aurora Dairy Accused of Grazing Violations

Aurora Dairy, based in Boulder, Colorado, the
nations largest organic dairy producer, is once again
facing allegations of improprieties. Aurora had previously been found in willful violation of multiple
federal organic standards by USDA investigators in
2007. The Cornucopia Institute filed a formal legal
complaint with the USDA in Washington alleging
that one of the five industrial-scale dairies operated
by Aurora, its High Plains dairy near Kersey, Colorado, is failing to graze their dairy cattle as required
by the federal organic standards.

Family dairy farmers have recently appealed directly to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack for
swift enforcement action in response to giant corporations gaming the system and squeezing them out
of business. They claim they are being placed at a
competitive disadvantage. A national surplus of organic milk largely created by factory farm dairies
and magnified by a soft economy has been driving
down prices paid to farmers.

Auroras milk is sold to many of the nations largest grocery chains, including Wal-Mart,
Target, Safeway, Costco and others, for their cheap
store brand label organic milk. Aurora is allegedly
primarily confining their dairy cows in giant barns
and pens instead of allowing them to graze on fresh
forage and exhibit their natural instinctive behaviors, as the federal law mandates. When the cows
are let outside they often only have access to substandard crops that are planted on an annual basis,
and wither in the desert-like heat, instead of more
hardy perennials that stand up to continual grazing
throughout the growing season.
source: Cornucopia press release, Aug. 31, 2009
Bestselling Soy Milk Is No Longer Organic
Organic-food shoppers are making a rude discovery
at their grocers refrigerated display case. White
Wave Silk Soymilk has more than 70 percent of
the soy milk market. Dallas-based Dean Foods quietly removed the word organic from the familiar
blue cartons Jan. 15 and switched to cheaper beans
not genetically modified but likely grown with
chemical fertilizer and possibly pesticide then
called it all natural soy milk. Dean did not change
the products identifying bar code or package design, nor did it significantly alter the price moves
that would have triggered scrutiny by store owners,
some of whom now feel duped. A number of other
Silk products were similarly changed from organic
without a new bar code, Dean confirmed. A reintroduced Silk organic line in green cartons carries new bar codes but is not as widely available.
Dean says it gave advance notice to its distributors
and blamed them for not following through by
informing independent grocers of the switch. It released a form letter that distributors were supposed
to send to retailers explaining that the nonorganic
soy milk would carry the organic products bar code.
National distributors Tree of Life and UNFI did not
respond to repeated requests for comment.
source: Dallas Fort Worth Star Telegram, Nov. 08,
2009
New NOSB Members Named
Five new members have been appointed to the
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the
15 member group of volunteers who oversee the
National Organic Program. They are Jay Feldman,
executive director of Beyond Pesticides, for the environmental seat, Joe Dickson of Whole Foods as
a retailer, Oklahomas Annette Riherd and Organic
Valleys Wendy Fulwider as farmers, and John Foster of Earthbound Farms as a handler. The five, who
will take their seats in January, have been called
the best [appointees] in recent memory by the Organic Consumers Association.
source: The Organic Broadcaster, Nov/Dec 2009

The Natural Farmer

NAIS Starts Prosecuting

An Amish farmer of Loyal, Wisconsin is the first
American to stand trial for refusing to comply with
the states mandatory premises registration law.
The law is part of Wisconsins agreement with the
USDA regarding NAIS implementation. On September 23 Mr. Miller was taken to Neillsville, WI
(Clark County) for an evidentiary hearing. On October 21Pat and Melissa Monchilovich were convicted
on the same charge in Polk County, despite the admission by representatives of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
(DATCP) that the program was not of benefit and
probably never would be.
source: Acres, USA, November, 2009
Farmers Market Stats Released
According to a USDA survey, average sales at farmers markets in 2005 totaled $245,000 per market, or
$7108 per vendor. On average, 25% of a markets
vendors cite farmers markets as their sole source of
farm income. Fifty-nine percent of markets accepted
WIC Program vouchers, and forty-four percent accepted senior (SFMNP) vouchers. Results are available online at www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets.
source: Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Field Notes, Fall 2009
North Dakota Anti-Corporate Farming Law Upheld
North Dakotas corporate farming law prohibits
ownership of agricultural land and operation of
farms and ranches by corporations other than family
farm corporations and cooperatives whose participants are actively involved in day-to-day operations. In a complex case challenging this law, a state
district court judge found in favor of the law. Judge
James Bekken considered the cases which resulted
in the striking down of South Dakotas similar
Amendment E and Nebraskas Initiative 300. He
found that the law does not discriminate against
interstate commerce. Attorney General Wayne
Steneheim presented the court with a report from the
University of North Dakota on the effectiveness of
corporate farming laws in preserving the rural economy and family farming and ranching. The judge
concurred that the state has a legitimate purpose in
preserving these.
source: Acres, USA, October, 2009
Campaign Starts Against Fake Organic Personal Care Products
On November 5, 2009, the NOSB passed a recommendation for Solving the Problem of Mislabeled
Organic Personal Care Products. The recommendation urges the NOP to make sure that any use of the
word organic on a personal care product is backed
up by third-party certification to USDA organic
standards. The USDA has long resisted policing
the market for organic personal care products. Currently, according to the recommendation, one may


find personal care products such as shampoos and
lotions labeled as organic with no clear standards
or regulatory underpinning for the organic claim
- and unless the product is specifically labeled as
USDA Organic, the word organic may be used
with impunity. Manufacturers of personal care products that contain organic ingredients are hindered by
a thicket of competing private standards and confusion regarding the applicability of the NOP to their
products. Transactions lack the regulatory clarity
that applies under the NOP to food products that
contain organic ingredients.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA)
has begun a Coming Clean campaign to rid store
shelves of products that are falsely advertised as
organic. Beginning September 24, 2009, at the
Natural Products Expo East in Boston, OCA met
with personal care products companies engaged in
what it calls organic fraud and urged them to sign
a contract making a pledge to consumers that they
will either meet organic standards or stop making
false organic claims. The following brands refused
and are now being boycotted: Amazon Organics,
Avalon Organics, Desert Essence Organics, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, JASON Pure Natural and Organic, Natures Gate Organics, Organics by Noahs
Naturals

Other brands, according to OCA, use USDA
certified organic inputs, including Alteya Organics, Baby Bear Shop, Badger, Dr. Bronners Magic
Soaps, Indian Meadow Herbals, Intelligent Nutrients, Kimberly Parry Organics, Little Angel, Mercola, Natures Paradise, Organicare, Organic Essence,
Origins Organics, Purely Shea, Rainwater Organic
Lotion, Rose Tattoo Aftercare, Seasons of the Soul,
SoCal Cleanse, Sensibility Soaps/Nourish, Terressentials, Trillium Organics, Vermont Soap.
source: Acres, USA, November, 2009 and OCA website
Illegal GM Flax Found in Canadian Exports,
German Fields
The European Commission has confirmed the contamination of Canadian flax exports with GM flax,
which has been illegal to grow since 2001 when
growers forced the Canadian government to take the
product off the market. Meanwhile, Baden-Wrttemberg officials discovered large quantities of GM
flax growing illegally there. The variety grown is
not authorized for food or feed use anywhere in the
EU. This is an absolute nightmare for flax growers and why we worked so hard to have the GM
flax removed, said Terry Boehm, a flax grower
and Vice president of the National Farmers Union.
This again proves that once released into nature
genetically engineered constructs are uncontrollable
and cannot be recalled,, said Greenpeace Germany
spokeswoman Stefanie Hundsdorfer.
source: The Organic and Non-GMO Report, October, 2009

Calling All Organic Tomato Growers!

If you grew or tried to grow tomatoes in 2009 and

you used organic practices to do it, we want to hear
from you about your experience with late blight.
NOFA/Mass is researching organic management
strategies that Northeast tomato growers - both
farmers and gardeners - used in 2009 to mitigate the
late blight. The insights collected will be presented
at the NOFA/Mass on January 16, 2010, in the
Spring 2010 Edition of The Natural Farmer, and on
the NOFA/Mass website.
By gathering responses from a significant number
of growers on their experiences, NOFA/Mass hopes
to contribute to our shared understanding of what
organic growing practices for tomatoes were actually applied in 2009 and also hopefully shed light
on strategies that can be effective in managing the
disease. NOFA/Mass has received a $5,000 grant
from Whole Foods Market to support the gathering
and dissemination of information for this research
project.
To contribute to the collective knowledge about
dealing with one of the most destructive crop diseases that has affected our region in recent memory,
please find the link to the survey on late blight at the
NOFA/Mass website: www.nofamass.org

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

NOFA-NJ 25th Anniversary

Winter Conference

The Northeast Organic

Farming Association of

New York
Welcomes you to:

28th Annual Organic Farming

and Gardening Conference
January 22-24, 2010
80 + workshops for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders,

foodies, and more. Plus 3 Keynote Speakers, Organic Trade

Show, Local Organic Meals, and Entertainment.
Bring the whole family!
Childcare and Childrens Workshops
The Saratoga Hilton
Saratoga Springs, NY

Contact:
Greg Swartz
Conference Coordinator
conference@nofany.org
(570) 224-8515

For details and registration information www.nofany.org

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Douglass Campus Center, Rutgers University

Keynote Speaker: John Jeavons

John Jeavons is the Executive Director of Ecology Action of the
Mid-Peninsula. He is known internationally as the leading researcher
and method developer, teacher, and consultant for the small-scale,
sustainable agricultural method known as GROW BIOINTENSIVE
mini-farming. He is the author of the best-selling book How to Grow
More Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You
Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine. The
comprehensive and sustainable cropping system developed by
Jeavons enables people in all regions of the world to grow a balanced
diet on a small plot of land.
John Jeavons will also be presenting a 1-Day Biointensive
Sustainable Mini-Farming Workshop on
Friday, January 29th.

Sea-Crop Concentrate
Ocean Minerals
plus naturally occurring organic substances

NOFA/Mass 23rd Annual Winter Conference

Sea-Crop provides a broad and complex suite of highly available minerals which perform
many bio enhancing roles as catalysts and enzyme cofactors. In addition Sea-Crop also
contains a highly active organic component which consists of enzymes, proteins, humic
substances and other factors which dramatically enhance microbial functions.
>WSDA approved for organic use

January 16, 2010 9am-5.30pm

Worcester Technical High School, Worcester, Ma

Sea-Crop improves soil function and productivity

> Magnifies microbial proliferation and growth
> Increases soil respiration
> Enhances soil structure and aggregate formation

Sea-Crop improves plan health and vitality

> Enhanced photosynthesis and protein synthesis
> Increases level of stress tolerance
> Increases disease and insect resistance

>larger yields, fruit size, improved flavor

Compare Our Prices and see how affordable

the Sea-Crop Benefits are
www.Sea-Crop.com

Food From Farms For Families

Joel Salatin to present keynote speech and all-

day seminar Introducing Livestock to your Farm

Developing a Landscape Management Plan
Developing Infrastructure for Movement
Developing Market Quality and Logistics

Over 45 workshops on organic farming, gardening,

landscaping, and sustainable living!
Vibrant Exhibit area! Exhibit your product!
NOFA/Mass Annual Meeting!
Great children and teens program!
Delicious Potluck lunch!
Registration Fee $50 with discounts available
Registration for Salatin seminar $115 (includes conference entrance)
For more information contact Conference Coordinator,
Jassy Bratko at 978-928-5646 or jassy.bratko@nofamass.org
http://www.nofamass.org/conferences/winter/index.php
Please support our sponsors!

440-632-1012

Obituary

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

Miles McEvoy

Takes Over National Organic Program

Miles McEvoy, manager of Washington states Organic Food Program, has been appointed head of
the USDA National Organic Program. In making
the announcement on Thursday, Sept. 17, USDA
Secretary Tom Vilsack said McEvoy has worked in
organic agriculture for more than two decades and
has a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing organic growers.

This is excellent timing, he said. Theres a lot of

support (for organics) from the USDA.
From 1993 to 1995, McEvoy was the founding director of The Food Alliance, a program that blends
sustainable farming practices and social welfare
components. He also helped establish the National
Association of State Organic Programs in 1998
and currently serves as its president. In addition, he
helped the Montana Department of Agriculture develop its state organic certification program and has
been helping the Oregon Department of Agriculture
develop its own organic certification program.

Anne Schwartz, owner of Blue Heron Farm in

Skagit County, Wash., and board member of Tilth
Producers of Washington, a statewide organic organization, described McEvoy as a man of impeccable
integrity. Hes built a wonderful program here in
Washington state, she said.

Frank White
1932-2009

Frank White, an environmental educator and owner

of the Holly Hill Farm in Cohasset, Massachusetts,
died on September 6, 2009 at the age of 77. After a
long career in education, Frank White moved back
to the farm that he grew up on and that had been
in his family for five generations, with the goal of
developing a farm that could promote sustainable
agricultural practices, serve as an environmental
resource, and provide educational programs for
local schools and the larger community.
Frank began by hiring farm manager Martin
Gursky who proceeded to grow a variety of organic
vegetables that were sold at the local farmers

The Natural Farmer

In announcing McEvoys appointment, Vilsack also

announced that the National Organic Program will
become an independent program area within USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service. Currently, the
program is within the transportation and marketing
division. Under this change, it will be a stand-alone
program in AMS. The program is responsible for
regulating the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture -- the organic industry. U.S. sales of organic
foods have grown from $1 billion in 1990, when the
Organic Foods Production Act established the program, to a projected $23.6 billion in 2009. Congress
increased the programs funding from $2.6 million
during the last fiscal year to $3.2 million this year.
source: Capital Press, September 24, 2009

Dan Newhouse, director of the Washington State

Department of Agriculture, praised McEvoy for
playing a formative role in the organic food industry
in Washington and across the nation. Every organic
certification agency and the entire industry will
continue to benefit from his expertise, he said in a
press release shortly after the appointment was announced.
McEvoy told the Capital Press hell work to protect organic integrity, uphold organic standards and
implement enforcement provisions of the program.
market and, with the assistance of Red Tomato, at
the Harvest Food Co-op in Jamaica Plain. Currently,
managed by Ben and Hannah Wolbach, the farm
now grows over 75 different vegetables, flowers,
and herbs. Produce is sold out of the 19th century
barn in the farmyard and attracts buyers from all
over the South Shore.
Frank established the Friends of Holly Hill Farm, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to using the farm as
a classroom for educational programs for students of
all ages. Programming has been developed under the

leadership of Jon Belber, Holly Hill Farm Education

Director, whose outstanding teaching recently won
him a Garden Club of America award, and has
emphasized creating respect for and knowledge
of the natural environment, teaching awareness
of sustainable agriculture and local farming, and
collaborating with local schools. Last year, Frank
co-authored a curriculum manual entitled A
Growing Relationship designed to integrate the
use of hands-on projects in a farm setting with a
classroom-based science curriculum.

28th Annual
A new local company serving Organic and Biological Landscapers, Farmers & Gardeners

New Location! University of Vermont, Burlington

Winter Conference
February 13-15, 2010

NOFA Vermont

Vermont agriculture is leading the nation.

Meet USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack as well
as the thousands (literally) of farmers,
gardeners, localvores, educators, students,
and apprentices that are re-localizing
Vermonts food system.
Keynote Speakers
LaDonna Redmond, Institute for
Community Resource Development
Jack Lazor, organic dairy farmer
With a special day-long intensive workshop with organic
farmer Richard Wiswall, author of The Organic Farmers
Business Handbook
78 Workshops | Childrens Conference
Join us! Contact us to receive a brochure.
802-434-4122 | info@nofavt.org

www.nofavt.org

Photos by Geoff Hansen,

www.geoffhansen.com

10

The Natural Farmer

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

Holistic Sustainable Agriculture from the Soil Up:

Interview with Dr. Paul Dettloff
on NOFA/Mass Advanced Growers Winter Seminar
by Ben Grosscup
NOFA/Mass Extension Events Organizer

treatments. Mastering these tools is the easiest part

of going sustainable.

On February 2 and 3, 2010, NOFA/Mass will host a

seminar for two full days at the Barre Congregational Church in Barre, MA, called Holistic Sustainable Agriculture from the Soil Up. The presenter
this year is veterinarian and biological agriculture
expert, Dr. Paul Dettloff. The event is NOFA/Mass
second annual Advanced Growers Winter Seminar,
which was taught in 2009 by the influential agronomist and medical doctor, Arden Andersen.

What would you say to a farmer who says that the

conventional veterinary tools that they have used
are more reliable than the alternatives you teach?

Dettloff will present a holistic approach to soil fertility, focusing on the nutritional needs of soil microbes, plants, and animals. Hell teach techniques
for raising the nutritional quality of forage, a full
range of organically certifiable veterinary tools,
management strategies for livestock, and soil fertility principles for growing fruits and vegetables.

What skills do you offer small-scale producers for

achieving greater success and self-sufficiency?

Dr. Paul Dettloff received his DVM degree from the

University of Minnesota and has conducted a large
animal veterinary practice in Western Wisconsin for
35 years. He authored, Alternative Treatments for
Ruminant Animals, a premier resource for organic
dairy producers. He has pioneered the use of homeopathics and nosodes in the holistic treatment of
dairy animals. His focus on the whole system, from
the soil to sustainable management, is the result of
years of personal study and practical experience.
Dr. Dettloff is a consultant and staff veterinarian for
Organic Valley Cooperative, consultant to Lancaster
Agriculture Products, and owner of Dr. Pauls Lab.

Once you learn how to use the tools and feed the
animal, they work very well. There is a lot of science on this. Condemnation without prior investigation keeps one ignorant, and thats what were hearing when they say, Well, that doesnt work.

Dr. Paul Dettloff

photo courtesy Paul Dettloff

chickens that use forage for just part of their diet,

better quality forage means you need less seeds.

Interview with Dr. Dettoff

Biodiversity in the diet is also important. A ruminant would like to eat 100 different plants every five
days. But with monoculture agriculture, the majority
of the herds I visited when I was in practice were
getting only three or four plants: corn, soy, and alfalfa, and sometimes cottonseed.

Grosscup: How is the health of livestock related to

the health of the soil?

What are your concerns specifically about the use of

soy in animal feeds?

Dettloff: Healthy, balanced soil produces a healthy

full-stemmed plant that is well-mineralized and has
a lot of energy. This will fulfill animals particularly ruminants -- nutritional needs. Unbalanced
soils or soils lacking minerals or humus produce
sick, hollow-stemmed, low-mineralized, low-energy
plants. Its a no-brainer: health starts in the soil.

If you feed soy-based milk replacer to a calf, sheep,

or goat, it actually acts like an antigen; the protein
in the soy bean will irritate the animal to the point
that it forms antibodies. Its like its an invasive
protein. You can draw a blood sample on a calf to
see if it has been fed a soy-based milk replacer. Soy
is loaded with estrogens. A dairy cow thats getting
slammed with pounds of soy beans is also ingesting
high levels of estrogen, and its a wonder we can get
her bred! Although we dont deal with it in organics,
in the conventional world, the milk replacer industry
has been slowly taking all of the soy lecithin and
soy products out of milk, and now theyre touting
the all-dairy milk replacer. Theyre changing because of feedback from people who dont want soybeans fed to young calves.

How can you tell the difference between high quality

forage and low quality forage?
First, a refractometer measures the plants brix,
which is the total dissolved solids in the plants
sap. Second, leaf analysis can measure the protein,
the calcium, the sulfur, and the sugar. In the last 10
years, weve expanded our parameters to include
many more nutrients in our analysis.
What are the differences for growing vegetables and
fruit crops as compared to forage?
The same balanced soil grows good fruits and vegetables as it does seed crops. The vegetable and fruit
world will spend more on foliar sprays, which are
used to maximize photosynthesis and help make
nutrients more available, because the crops are
higher value. Were also seeing a trend in the dairy
world to do more foliar as our land has gotten more
expensive. The same basic principles apply whether
youre growing grapes, broccoli, cabbage, or alfalfa.
In the Northeast, we dont raise soy and corn very
economically, so much of it is bought-in for non-ruminant feed. What alternative feed sources can we
produce locally, while providing proper nutrition?
The United States is probably the only nation that
has the corn, soy, and alfalfa paradigm for growing everything. We need to go to the small grains:
wheat, barley, oats, and even Japanese millet. Australia and New Zeeland feed their animals small
grains, but not corn or soy beans. Goats and sheep
do really well on small grains, and sustainable dairy
farmers are increasingly feeding calves whole oats
and doing very well. For animals like pigs and

Have you worked with any innovations for providing

backyard poultry with proper nutrition?
Backyard poultry often lacks calcium, which causes
leg problems. A simple and inexpensive thing to do
is put out calcium carbonate, which is finely ground
hydrate limestone, alongside kelp, and humates in
three separate pans, and let the birds free choice
it. Those animals will gorge on it for a while, and
problems with legs, going down, and cannibalism
straighten out.
Besides nutrition, what veterinary tools do you use
for immediately addressing animal diseases?
In 1988, when I saw my first organic cow, I had no
organic tools. But in the last 20 years, weve developed 10 tools in our tool chest, which Ill cover in
detail in the seminar. These are all things that we
threw away in the early 1900s, but theyre made by
Mother Nature so we dont have nasty side effects.
For example, sustainable and organic farmers have
become huge users of tinctures, which are very effective. Another tool is botanicals; here, theres a
uterine pill, a product for respiratory issues a treatment for udder edema and swelling. Another tool,
essential oils, have been reinvented in the organic
world, but entirely dropped from any conventional

I want to empower them with knowledge on soils,

animal nutrition, and alternative veterinary tools
so that they can understand the principles of health
and be able to make sound decisions. Its a matter of
gaining knowledge and being able to figure out new
situations, and it doesnt take long. The conventional paradigm is to follow the recommendations and
not ask questions. But when you teach a sustainable
farmer a few basic and practical principles, they really grab a hold and dig deeper into the ecosystem,
and it gets to be fun. Ive had a lot of people tell me
years later that, Man, I feel like Im in control.
Is it a matter of knowing what the signs are what
the soil, plants, and weeds indicate?
Yes, and also the animal! Ill show slides on reading the hair of livestock. Ive been a veterinarian for
over 42 years, and for 35 years, I blindly ignored
the hair. I saw it, but I didnt have a clue. Once you
learn how to read the hair as an indicator of production, health, and how the glands are, you think,
Wow! How come this isnt known?
Tell me about your presentation style.
I combine science with observations from years of
practice. I use plain talk, and keep it simple. I like
interaction with the crowd, and I answer questions
as we go. I tend to have a little humor and fun.
Whats your message to the farming community?
As one of my close friends, Dr. Arden Andersen,
says, food is medicine. But our food has got some
nasty things in it. To be healthy, weve got to clean
up our food and learn how to eat right. Were not
only talking about food production; were also talking about personal health.
More on the Seminar
Logistics for the event will be run same as last
years seminar where NOFA/Mass organizes local
members to host out-of-town farmers at their homes
for the duration of the two days and where seminar
participants are invited to bring a food contribution.
Seminar registration is $165. Theres a $15 discount for NOFA membership and a $10 discount
for registration by January 16, 2010. There is a $50
food fee, which is waved if you bring a food item
worth roughly that amount; see registration form at
the link below for details on food and homestays.
Pre-registration is required and seminar enrollment
is capped at 100 -- first come, first served. Contact:
Ben Grosscup, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org, 413658-5374. All information for the event is available
on the website, including a registration form, technical bulletins by Dr. Dettloff, and a link to an MP3
audio recording of the above interview:
www.nofamass.org/seminars/winterseminar.php.
The seminar provides a great marketing opportunity
for sponsors to exhibit before those attending.Because of space limitations, we will be selling only a
handful of sponsorships. For more information, contact bob@nofamass.org.

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

11

The Natural Farmer

Special Supplement on

Crop Nutrient Density

Nutrient Dense Crops

What does the term mean, and how do we produce them?

By Dan Kittredge
Nutrient Density is the end product of a highly functioning biological system where the crop harvested
has a measurably larger quantity of a broad spectrum of different minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients,
and antioxidants than its counterparts. These components are also in healthy ratios with each other.
In relation to their same species counterparts, nutrient dense crops have relatively
More complex and intense flavor
Longer shelf life
Greater specific gravity, or density
More tendency to desiccate instead of rot
More disease and pest resistance during the
growth phase, and
Greater yield.

How is it that this apparently ideal list of objectives
can be accomplished? Is this not fanciful silver bullet thinking that will fall flat in trials in the field?
Why is this not already being done if it is so possible and apparently profitable?
The essential premise critical to producing nutrient dense crops is that maximum biological vitality
should be the objective of our agricultural endeavors. This means in soil life, in crops, in animals, and
in humans. By this we mean full realization of the
DNA potential of the species. Essentially all we are
working to do is remove the limiting factors to nutrition and production. On this basis the stage is set
for nutrient density as the logical outcome.
The question of course is how.
And the answer is by understanding the ideal environmental conditions for our crops and then creating
them in our fields.
Plants have, essentially, an external digestive system, as opposed to animals which have internal
digestive systems. That external digestive system is
still bacteria and fungi like we animals have in our
guts, just different species, and attached to the roots
and leaves. Plants evolved with a symbiotic relationship to soil life, and can only achieve their potential
when there is a soil life community that is feeding
that plant what it wants when it wants it.
The first step, then, is to feed the soil life that will
feed our crops so that they can give the plant everything it needs. Although this may sound simple
in principle, there are a number of parameters that
must be understood to achieve this objective. The
first challenge is to determine what are the specific
biological communities that are symbiotic with
the crops we are trying to grow. Then we need to
understand what the environmental conditions are
that these biological communities need to thrive.
Different aeration, hydration, mineralization, and
temperature not to mention carbon levels are some

of the critical factors that determine what biological

communities dominate.
In animal and human nutrition we understand the
importance of establishing healthy biology in the
gut to facilitate health. This is exactly what is critical to do in the soil if we want our crops to thrive
and produce the best nutrition for us.
Different soil life communities thrive in different
environmental conditions, and the plants that have
symbiotic relationships with the soil life that is
thriving are the ones that will flourish. If we understand that what are referred to as weeds have different soil life symbiotes, then when we see weeds
thriving it can be easily determined that we have not
established the proper soil life communities for our
crops.
Besides increasing organic matter levels through
cover cropping, composts, and manure, one of the
most critical steps in this process is mineral balancing. Our crop plants and their biological symbiotes
have specific mineral ratio and level desires to
thrive, and if these minerals are not present in the
soil it will be a struggle to bring high quality crops
to harvest until they are.
A soil test that shows minerals in biologically available format is usually helpful in this process. This
is because it is the biologically available mineral
levels and their balance which determines what soil

life communities will dominate. Once the minerals

needed in the soil are determined, it is necessary
to amend the soil in a manner that will convert the
usually unavailable rock minerals into a biologically available form. Coating the rock minerals with
materials like humates, powdered fish, kelp, sugar
or molasses and adding biological inoculants can
greatly facilitate the process of making these minerals available for the soil life and, ultimately, your
crops.
This process of coating the basic rock minerals with
biological stimulants and inoculants is the most efficient way to get these minerals converted from
crystalline form to protoplasmic form because it is
providing the food that the soil life will need to do
the conversion process right on the materials that
we want converted. Oftentimes rock minerals will
be applied to a soil and available mineral levels will
not change noticeably because they have not been
digested by the soil life so as to be available for the
crop. This coating process is a nice trick for facilitating that process.
Proper mineralization then, and building of the soil
life communities that support our crop plants, is
the foundation of producing nutrient dense crops.
It must be remembered that the objective of our
farming ventures is not to bring crops to market or
table, but to make available in these crops all of the
nutrition that our bodies need to thrive. A conventional analysis might say that a crop can be brought

12

to harvest through a solution of 12 or 16 minerals.

But that neglects the basic fact that our bodies have
been shown to use up to 84 different minerals, if not
more. This is well documented in Minerals for the
Genetic Code by Charles Walters.
Most of these minerals are only used in extremely
small quantities in our bodies for things like DNA
replication, hormone management, glandular function and in enzymes. These are not unimportant
tasks, and often times are the very factors that are
causative in many of our chronic diseases.
After basic mineralization of the soil, and inoculation of crop seeds and at transplant, the process of
nutrient dense crop production is essentially a process of monitoring soil conductivity and crop brix,
pH and conductivity. Through monitoring these factors we can see in real time how the crop is doing,
where if anywhere there are deficiencies or limiting
factors beginning to affect the crop, what they are,
and then primarily through nutrient drenches and foliar sprays mediate these issues before they become
problems.
It is only when there are limitations to the function
of the plant that diseases will break out or that insects will attack. These basic facts are sacrilegious
in conventional agricultural theory, but are well

Nutrient Density
Nutrient Density is a term that is being used
more and more these days. There are a number
of ways to use the term, and some are more or
less appropriate. Nutritionists use the term to
compare different foods, such as blueberries versus watermelon, with an example statement being that blueberries have more nutrition per unit
volume than watermelon.

The problem with this distinction is that some
blueberries have high levels of minerals, vitamins, anti-oxidants, and phytonutrients and in
others they are quite low. These are the basic
testable variables that determine the nutritive
level of a food, and the variation within individual crops is sometimes greater than the variation
between crop species. Environmental (read soil)
conditions are the general determining factor in
the quality of a harvest, and these are conditions
that a farmer or gardener can readily address.
What consumers are looking for is to purchase
and feed their family the blueberries that have
those high levels of nutrition, not just to know
that some blueberries do. Numerous studies have
been done to test the relative nutritional levels of
organic versus conventional crops and the like,
and while some show higher levels of nutrition
in organic crops, many are inconclusive. The
soil that a crop was grown in is the major factor
determining its quality. Up until now there has
been no way for consumers to determine what
the quality is of the crops that they are buying.
This is where the current excitement around nutrient density comes in.

The Natural Farmer

documented and easily understood when a detailed
explanation of the principles at hand is given.
Insects, for instance, have simple digestive systems
and are only able to digest simple sugars and free
amino acids, not complex sugars and complete proteins. It is only when the plant is deficient in specific
minerals that it will have simple sugars and free
amino acids in its sap. If the plant has access to the
minerals it needs it will create complex sugars and
complete proteins that insects are physiologically
unable to digest.
Fungal diseases attack plants by puncturing cell
walls with their hyphae and, essentially, sucking the
protoplasm out of the plant cells. The strength of
fungal hyphae is such that only when cell walls are
weak because they do not have the necessary minerals to have been built well are hyphae able to break
through. A plants cell walls, when it has access to
the minerals it wants, are extremely strong and can
easily resist fungal attack.
With plant sap conductivity and pH readings that
can easily be taken by handheld tools we can proactively see markers that signify the specific deficiencies that predict disease or infestation. Then if we
understand how to mediate these deficiencies we
can not only prevent the disease or infestation, but
also bring the plant back to a greater level of balance, which corresponds with greater potential to
yield.
There are a number of other parameters and factors
that when understood can augment plant vitality,
function and performance, but this basic outline
gives a clear picture of the problem. We have been
cropping, tilling and generally disturbing our fields
for centuries in some cases, and only when we can
bring the soil system to a high level of vitality and
functionality can we expect to harvest the highest
quality crops.
Every year that we harvest crops off of a field we
are basically mining the soil of the minerals that will
feed our bodies. If we do not put back in, in some
form, all of the minerals that have been removed,
and do so up to a level where everything that we
want in our bodies is in our crops, we are not doing
the job of crop production that we can. Consumers
are beginning to understand that they can discern,
through flavor and refractometers, the quality of the
nutrition that they purchase and put into their bodies. We as farmers and gardeners need to understand
how we can maximize the quality of the nutrition
that we are producing. It is not only the best that we
can do, it is also much more profitable and rewarding.
Dan Kittredge has been an organic farmer for the
past 25 years, since the age of 7, and is currently the
director of the Real Food Campaign, a project of the
non-profit Remineralize the Earth devoted to bringing nutrient dense crops into the food supply. He is
focused on helping as many farmers as possible in
the Northeast succeed in nutrient dense crop production in the year 2010 and has year-long workshop series set up in Connecticut, Massachusetts,
New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire to achieve
that objective. Go to www.realfoodcampaign.org for
more information.

New from the 2009 NOFA Summer Conference:

NOFA Videos
Now in DVD!

0901 Organic Pastured Poultry Raising

Jack Kittredge
0902 Starting a CSA

Carolyn Llewellyn
0903 Keynote: The Power of Mushrooms Paul Stamets
0904 Luscious Landscape Growing
Lee Reich
0905 Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms Paul Stamets
0906 Veggie Farm Machinery (Tour)
Ryan Voiland
0907 Keynote: On Growing Power
Will Allen
0908 Making Cultured Dairy Products
Becca Buell
0909 Panel on Late Blight

Michael Glos,
Ruth Hazzard, Dan Kittredge, Abby Seaman, Paul Stamets,
0910 Potatoes, Not Just Round & White Abby Seaman

for a full list of the 146 videos available, visit

$20 each

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www.nofa.org/conference/video/index.php

Send me the circled videos in VHS DVD format. Im

sending $20 for each in a check to NOFA Video Project
NOFA Video Project, 411 Sheldon Rd., Barre, MA 01005

Preorder quantities of

for your Farm Stand

or CSA members!
10 - 29 copies for $2.50 each
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these prices are postpaid
to any US street address
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You must preorder, however, so

send a check for the total amount
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The Natural Farmer

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W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

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W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

Degraded Soils, Food Shortages & Eating Oil:

Restoring Soil Life through Biological Agriculture

by Mike Amaranthus, Ph.D, Jeff Anderson & John

Marler

The global urgency to produce food is not expected

to lessen. By 2030 our planet is expected to support
8.3 billion people. The United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization has stated that by then,
farmers will have to produce 30 percent more grain
than they do now to keep pace with hunger. How do
we increase agricultural production while fossil fuel
supplies decline and costs escalate, restricting their
use on the farm? And how do we expand production
when desertification, soil erosion, organic matter
and nutrient loss are on the increase? It is a paradox:
precisely as we are increasing our demands on soil,
we are losing it at an unprecedented rate.
The so-called Green Revolution has been anything
but green. Initially, through intensive chemical
inputs and monocultural cropping practices, the
Green Revolution greatly increased the production
of chosen commodity grain crops such as wheat,
corn, soybeans and rice but it also greatly
broadened the use of weed control, chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, thus increasing toxicity
levels in the environment and widely impacting the
planets precious soil and water resources.
In fact, agricultural production has not increased
in several decades and high levels of chemical
inputs have been needed just to sustain current
levels of production. In addition, the escalated use
of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, erosion, land
clearing, and compaction has had a devastating
effect on beneficial living organisms in the soil.
Globally, 1.9 billion hectares are significantly
degraded.
Now more than ever, we need a real paradigm
shift rather than mere incremental changes in
the way we grow, buy, and eat our food and

Globally, 1.9 billion hectares of agricultural land are significantly degraded. Worn-out soils
are less productive, less resilient and more dependent upon intensive inputs.

an organic, biological approach to managing the

worlds soil provides that much-needed shift.
According to a recently released UN Environment
Programme report (www.unctad.org/en/docs/
ditcted200715_ en.pdf), this may be the only way
we can solve the growing problem of hunger in
developing countries. UNEP reports that organic
and biological practices in Africa outperformed
industrial, chemical-intensive conventional farming,
while also proving environmental benefits such as
improved soil fertility, better water retention and
drought resistance. This analysis of 114 farming
projects in 24 African countries found that organic
or near-organic practices resulted in significant yield
increases.

Not-So-Green Revolution

Chemically based conventional agricultural

practices lead to increased risks to human health.
Pesticides have poisoned farm workers and wildlife
and created public health problems including
cancers and birth defects. The impacts reach both
rich and poor countries. In the United States, over
50 percent of the nations drinking water wells
contained detectable amounts of nitrate and 7
percent have detectable amounts of pesticides.
The United States is burdened with an estimated
$12 billion annual health and environmental cost
associated with pesticide use, and estimated annual
public and environmental health costs related to

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15

The Natural Farmer

soil erosion of about $45 billion. But the damage

transcends environmental soil loss the cost of
destroying future generations ability to produce
enough food for their survival cannot be calculated.
Inoculants
Soil loss, compaction and the use of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides have caused tremendous
harm to the environment and life in the soil. Part
of our strategy to combat this degradation is to
reestablish beneficial life in the soil using biological
inoculants. Biological inoculants contain organisms
that enrich the nutrient and water-holding capacity
of soil. The main types of inoculants are nitrogenfixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. These groups
of organisms have a special, mutually beneficial,
or symbiotic, relationship with plants in which the
partners derive life-sustaining benefits from each
other. These symbiotic organisms deliver multiple
benefits to the plant host, including improved
nutrition, disease resistance, and tolerance to
adverse soil and climatic conditions.
Techniques to reestablish beneficial soil organisms
have proved to be successful in countries all over
the world, and biological inoculants have been used
to reduce problems associated with erosion, drought,
decreased fertility and increased salinity of the soil.
Mycorrhizae
Mycorrhizae literally means fungus roots. In this
association, fungal filaments extend into the soil and
help the plant by gathering water and nutrients and
transporting these materials back to the roots. These
beneficial fungi grow on the roots of most plants,
and plants that have mycorrhizal fungi growing on
their roots survive better after transplantation and
grow faster. The fungal symbiont receives shelter
and food from the plant, which in turn acquires
an array of benefits such as improved uptake of
nitrogen, phosphorus and most micronutrients,
drought and salt tolerance, and an overall increase in
plant growth and development.
Most plants, including more that 90 percent of all
agricultural crops, form a root association with these

Mycorrhizal fungi and rhizosphere bacteria improve soil fertility and plant growth.
Here is a root without and with rhizosphere bacteria.

specialized fungi. Miles of fungal filaments can be

present in a tiny fraction of healthy soil. The crops
association with mycorrhizal fungi increases the
effective surface absorbing area of roots by several
hundred to several thousand times.
Mycorrhizal fungi can increase the yield of an area
of land by 30 percent or more. They can readily
absorb nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil and
pass them on to the plant. Mycorrhizal plants show
higher tolerance to elevated soil temperatures,
various soil- and root-borne pathogens, and heavy
metal toxicity.
Recent research published in the journal Nature
(M. Govindarajulu et al., Nitrogen Transfer in
the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis, 2005)
has emphasized the important role mycorrhizal
fungi play in delivering nitrogen to crop plants,
thus lowering the need for excessive amounts of
synthetic fertilizers. With this in mind, farmers
may benefit from promoting the proliferation of
mycorrhizal fungi through diminished fertilizer

input, thereby making more efficient use of the

nitrogen stores in agricultural soils. The authors
found that beneficial mycorrhizal fungi transfer
substantial amounts of nitrogen to their plant hosts.
The researchers also discovered a novel metabolic
pathway in which the ammonium form of nitrogen
(less subject to leaching losses compared to nitrates)
in soils is absorbed by the fungi.
There are well-documented research trials also
available on the important role of mycorrhizal fungi
with most legume crops. The rhizobia bacteria that
form with important legume crops have a high
phosphorus requirement to optimize their level of
nitrogen-fixation.
Mycorrhizal fungi produce specific enzymes to
extract phosphorus from the soil and make it
available to nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The synergy
effect of a combined treatment with nitrogen-fixers
and mycorrhizae can increase yield. In soybeans,
inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi has been shown

Managing Soil Temperature

04.07.09In the wild, where our crop plants evolved their
microbial partnerships, plants are provided with nutrients from
soil by the work of partner microbes in their employ. In the
greenhouse, it is important that the grower provide soil condi-

COM PA N Y

tions to support the efforts of those same plant employees in

the soil. The grower should seek to mimic the soil conditions of
the plants evolutionary history. It pays to know, and manage,
soil temperatures. One of the main actors in soil temperature
dynamics is water. Cold water shocks the systemeven warm
water will cool soil by evaporation to well below air temperatures
unless heat is provided under the media. Assuming good media
and sound plant material, most greenhouse problems relate to
water, watering, and water temperature effects on soil life.
Generally, dryer is better, both because of the thermal effects
and because water displaces air in soil.

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16

The Natural Farmer

structure, increase water uptake, or promote other

beneficial microbes. In fact, chemical fertilizers
often negatively affect these factors.
Fertilizers can lead to other side effects, such as
deteriorated water quality, soil structure and excess
soil salinity. The mycorrhizal relationship improves
feeder root production, allowing a mycorrhizal plant
to better utilize added fertilizer.
Legume-Rhizobium Relationship
Nitrogen is plentiful in the atmosphere (air is 80
percent nitrogen), but plants cant use it in the gas
form. Nitrogen uptake is possible in a fixed form,
which is facilitated by the rhizobium bacteria
present in nodules located on the root systems
of certain plants. The bacterium lives in the soil
to form root nodules (i.e. outgrowth on roots) in
plants such as beans, groundnut and soybean. In
agriculture settings, it is commonly added as a
powder or liquid biological seed inoculant.

You are looking at the cross section of a

feeder root in mycorrhizal association with a
fungus. In the center of the picture you can
see the xylem. The large cells are cortical
cells. Moving outwards you will see that the
fungus has pushed itself between the cortical
cells. Finally, there is the fungal sheath on
the outside. The bar in the picture (lower
left) is 10 microns.
to increase the amount of biological-fixed nitrogen
and stimulated phosphorous uptake, soybean growth
and yield, and other studies have shown mycorrhizal
inoculation improve rates of nitrogen-fixation for
other species.
Yield increases of up to 30 percent have been
realized for corn and soybeans, with phosphorus
savings of 160 and 213 pounds per acre,
respectively.
Mycorrhizae perform many functions related to
plant establishment that fertilizers do not. Fertilizers
cannot maintain healthy roots, improve soil

In the old days, farmers were careful to rotate

crops and incorporate nitrogen- fixing legumes into
management practices that added organic matter and
fertility into soil. An excellent example is the use
of rhizobia inoculant when growing beans, alfalfa,
clover and other nitrogen-fixing legume crops on
farmland.
Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with
the roots of legumes are capable of processing
substantial quantities of the vast pool of atmospheric
nitrogen and converting it to an organic form usable
by plants. A good cover crop can add 200-300
pounds of nitrogen per acre to the soil.
These nitrogen-fixing organisms evolved millions
of years ago and helped pioneer plants to colonize
the land. As these early plants gained a foothold
on rocky ledges surrounding primordial seas, they
helped build soil on the land surface. From ancient
times until recent decades, these soil organisms
were essential partners in building soil productivity.
Until recently, these organisms were among the
most important tools in maintaining the productivity

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

of the farm. Now, the escalating monetary and

environmental costs of chemical-based nitrogen
fertilizer are making biological or symbiotic
approaches increasingly attractive to farmers.
Carbon Sequestration

Soils are also a potentially powerful sink for

accumulating carbon in the form of organic matter.
Atmospheric CO2 can be recaptured by the soil
under a variety of conditions, including activities
that slow soil decomposition rates, introduce greater
amounts of plant biomass, reduce soil erosion, and
produce glomalin derived from mycorhizal activity.
Land management practices such as no-till, winter
cover crops, biological inoculants, perennial crops,
manure and compost inputs are being studied for
their ability to increase soil-stored carbon.
Of recent interest has been the discovery of glomalin
in 1996 by Agricultural Research Service scientist
Sarah Wright. Produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi, glomalin permeates organic matter, binding
together silt, sand, and clay particles. Not only does
glomalin contain 30 to 40 percent carbon, but it also
forms aggregates that create soil structure and keep
other stored soil carbon from escaping.
Studies have shown glomalin can represent up to
30 percent of the total carbon in soil and can last 40
years.
The only sources of glomalin are arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi, found living on plant roots
around the world. Wright named glomalin after
Glomales, the taxonomic order to which arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi belong. Unfortunately, numerous
factors such as erosion, organic matter removal,
compaction, cultivation, fallow, and the use of
certain chemical fertilizers and pesticides have
reduced or eliminated these glomalin-producing
mycorrhizal fungi from large expanses of managed
lands.
A Better Way
Over the last few decades we have learned much
about how soils in natural areas remain extremely
productive without inputs of chemical fertilizers,

HORIZON ORGANIC THANKS OUR FARMERS

FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE.

2009 Horizon

Their dedication to organic farming benefits both local communities

and the organic community, making them the planet's favorite farmers.

ic (HOPE) Award
The Horizon Organ
s and their families
pays tribute to farmer
t
long-term commitmen
who demonstrate a
ganic agriculture.
to and passion for or
that others may
We tell their story so
inspired to
be encouraged and
on to organic.
undertake the transiti
iss, NY, are
The Franklins from Bl
cipients for 2009.
the HOPE Award re

Ron Franklin Jr. and

www.HorizonOrganic.com

Sr., Bliss, NY

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

17

The Natural Farmer

improves rather than degrades the productive capital

of soil.
Scientific studies substantiate that the use of
organic fertilizers, biological inoculants, such as
nitrogen-fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi,
appropriate cover crops, green manures, compost
and compost tea, can maintain or increase crop
yields with reduced chemical inputs. Furthermore,
yields can continue to increase over time in stressed
agricultural environments without the detrimental
effects of soil erosion, loss of organic matter and
environmental degradation.

Response to the use of inoculant. The dark vigorous strips were sown with inoculated seed.
The lighter strips were from seed which was not inoculated

pesticides and irrigation. The system can work.

The use of organic amendments and biological
inoculants such as mycorrhizal fungi has been
proved in thousands of University studies. Quality
mycorrhizal inoculum is now available at a fraction
of the per-acre cost farmers typically pay for
chemical soil supplements.
For millions of years the powerful combination
of organic amendments and soil biology has
demonstrated its natural success and today we
are beginning to see these benefits on largescale farming. In North America both large-scale
conventional and organic farmers are applying
mycorrhizal fungi to wheat, corn, flax and soybean.
Many will also use fish fertilizers, compost and
compost tea to stimulate and inoculate their
soils with beneficial biology, improving nutrient
retention and uptake. In India, farmers are using
mycorrhizal inoculation to decrease their fertilizer
use by 50 percent without any loss of yields. Large
U.S. companies such as Pennington Seed are using
mycorrhizal fungi to coat millions of pounds of
grass seed to save water and fertilizer.

Clearly, we stand at a crossroads. We must feed the

world today without destroying future generations
ability to produce enough food. To do this we need
to launch an organic, biologically sound strategy
to manage the worlds soils a strategy that
makes basic changes to the way we grow our food.
We need an approach that maximizes agricultural
production while restoring clean water, protecting
the environment, building soils, and sustaining soil
resources.

Mike Amaranthus is an associate professor

(adjunct) at Oregon State University and
president of Mycorrhizal Applications, Inc.,
www.mycorrhizae. com. Jeff Anderson is field
applications specialist for Mycorrhizal Applications,
Inc. John Marler is president of Perfect Blend
Organics, LLC, www.perfect-blend.com, 188 106th
Ave. NE, Ste. 401, Bellevue, Washington 98004.
Reprinted with permission from Acres U.S.A., www.
acresusa.com, 800-355-5313.

Such a strategy marks a dramatic change from

reliance on unsustainable, energy-intensive,
potentially toxic fertilizers and pesticides to benign,
organic farming systems. This new paradigm
utilizes proven agricultural practices developed over
thousands of years and age-old natural relationships
within the living soil to sustain and improve the
health and survival of our soil, environment and
world population.
Our approach is an organic, biologically based
strategy for managing soils. It is an approach that

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Farming for Health:

18

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

Food Quality, Nutrient Density & Crop Brix

by Dr. Arden Andersen

They tend to believe that the soil test prevails over

all else and seek to find the perfect soil test report.
As a result they cannot seem to grasp the brix
principles. Brix measurements using a refractometer
for sap/juice is about fundamental biochemistry,
fundamental photosynthesis unique to plants. Only
plants take in carbon dioxide and water in the
presence of chlorophyll and sunlight to manufacture
sugar.

As the 21st century begins, obesity, cardiovascular

disease, diabetes, cancer, Parkinsons and
Alzheimers have become household names,
affecting over 50 percent of the American and
Americanized population. Crime, deviant behavior,
cultish communities, fear, hatred, suicide,
depression and anti-social behavior have become
so common that much of society is completely
desensitized to such behavior.
Rudolf Steiner nailed it well in 1922 when
questioned by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer as to why, in spite
of all the teachings, seminars and lectures espousing
a holistic approach to life and health, so few people
grasped these concepts. Steiners response was
succinct: food today does not contain sufficient
nutrition to allow the brain to work with a more
spiritual/holistic awareness. Dr. Charles Northern,
a gastroenterologist, read into the Congressional
Record in 1936 that the nutritional value of our food
correlated to nutritional decline in the soils and to
the disease states experienced by the consumer. In
fact, nutrition in our food has steadily declined since
1922, as evidenced by USDA food-testing data. The
total number of calories consumed by Americans
has increased significantly, but the actual nutrition
consumed has declined. Americans are eating
hollow calories.

Refractometer and scale visible through lens

USDA nutrient analysis data on that crop. The short
list for testing may include calcium, magnesium,
selenium, iron and perhaps copper, manganese and
zinc. (Yes, you can add omega oils, vitamin C, A, D
and other traces to the test, but then that gets more
expensive and is beyond the standard tissue test.)
Regardless of the year we use as a standard, 1940 or
1970, it will be better than todays values and a goal
for which the farm should strive. Unfortunately,
testing costs money, time and labor, but a very
simple and inexpensive field test for nutrient value
of a crop is the brix reading of the sap or juice
measured with a refractometer. This is a test that can
be done daily and correlates well to crop nutritional
quality. Every farmer should have a refractometer
and use it regularly, know what his/her crops are
running, and if the brix values are not improving,
then change the fertility program.

The organizations Beyond Organix and Real Food

Campaign are working to evaluate food for actual
nutritional quality. This means having your food
product tested by any lab of your choice, the same
test done on a standard tissue or petiole analysis, but
in this case performed on the food itself, whether
fruit, nut, grain, milk, meat, egg, vegetable or fish.
Compare these results with the 1940 or earlier

There are those, including some consultants, who

do not understand what the sap/juice brix reading
means or how to feed a crop to get brix to increase.

Everything the farmer harvests comes from this

sugar every bushel, ton, box or carton of yield.
This is basic, elementary botany. The farmers task
as a health promoter largely rests on raising crop
brix values to the good or excellent range as defined
by Dr. Carey Reams (these values are available at
www.aglabs.com or www.highbrixgardens.com).
Moving from a standard chemical system to a
biological system can initially be as simple as
following a universal recipe to establish some base
fertility but to move from this base to superior
quality, yield and profitability, the art of farming
must be employed to raise crop brix values (12
or above for the growing crop). This means midseason soil and crop testing, field assessment and
prescription nutrition specific to crop needs, growth,
and physiology.
Farming For Health
Growers who think foliar applications are not
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improvement. Plants in nature are not limited to
root feeding. The poorer the soil nutritional balance,
functionally, the less efficient will be the foliars.
The better the soil nutritional balance, functionally,
the more efficient will be the foliars. Therefore if
foliars arent working for you, either change your

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W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

soil program or change the formulation/timing

of your foliars. Specifically, foliars dont work
well if the functional calcium is insufficient and
the foliar product isnt the right mix. Researchers
at Michigan State University in the early 1960s
using radio-labeled nutrients demonstrated that
foliar applications of nutrients are up to 10 times as
efficient as soil application of these same nutrients
on a pound-for-pound, kilogram-for-kilogram basis.
I am ever amazed to observe experienced vets such
as Dan Skow, Paul Dettloff, Hugh Karreman and
Ed Sheaffer walk into a barn and, without any lab
testing, make skillful, extensive assessments and
recommendations for improving animal health and
production. Generally, only when they are stumped
do they turn to laboratory testing. In medicine it is
the same situation. The history and physical exam
are 90 percent of the diagnosis.
It is critical to ones success to understand that we
get no kudos or style points for fertilizing just to
make the soil test report look good. We need to
fertilize to make the crop look good, to raise its brix
and nutrient value. Remember, the point is that we
are growing food for people, not soil test reports
for the archives. So often I have had blood tests, X-

The Natural Farmer

rays and MRIs on patients that were read as normal,

yet the patient was sick or in pain. As a patient, do
you prefer the doctor treat the lab tests or treat you,
the patient? The same holds for soil tests and crop
performance.
Brix readings of a crop sap or juice is part of the
field observation package. It is part of evaluating
the patient. One could taste the juice or sap, and
if well trained and aware, nail the brix reading
without a refractometer. Taste and palatability are
key indicators of crop nutritional quality. Most of us
arent at that skill level in all crops, of course, so we
use a refractometer to measure the brix. Regardless
of ones preference in soil testing, follow whatever
fertility practices are necessary to raise the crop brix
readings. The brix will correlate to crop health and
nutritional quality.
When we get into the discussion of growing 100
bushels of soybeans per acre, the 100 Bushel
Club, farmers and consultants wonder how it
can be done because it has already been done,
they know it is possible. Functional nutrient
levels/balance in the soil are the key to this
accomplishment, which parallels microbial activity
and humus levels. Under a functional system of

19

agronomy, a holistic system, 200-bushel soybeans,

I predict, will be a reality within three years in the
Midwest. Crop brix, the measure of the sap sugar,
correlates significantly to yield.

Yes, we have a lot of human health and

environmental challenges before us in the 21st
century. Every one of them is directly or indirectly
connected to food quality, which really means
nutritional value of the food and this nutritional
value is a changeable, correctable challenge. Crop
brix is an earmark for how well the farmer is
improving the nutritional value of the crop. Use it
and change your management accordingly to raise
crop brix. Those who say it cannot be done had
better get out of the way of those who are doing it!
Arden Andersen, Ph.D., D.O., is the author of
Science in Agriculture and Real Medicine, Real
Health, both of which are available from the
Acres U.S.A. bookstore. He can be contacted at
Crossroads Healing Arts, 21764 Omega Court,
Goshen, Indiana 46528, phone 574-875-4227,
website www.bornclinic.com.
Reprinted with permission from Acres U.S.A., www.
acresusa.com, 800-355-5313.

Using a Refractometer to Test the

Quality of Fruits and Vegetables
by Rex Harrill

Food---real food---is grown on rich and fertile soil.

Removing crop after crop, year after year, rapidly
depletes the soil. Simplistic replacement of the
NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) does NOT
replenish the soil and only leads to the sad insipid
excuses so commonly stacked high on supermarket
shelves. On the other hand, balancing the soil---fully
mineralizing it to an ideal state---allows the production of fruits and vegetables of superb flavor and
taste---fit for royalty: YOUR family.
There are farmers out there who know how to do
the job right. Demanding the very best helps them.
A refractometer can help lead you to the topnotch
growers already doing the job. On the other hand,
countless consumers armed with a measuring tool
and saying, I dont want your sad fare will wake
up the supermarkets. The produce managers will
then wake up that majority of farmers who are still
sleeping.
Can you believe that you can take pretty much
identical-looking hay from neighboring fields, feed
50 pounds a day from one field to a cow and have
her drop in milk production and get sick, and feed
half as much from the other field and have the cow
rise in production and be healthy? What is the difference between the two samples of hay? QUALITY!
---Dr. Harold Willis How To Grow Great Alfalfa
Quality: this, indeed, is the needed revolution in Agriculture.
In 1970 the author inherited a large garden that
had belonged to a long time J. I. Rodale devotee. As
spring rolled around, the next door neighbor, Mike
Lasko, came over and said, Do you want some help
tilling. I did, and a great friendship was born.
Not too long after the first transplants went out,
Mike dropped over and asked if I had a sprayer.
Hearing that I did not, he said, Well, youve got to
get one---or borrow mine. Youll be needing Malathion soon enough. Being a reader of Organic Gardening, I declined---with the thought that I would
instead try the much-touted OG bug juice insect
control if that became necessary.
Each time that summer that Mike sprayed he would
yell over, Are you ready to spray? I kept declining
because the bugs never came. What did come were
hungry friends who couldnt seem to get over the
great taste of that gardens bounty. What variety
is that carrot? they would say. I was several times

accused of playing with the truth when I responded

that the variety was simply a 5-cent pack of seeds I
had bought at the drug store on sale.
Another thing that came were customer raves when
my wife started taking the veggie overflow to the
office building where she worked. Soon each office
was begging her to see them first. Finally, the customers started looking out the windows to see when
my wife arrived so they could run down the stairs
to buy ALL the produce before she could get in the
building.
Yes, that 50 x 150 patch, whose soil had been built
up so lovingly by a previous owner, brought us
many spare-time dollars even as it provided abundant bounty for our table.
In 1987 I bought 16 acres that had been chemically
farmed. The very first vegetables were tasteless. The
crop the following year was again tasteless and the
insects were again having a field day---spittle bugs,
caterpillars, every pest known to man seemed to be
after those almost bitter turnips, radishes, and other

plants. It was time to do some serious research.

Dr. Arden Andersens treatise on ecological agriculture suggested obtaining a refractometer to test
ones output. I did, and small-scale farming has never been the same for me since. The mystery of that
earlier bug-proof garden with its scrumptious fruits
was soon revealed. Its so simple: when the brix is
low, the taste is poor, and the insects come. When
the brix is high, the taste is superb and the insects
seem to busy themselves elsewhere. The farmers
job is simply to remineralize and fertilize in such a
way that the plants, properly fed, can develop higher
brix.
Ive studied much agriculture since then. Clearly,
the conventional farmers should not use toxic
chemicals to rescue crops that are obviously sick--and then sell them to you. However, they cant be
blamed: so much of their education comes via the
agriculture schools that are supported by chemical company grants. On the other hand, Im often
baffled by organic growers who simply substitute
dangerous organic insect controls for the synthetic

20

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

poisons. Very few people seem to understand what

the word quality truly should mean.
There is a simple process where YOU can test quality at the point of sale. There is a way to test a small
sample of any given produce and then make a fully
informed decision. YOU decide if that produce is
what YOU want to feed yourself or your family.
The Origin Of The Word Brix
Professor A. F. W. Brix was a 19th Century German chemist (b.1798, d.1890). He was the first to
measure the density of plant juices by floating a hydrometer in them. The winemakers of Europe were
concerned that they could not predict which of various grape juices would make the best wine. Being
able to judge quality ahead of actual bottling was of
immense importance in an industry where a bottle
of the best wine might sell for hundreds of times
more than a bottle of everyday wine. Professor Brix
was greeted as a great hero when he emerged from
his laboratory to claim his most generous prize. He
was also honored by having the measuring process
named after him.
Hand Refractometers
Professor Brixs hydrometer worked, but it was
cumbersome and required a tall graduate of juice to
actually conduct the measure. This was OK for the
vineyard wine cellar, but a nuisance to the grower
in the field who wished to squeeze perhaps a single
growing grape to judge its potential quality.
A refractometer is an optical device that takes
advantage of the fact that light passing through a
liquid bends or refracts. Thicker, i.e., more dense,
liquids refract more. Solids dissolved in a liquid will
cause it to exhibit a refractive index in direct relation to the amount of solids. A refractometer substitutes a calibrated prism and an etched screen for the
liquid. Refraction is extremely exact and no modern
chemist wishes to be without a refractometer.
Table model refraction measuring devices date back
to the 1600s. Although lost to antiquity, it appears
that some scientist, or perhaps artisan, developed

a workable portable model sometime in the latter

1800s. By the 1920s, rather bulky hand models
were in use in many vineyards.
Although complicated in construction, a modern
hand refractometer is extremely easy to use.
Todays hand refractometer we are discussing looks
almost like a small 5 or 6 long telescope, but it
has a prism at the end opposite the viewfinder. A
calibrated hand refractometer allows determination
of a reading or degree brix when you place a drop
of juice on the prism and flatten it with the attached
cover plate.
You may sometimes find that you have to use a leaf
(where the leaf is not the plant part you eat) to get
your test drop. While this may help you determine
the better of two plants, the majority of data in the
quality charts refers to the eaten part.
In Nature, the plant has a single goal: to reproduce.
However, it is obvious that the plant must survive
to maturity if it is to achieve that goal. In a perfect
world, the plant develops 12 or better brix in its
leaves. This resource, this goodness, this BRIX is
transported to the roots and shared with the healthy
bacteria growing in the root rhizosphere. The bacteria, using this gift of energy, bloom profusely
and create many substances from soil minerals--substances critical for the plant to complete its life
cycle.
Later, assuming the plant was successful in defending itself against pests and disease, it will start maturing the parts needed for that primary directive:
reproduction. In other words, say, any apple tree
will proceed to produce the very best apple that it
can. The best tasting apple is the fruit most likely to
be selected by an apple lover. Of course, the apple
lover also takes the seed that is inside the apple---always with the possibility that those seeds may possibly be planted elsewhere.
A Gentle Warning
A first natural inclination for many people is to test
free
the fruits of their labor from their garden. Bruised

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feelings are common when their personal pride and

joy indicates less than high quality. Be happy that
YOU now have the knowledge needed to inspire
you to grow higher quality fruits and vegetables.
And you may rest assured that judging the quality of
your neighbors garden as anything less than good
or excellent will cause difficulty. Another phenomenon I often encounter is where the new brix
convert starts rejecting produce that doesnt measure
excellent. The strange thing is that they will reject items that they would have eagerly bought back
when they could not tell good from bad. Please let
the refractometer guide you toward better food. For
instance, if you have unknowingly used poor grade
spinach to make salad in the past I would suggest
you now look for average or good spinach with an
eye toward pinpointing excellent spinach at some
future time.
The Stages Of Testing As A Consumer
1. First, Calibrate Your Instrument
* Place a drop of distilled water on the prism and
flip the plate down (if you have a plate model). Flip
the hinged prism shut if you have a double prism
model.
* View through the instrument toward a light
source (a clear sky is best).
* Adjust the focusing ring until you see a razor
sharp image of the brix scale. The demarcation line
where the light and dark fields meet should CROSS
at ZERO.
* ATC models (Automatic Temperature compensated) are calibrated with the adjustment screw to
read ZERO. This adjustment is rarely needed. Standard (non-ATC) models may require temperature
correction.
2. Run A Test
* Select a soft fruit from your refrigerator or fruit
bowl and squeeze a drop from it onto the prism.
* Flatten the drop with the prism.
* Hold it to the light.
* THE READING IS EXACT! (many instruments read to 0.2 brix)
Rex Harrill farms and gardens in Maryland He was
inspired by reading Arden Amndersen and wrote his
own book on using a regractometer and measuring
brix, from which this excerpt was taken.

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Mark Fulford:
Nutrient Density and Teltane Farm
W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

21

The Natural Farmer

by Jack Kittredge

The town of Monroe is in Central Maine, far enough

from the coast that development pressure is not
intense, but close enough to Belfast and its many
summer ocean visitors that farmers can find a good
market there.
Mark Fulford, a Pennsylvania native, found his way
to coastal Maine after high school, drawn by his
love of boating and the chance to work for Outward
Bound. But there wasnt any affordable land on the
coast or islands. So eventually, in 1979, he settled
in the Monroe area. With some friends he created a
small land trust that bought a parcel from an older
couple. Mark and his wife Paula, as well as five
other households, now live there. Together, he and
Paula built a lovely home while living in an old
camp that used to be on the grounds. They slowly
pecked away, clearing land, sawing logs, and doing
whatever was necessary for 12 years until the house
was done.
Together they operate Teltane Farm there. The land
is a silt loam, quite ledgy and shallow. Fulford says
water will pond under it, though the more humus
they build into the soil the less trouble they have,
even when it is wet. Occasionally they hire help, but
mostly work the farm themselves.
Fulford gets his love of growing things from his
parents. They had a huge garden and loved to work
in it, he says. There are four of us Fulford boys.
We played hookey from school and spent the day
in the garden. It was never a chore. It was always a
real luxury. Our parents would encourage us to take
a sick day and play in the garden. It helped put food
on the table.
Mark has farmed and gardened since he settled
in Monroe. This is the first year since 1979, he
remarks, that I havent sold produce on a 3-day
a week delivery. I used to do farmers markets, but
since 1982 Ive sold produce to one coop store, right
here in Belfast. Its a half hour from home. Most of
the coastal towns move a lot of summer people. Ive
done restaurant runs, too.
In addition to raising produce, Mark and Paula run
a seasonal seedling and nursery business. Greenhouse seedlings keep them busy for two months in
the spring, and they grow a lot of odd and medicinal
plants. They have a number from Siberia that do
well at Teltane because they love Maines climate.
Consulting
These days Mark is away about half the season, doing consulting with growers and companies about
improving crop quality. His thinking about farming
has evolved with his experience, and he has a number of unconventional ideas in which many other
farmers are interested. Some of his clients have
farms in the northeast Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, and Massachusetts -- but also some are
from the south, Canada, Asia and Australia. His
natural curiosity and years of experience have given
him a good foundation in soil biology and plant nutrition, even without credentials from a University,
I pick up information by attending agricultural
seminars and conferences in the US and abroad with
other agronomists, he says, and I borrow from all
the worlds where this stuff is being studied. Acres,
USA is a great source for information. Their conferences and events are very helpful. ATTRA was
also very good at looking at these issues. Im not
sure how active they are now. Some of the SARE
research has been good. They are particularly good
at getting farmers to try these ideas out in the field.
All these places hold pieces to the puzzle. The more
open-minded organizations are the ones least affiliated with institutions!
There are good people working in the University
system with the Extension, he continues, but they

photo by Jack Kittredge

Mark shows some of his garlic, which he sells as seed. Garlic is a major crop for Fulford.
are embedded in it and are not as flexible. Somebody working for an agency is receiving their check
not based on results but because they simply check
in and log hours, whether the crop passes or fails.
A salesman makes his or her income by selling the
product. A really good salesman spends a lot of
time educating themselves in the farmers environment. New England is not like most of the world for
organic farms. Its not like we have an Earthbound
Farm here. We dont have a single organic fruit
producer. On these big farms often the operations
are contracted out planting is one persons contract, the crop spraying schedule is a whole different
group of applicators coming in licensed for that. But
here we have so many small, diverse ones. It is good
for farmers and gardeners to get as much information on their table as they can, even if it looks like
it is conflicting. Too many farmers abandon that responsibility to the Universities or the seed company
or fertilizer company salesmen.
Fulford first got started doing stuff outside the
system (as he puts it) in 1984. He was frustrated
by going to MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and
Gardeners Association), when it was young, or to
the extension service, and trying to get answers to
difficult problems.
You would get to a certain point, he recalls, and
they would say use this poison. But I wanted to
know what in the system wasnt working. In the
wild things are working. Plants are in equilibrium
you dont see huge waves of insects attacking
plants that are naturalized in a region. If you go out
to a field and take a weed inventory, you have a
crop out there that is always suffering but the weeds
are healthy. There is something going on which is
favoring the weeds. Usually the weeds are growing
by their own choice. They evolved in a place and
they occupy it until something changes. Like goldenrod will dominate a burned out hayfield. A lot of
the elements that make good grass or hay have been
drained out of the soil and what is left is calling another plant to do repair work.
Fulford thinks most farmers have neglected investing in their soil. We take too much out and put too
little back in. People who are deep into the world
of fertilizer, he says, some of them know this.
Very few people would think of going out of the
house in the morning without their breakfast. They
would run out of energy. Crops are the same way. If
they run out of energy they just quit.

He has been investigating substances like biochar,

paramagnetic rock, biological inoculants and various mineral compounds as ways to provide plants
with all the materials they need to thrive. The more
ways we can put this energy and these attractive
substances in the energy zone of a crop, he feels,
the more exciting the results are. If we can stack
some of these biological, chemical and energy components into agriculture we are going to start solving more and more of our problems. When farmers
use some of that physics to trap energy and store it
to get a crop, interesting things start to happen. Biochar can store chemistry and biology, paramagnetic
rock can store electromagnetic fields, and elements
of different charge on the periodic table can attract
each other. That is really at the heart of nutritional
agriculture.
Garlic
Mark has come to many of his ideas about soil nutrition and crop management from experience on his
own farm. One of Teltanes major crops is garlic.
They sell a lot of it as seed on the Internet and at
the Common Ground Fair in the fall. They grow an
acre of it in several fields. Mark doesnt have a lot
of growing space and is pretty happy with what he
calls a single year rotation. It allows him to plant
garlic in the same spot every year.
We find it hard to find a weed free compost, he
explains, so we have become much more aggressive with cover crops. The initial tilling is done by
machine. After that, the whole garlic operation is
done by hand. We plant with a gang dibble. It allows
us to punch 7 holes one for each clove in the
row. So we have garlic 7 deep in the row.
When we pull the garlic, he continues, we sow
a cover crop and spin on fertilizer at the same time.
The act of pulling the garlic settles the seed down
into the disturbed straw. In the beginning of November we plant garlic again right into the standing
cover crop usually oats and either clover or peas,
sometimes buckwheat. During the growing time of
the oats we will do everything we can to feed them
as if they were the money-making crop. We want to
store the nutritional capacity of the garlic in the bodies of the oat plants. Then they winter kill, provide
straw for us, and nutrition for the garlic.
Fulford figures they spend about $2000 an acre for
soil fertility for the garlic. This year, because of all
the wet weather in the beginning of the summer, that

22

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

generous soil supply, with a full cupboard of all

the trace elements, and lots of humus do great for a
few years until they have mined it out. Theyre not
aware of replacing it. You have to have an eye for
what malnutrition in the soil and the plant would
look like before you see it you can do sap testing
with a refractometer, and read the amount of energy
exchange in the soil with a conductivity meter.
If you see signs of fungal diseases, he continues,
you need to go after them before you reuse the
field for garlic. For white mold we will use Contans, which is a predatory fungus that eats the white
mold. It will hunt down any pockets of sclerotia
which are in the soil from the white mold. We will
spray it in September, while the white mold is dormant. Out of all the diseases of garlic, sclerotinia is
the worst! Its the most destructive, hardest to stop.
Its soil borne. But if a farm gets it, its the death
knell unless they know how to control it. Weve
seen it from time to time, especially when we buy a
new seed variety from someone else. Weve gotten
it in compost before, and seen it show up in field
crops all across the state. You will see beans with a
while mold on them a cottony white mold. Thats
sclerotia. Rather than go under I like to make sure
the controls are available in case it shows up. Sometimes I think the companies are making a killing on
us they are so damn expensive.
photo by Jack Kittredge

Mark and Paula have just started to pull the garlic in this field. They cut the bulbs off in the
field and bring them to their greenhouse to dry. The stalks are left in the field.
included drenching with biological inoculants so the
garlic wouldnt get diseases.
We tried to coat the plant with a colony of biologicals on a regular basis, he explains, so that
diseases wouldnt get the upper hand. The place disease spreads is in the field. The more we have been
able to build soil quality the less disease we have.
We used commonly available things such as Actinovate and Serenade, and nutrifoliar products. They
are sprays or drenches, and some can be done both
ways. Most pathogens in the garlic world are soil
borne. Some are foliar borne. In the soil we have a
couple strains of fusarium which attack the bulb, we
also have botrytis which is an air borne fungus. It
gets inside the bulb but comes from the leaf down. It
has a soil phase, too.
The organisms in a really good drench, he points
out, can often be sprayed on with a lot of extra
water and it will run down the stem into the soil by
the base of the plant and give us a whole lot more
protection and control. There have been a few times
out here where Ive sprayed two times a week with
a 50-gallon sprayer. Weve put an awful lot of material on!
Mark and Paula cut the garlic heads off in the field
and dry them in their greenhouse. There is just too
much of a crop for them to try to bring all the green
matter inside and hang it. Once they started cutting
garlic in the field and leaving the stalks there, it
improved everything. If its a diseased plant theyll
remove it and discard it in the woods.
The Teltane greenhouse is only 17 by 40 feet, but
it is set up with two dehumidifiers for taking moisture out of the garlic and three circulating fans to
keep the air moving, plus an inflator fan to keep air
pumped into the skin. Fulford sprays the greenhouse
down with peroxide in the spring and once again
in the fall when they are all done. Between raising
seedlings using the furnace in the late winter and
spring, and then drying garlic with dehumidifiers
and fans in the summer, the greenhouse gets quite a
workout every year.
Fulford grew 18 garlic varieties this year; some
years its 20. Mostly he likes hardneck varieties. He
has several strains of German white, which he likes
because it does well in the ground later than most
garlic. There is still a lot of green on the plant, he
says, and here it is July 30. It has way more energy
than usual. Usually when people remove the scapes
there are only 2 or 3 weeks of energy left in the
plant. But if you can extend that you have that much
more energy going to the bulb. Im pretty happy
with the German whites level of disease control and
the size of the bulbs. Most of these have a week to
go.

His most productive garlic variety is Old Russian

Red. It has the largest bulb to seed ratio about 10
to 1. But he doesnt like to have too much of any
variety planted as disease will just find it that much
easier to get a start.
Diseases
Diseases are a constant worry for Mark, especially
in a wet year like 2009. This is the most fearful
year we have ever had, he says. Garlic and water
dont get along, especially late in the season. In wet
years you have more fungal problems because you
have lower light levels. Ultraviolet restricts fungal
growth. Also the leaf surface is wet and cool meeting the ideal temperature and moisture conditions
of the fungi, and when the plants experience less
sunlight their brix is lower, indicating their immune
system is less active. All across the board the nutrition of the plant is compromised in a cloudy, wet
year. Thats one of the reasons for putting so many
more biological helpers in the picture. When these
beds are sown in the fall I put in about 400 pounds
of mineral mix per bed, in beds that are 225 feet
long. The field is wet, but so far we are doing well.
We havent found much disease.
Holding back rot and spoilage in an acre of garlic
is quite a trick. But garlic is Teltanes single biggest
crop and they depend on it for at least half of the
farm income. Because they sell it as seed, a nursery
inspector has to check the crop out at least once during the season. So that adds extra pressure to make
sure there are no diseases passed along. The worst
diseases are white mold, fusarium, and botrytis (the
same air borne disease that attacks raspberries on a
wet morning. In garlic it infects the cloves after harvest so that they go mushy in storage).
We had fusarium in here, Fulford recalls, and we
treated it out with an inoculant. The stuff was expensive -- $38 -- but it took only about 4 ounces to treat
these four beds. So we thought that was reasonable.
We dipped the seed in inoculant and let it sprout a
little before planting. We also dunk our garlic seed,
and whatever floats we throw away. Anything that
sinks is good. There are a couple varieties that float
even when good, but we dont have any of those.
Teltane has a small 50-gallon sprayer with a 12-volt
pump that they take right down between the rows.
Mark mixes inoculant, liquid fish, and whatever else
he wants and sprays it out through a 30-foot hose.
Keeping the pressure low helps to keep from damaging some of the more delicate microbes, he feels.
To defend a plant against fungal disease, Fulford
says, you have to build an immune system, not put
a poison on. You can hold back a disease organism
only so long before there is nothing left of the crop
to try to protect. Those folks who start out with a

If you are worried about fungus on something like

grapes, and dont want to use copper, you can use
hydrogen peroxide or oxidate, followed by something like Actinovate or Serenade -- which seems
to challenge botrytis. But the effects of these only
last an hour or two. Say you put hydrogen peroxide
or oxidate on in the morning, to clean the crop up.
Then, after a sunny day, in the evening you could
inoculate with a biological which would defend the
plant for a week in its new, clean state. More of that
stuff is coming on the market. It is difficult enough
to separate out one particular organism and patent
it. But if you want to put together a range of organisms, the problem is compounded. Compost tea was
wonderful if people knew how to make it. But the
National Organic Program (NOP) doesnt allow it
now because of the pathogen fear from E. coli in
the manure. There have been some bad batches, no
question, but growers who knew how to make it
could throw away their anti-fungal materials! Growers working outside the NOP system, of course,
spread billions of tons of raw manure on agricultural
land!
Late Blight
My visit to Teltane is in late July, right after the
spread of late blight throughout the northeast has
become recognized as a major problem. Mark is in
touch with a number of growers who are experiencing it.
Its been a terrible year for blight, he agrees. A
lot of farms have just given up -- all the tomatoes,
all the potatoes have it. You can deal with blight, but
you have to do it before you ever seen any evidence
of it. The conventional growers I deal with are pretty much spraying 24/7, day and night. But theyre
not keeping up with it.
I ask him about the idea that adequate plant nutrition can bring crops to such a state of health that
their own immune resistance will protect them from
blight.
You can do something with drenches and foliar
sprays, Fulford asserts, but it takes a high bar of
nutrition to deal with a disease which is that aggressive! You have to have that nutrition working and in
order long before the disease gets in the landscape.
Its possible with high nutrition and resistant varieties of tomatoes or potatoes to avoid it. But it takes
a lot of planning ahead to get the brix and sap pH in
order.
He feels the National Organic Program does not
give organic growers adequate options to deal with
problems like late blight: Unfortunately, the NOP
doesnt allow anything other than copper, peroxide,
or oxidate. The potatoes can handle peroxide and
oxidate, but the tomatoes turn all rusty brown from
the oxidation. With copper, you have to have that
on a week before the spores show up. Its too late
to catch it after you have the disease. The organic

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

program is too much of a top down pyramid, and

its the farmers who suffer because they dont have
enough tools to use in a tough year. So now everyone is dousing the landscape with copper, but there
are a lot of people who cant get within a hundred
feet of a bag of copper. Theyll get sick. Its very
poisonous stuff.

23

The Natural Farmer

Compost
Mark is a strong advocate of compost as the easiest
way to get large amounts of carbon into your soil.
Most farmers cant make enough themselves, he
feels, but at the same time they need to be wary of
commercial operations that often are not fastidious
about keeping out contaminants such as weed seeds.
Also, the power of compost can dissipate rapidly if
its nitrogen is not trapped in some form.
When a compost is young and when it has heat,
he says, that is when the most valuable part of
compost is plant available ammonia. If you can
trap that ammonia in some rock powders or old
compost overtop of that newer pile, and wait out the
90 or 120 days (NOP waiting period before using
compost on edible crops) you will have tremendous
grow power. As it degrades from NH4 it goes to
NO3, which is nitrate nitrogen. Nitrate is a lot more
stable. But there is a phase in that transition that is
fairly short during which there is a huge amount of
energy released for crop growth. If a compost pile
is turned too often you use up all that energy. Or if
a compost is too sharp and stinky, it means there are
not enough humus elements to trap and hold that
ammonia as a fertilizer.
Good composting practices build humus really
fast, he continues, as do good cover cropping
practices. You might grow two or three cover crops
back to back in one year. As long as each cover crop
can fully decompose, instead of leaving dry residue
on the surface so youre turning in a young, green
compost you can provide a lot of fresh nitrogen
energy. When you get a tall, heavy, older cover crop
like finish Sudan grass or almost milk stage oats or
peas, then you are building a lot of carbon reserve
in the soil. A winter rye crop that is flail mowed and
turned into the ground has a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide stored in the mature plant.
It takes more energy to break it down in the soil,
but that is the role of a nice wide range of microbes
that can digest cellulose. If it is more complex and
ligneous like wood chips or sawdust, then it wont
be giving much back to the crop until that is broken
down.
Soil Testing
Fulford finds that looking at what grows in an area
is the best way to find out about the soil there. Labbased soil tests are less reliable because they are
limited to tiny portions of a field, and there are a variety of methods by which labs do soil analysis.
You can inventory a whole field, he asserts, and
the plants are far more accurate than a conventional
soil test about what is there. Most all the universities use the mining assay soil test. They use chemicals that are not natural to our environment to take
the mineral and elemental components out of the
soil sample. But those are usually extremely harsh
acids caustic materials that dont exist in nature.
That was borrowed from the mining industry where
they are drilling oil or finding bedrock. Plants dont
experience the world that way. They experience it
much more through soil biology, weak carbonic acids which are the exudates of microbes or plant root
hairs. Thats what they call the old fashioned Morgan extract method of testing soil. Its works similar
to nature to evaluate your soils release rate.
Both soil tests are valuable, he continues. There
are not a lot of labs that do the old fashioned availability tests. But International Ag Labs does, the
folks at Lancaster Ag Products in Pennsylvania will
do both kinds. It used to be that AgriEnergy in Illinois would do it, but they are no longer in the soil
testing business. I think there are two or three others
that will use the Morgan extract method using gentle
acids. If you see on a soil test that it used Melik 3,
that means it used the strongest extraction method
you can find. The University of New Hampshire
uses that. Also, if you go to the University of Maine
or Massachusetts and you take a soil sample they

photo by Jack Kittredge

Fulford in his hoophouse, where he has started to dry garlic.

will burn it, weighing it prior and post the burn just
to tell you how much organic matter is in the soil.
But it is not really a fair test because there is more
than one form of organic matter.
Mark says a farmer can get three different answers,
depending on whether the soil test is sent to U/Mass,
U/Maine at Orono, or U/NH. If you are a farmer
it is hard to make fertility decisions based on such
diverse results looking at a small window of chemistry. It is wiser, he feels, to take into account what
your plants think about your soil, what insects, diseases, and weeds think about the nutritional density
of your crop. While it is certainly good for farmers
and gardeners to get as much information on their
table as they can, even if it looks like it is conflicting, too many farmers ultimately abandon that responsibility for analysis to the Universities or the
seed company or fertilizer company salesmen.
Plant Nutrition
When thinking about how crop plants function and
how growers can do a better job of bringing them
what they need, Fulford says it helps to categorize
them according to their appetites and needs, or the
phase the crop is in.
You have plants that are vegetative, he says,
from which you are harvesting the leaf or the stem.
You have other plants that are reproductive where
you are interested in the flower, fruit, or root. There
are a few crops in between. Many crops need a period when they are vegetating and grow very strong,
and then switch over to reproducing a tomato or
potato. In the world of fertilizers, whether liquid or
dry, there are some components which are strictly
feminine or reproductive: phosphorus, sulfur, manganese just to name a few. In their raw simple form
they are not usually good so we use a phosphate
form of phosphorus it has an extra oxygen, is
more reactive in the environment without burning
something. Sulfur is in the sulfate form. Calcium is
better as calcium carbonate with atoms of carbon
attached, as well as oxygen.
Those things are key triggers to getting reproductive crops, he continues. If it is manganese you
only need a tiny bit, but manganese is necessary
for the embryo of the seed to finish. So if you are a
grain grower you want a high germination record.
But if you are growing a grain type grass to feed
livestock, you want the grass and dont want it to
go to seed. So you would have a very different
recipe. It would be a nitrate form of nitrogen, rather
than ammonia. Ammonia is reproductive, nitrate is
growth.
According to Mark, organic growers can do this
analysis using composts and manures. But it is complicated. Calcium, for instance, is both for growth
and reproduction. It has an unusual role compared

to everything else. He compares it to the plate on

which you stack the food. Its the most important
element for all cell walls of plants. Silica gives you
the webwork inside sort of like rebar and the
calcium is the concrete. The silica has to be soluble
enough, approachable enough by soil biology, that
the plant can use it to build itself. You can have a
beach of sand, for example, which is all silica -- but
very few plants know how to access that.
Say you have beds of lettuce, spinach, and chard,
explains Fulford. You want to always keep them
in big, heavy leafy growth. You would want lots of
calcium, a little magnesium because magnesium is
the key to the chlorophyll molecule. You would use
potassium. That builds bulk. But if you blast these
leafy plants too early with sulfur or phosphorus the
plant will bolt and be kaput for your use. It will
think its mission is done it has to do its reproductive work. If you had calcium, potassium, and nitrate nitrogen you would be a great hay grower, but
you wouldnt be growing hay seed. If you wanted to
grow hay seed you would make darn sure there were
sulfur, phosphorus, and manganese in your mix.
Soil Building
When it comes to organic matter, Mark says, there
are important differences among the types you can
add. Theres the organic matter that is not decomposed. Its carbon, but it is not providing anything
for the plant or the soil microbes at the time. It has
to decompose and in the process often ties up plant
growth nutrients like nitrogen. After it is fully decomposed it becomes like a storage battery. Thats
humus. There are different levels of humus. At the
very bottom of the decomposition strata you have
humic acid, fulvic acid, olmic acid. These are the
real powerhouse components of soil.
When we are making a recipe for soil, he explains, we talk about humic acid all the time. We
are borrowing carbon from the dinosaur age to
hold in place our fresh rock minerals like calcium,
gypsums, and phosphates in a much more plant and
microbe friendly fashion. Otherwise, if we dont
have that humus, every spring we have to go out and
jumpstart it put the paddles to the soil and give it
a big jolt of energy with soluble salts like nitrogen
or manures. But it doesnt last very long unless we
have the carbon component. Some of the organic
stuff is very good at getting people to understand
cover cropping, manuring, and composting to build
that carbon reserve in a humus form. You must
have that there to hold the energy. But a lot of soils
have no digestive capacity left. They are over-tilled
or materials that are put on for fertilizers (or even
organically approved copper) will shut down the
decomposition cycle very quickly and bring that soil
building pattern to a halt.

24

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

good source for adding phosphorus, especially in

the company of humic acid or compost. If you can
get soft rock phosphate, high calcium lime, carbon
as compost or biochar or humates and sulfur in the
gypsum form and put them together, almost in equal
amounts, you will get a wonderful mix. The carbon
keeps the peace without it the calcium and phosphorus want to lock up and become a rock again.
But it is the energy between them that makes them
grow crops. The carbon holds that energy in check.

photo by Jack Kittredge

Fulford squats by some of his peppers, which have just been

transplanted after a very wet two months

Fulford points out how to judge the soils tendencies by doing a plant inventory in a place where you
are not tilling and the weeds have taken over. If the
weeds are broadleaf weeds, you can be certain that
potassium is quite high and available phosphorus
is quite low. And if among those broadleaf weeds
you have a lot of wild grass pressure, especially
annual grasses, the soil is probably also very short
in calcium. When you have excessive amounts of
iron and potassium, and a phosphorus deficiency,
then you have your typical run down New England
hayfield. If it is short of air or a little wet, you will
see buttercups. If it is drier ground you see a lot of
dandelions, then lots of goldenrod as you get up into
drier and drier soils, with wiregrass as opposed to
Timothy.

Charles Walters wrote a good book about weeds,

Mark points out. Its in the Acres catalog. There
is also Weeds: Why They Grow by J. McCaman.
Acres also sells that. Hes an agronomist and farmer.
He began compiling all the behaviors of weeds and
plants and then getting the soil testing done. Lo and
behold, there was a solid pattern. You cant really
fool the plants they grow where they like to grow
and can be nutritionally invited in to a field.
Calcium and Phosphorus
Two of the key elements we need to address in the
Northeast are calcium and phosphorus. According to Fulford, New England soils have a dearth of
both. He says soft or colloidal rock phosphate is a

Again, Mark stresses the crucial role of calcium.

Calcium, of all the elements, is the one most
needed but least moveable. Other things like to bond
to it, it likes to leach, it likes to sink down into the
soil. A year like this is a great year to apply foliar
calcium. Id recommend Limestone F, which has
extra magnesium. I dont think it has been through
the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute)
channels, however. [It is accepted by Baystate Organic. - ed] The company that makes it doesnt care.
Another could be coral calcium, made from dryland
coral. It is usually processed for human nutritional
use as supplements. They harvest it where they
dig out a house site. You can use common calcium
carbonate, which is high calcium limestone. If you
have a reproductive problem you can use gypsum or
especially colloidal phosphate will work. Gypsum is
not a very good form of calcium, however. It works
better in the company of a much richer calcium
source. Gypsums claim to fame is that it is calcium
sulfate, and sulfates are very important for soil bacteria.
Paramagnetism
Fulford has been conducting experiments to determine what effect materials that are strongly paramagnetic have on crop quality. Paramagnetism is a
type of magnetism that occurs in substances with a
positive magnetic susceptibility. It is caused by the
presence of at least one unpaired electron orbital
(i.e., an unpaired spin) in the atoms, molecules, or
ions of the paramagnetic material, and results in
these substances being weakly attracted by a strong
magnet. Paramagnetic materials are normally more
strongly attracted than diamagnetic ones, though far
less so than ferromagnetic materials. Examples of

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W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

25

The Natural Farmer

paramagnetic materials at room temperature include

aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), platinum (Pt),
oxygen (gas and liquid), and rare earth ions.
Paramagnetism is not like ferromagnetism, Mark
explains, where you have a piece of iron and a
magnet is attracted. Instead, with paramagnetism
you have a piece of rock and a magnet is attracted
anyway. There is very little iron at all in the rock.
The magnet represents living organisms in the soil,
which are diamagnetic, while the rock is paramagnetic, so the two are attracted to each other. That is
just another form of energy, just like calcium and
phosphorus have a chemical attraction for each
other, which you can use to grow a plant.
The only materials that are truly paramagnetic,
he continues, are ones that were volcanic in their
last lifetime, so they were molten, liquid rock. Common limestone has never been exposed to heat. It is
just a sedimentary stone so it has no paramagnetic
charge. But if it is exposed to a tremendous amount
of pressure and heat, it becomes marble. Marble
can become paramagnetic simply through the act
of heating it. Vitrification turns a sedimentary particle into a crystal. Common household clay, potters
clay, has no charge at all. Once vitrified in the oven
it becomes paramagnetic. So bricks and ceramics
all have some paramagnetic charge. Its not strong,
but it is there. The rock recognizes a diamagnetic
substance that could be a bunch of microbes in some
soil, especially if high in humus. The more humus,
the more the paramagnetic charge of the rock is released. What happens in cropping, however, is that
soil microbes reproduce at a much much higher rate
in the influence of that field. The paramagnetism in
rock will diminish over time as it is given off to soil
and organisms. When you get into a granite quarry,
the oldest tailing pile will be weak if it is left for a
few decades, but the newer stuff from deeper strata
is higher in its paramagnetic field. New Englands
basalt/granite formations are quite old, so you have
to go very deep to find a good number.
In his experiments, Mark is treating crops with
paramagnetic basalt dust from New Brunswick to
see how it affects various ones, each of which is in
a separate row, identified with little sticks. The local

photo by Jack Kittredge

Mark stands by his raspberry patch. He uses these mostly for home eating and barter.

soil has a paramagnetic reading of from 0 to 10, Fulford says, while the basalt comes in at about 4000!
Trials
One of the other things Fulford does besides consulting is run trials of new products which companies are interested in introducing. Hell spray a
swath of a product across a grain or hay field, or put
it in the potato planter and plant certain rows with
it. He also runs controls, where he doesnt use the
product. If a product is really functional, he says,
the results are like night and day. But the best approach is not to rely on visible yield differences, but
to measure the harvest itself. Then you have a real
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Mark will test products whether they are designed
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26

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

tering can and put on a drench. Then we stick a stick

in the ground so we can see where the recipe begins
and stops. Weve learned more by doing that than by
anything else weve ever done. Then there are products out there which are just junk. They either dont
work or you dont have enough information to get
them to work right.
The carrots beyond those stakes had no basalt, he
continues. In the closer carrots, there is one pound
of basalt powder every 50 feet. Its a light dressing. This is a funded experiment where a company
hired me as a third party to try a product. Even the
wheat next to the carrots got a little of it, and you
can see they look a little taller before the stakes. Ill
be measuring brix in the leaf and brix in the root
to determine the difference this basalt makes. Im
looking for overall sugar content, as well as yield.
Ill apply beneficial nematodes to the whole thing,
because we have a little bit of carrot worm in the
area. I dont want that to throw any of the numbers
off. At harvest a 10 or 20 foot section of each row
will be harvested and all the sizes and categories of
carrots will be washed and weighed. Well do the
brix reading then, before and after the sticks. Using
rock dust you dont sometimes see the difference the
first year, but you certainly taste it.
Biochar
One of the ideas generating a lot of excitement right
now among growers is that of using biochar to build
soil fertility. Pre-Columbian Amazonian natives
made biochar (European settlers called it Terra Preta
de Indio or black soil of the Indies) by smoldering
agricultural waste in pits or trenches. The resulting high-carbon, fine-grained residue not only adds
great productivity to the nearby soils, but it can sequester carbon in the soil for hundreds to thousands
of years. Fulford is excited about its potential and
uses it on at Teltane.

photo by Jack Kittredge

Rows of carrots on Teltane Farm are being trialed for use of basalt.

I like working with the biochar idea, he says.

Biochar is exciting because it is so old! It is such
an old technology. It is all based on the terra preta
of the Amazon and some little bit in the Congo area
of West Africa. Usually the charcoal was made in
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centuries multiple cultures were able to thrive and

build those soils up to a maximum productive capacity. Obviously they understood something about
building the soils carbon capacity. I know when
we use char here in our potting soils at the rate of
5% or 10%, whether we make it ourselves or buy it
as lump wood charcoal, the plants in those potting
soils outgrow everything else hands down! They
require almost no feeding throughout their greenhouse cycle. We feed them when we mix the potting
soil. We mix in worm casting, fish and seaweed, a
biological inoculant with many species, calcium
for nutrition, and char which allows us to get a huge
amount of grow power in that soil. When you lift a
char amended potting soil out of its pot, you shake
all the soil off, the root hairs are still clinging to little pieces of charcoal. They wont let go of it! Why
would they want it? When you examine the char in
a microscope you find it is largely hollow, colonized
by microrhyzzae and other freely associated organisms in a thick colony of microbes.

27

The Natural Farmer

Well buy common lump wood charcoal, he continues. It is made from lumber tailings from the
hardwood flooring industry. Right now the market
for activated charcoal is the brewing industry and
the chemical filtration industry. But a backyard gardener could build a char or smoulder pit, throw in
some junkwood trees, and make their own char.
Organic Certification
Teltane used to be certified organic by MOFGA until the NOP came into law and the process became
federally controlled. Mark opted out of the program
because he felt he would no longer have any opportunity to make changes to the rules. Right now
about half the farms he works with dont care about
organic certification.
Once the federal government took over certification,
the whole process became more difficult for small
farmers, he feels. He says MOFGA was no longer
able to be quite so helpful in getting small growers
up to speed after they started certifying under federal accreditation.

photo by Jack Kittredge

Mark is trialing various varieties of wheat in an effort to re-grain New England.

They had to be more concerned about upholding

the NOP rules, he sighs. A certifier cannot come
to a farm in Maine and make suggestions. Its always been a problem. Certifying agencies cant advise, but farmers dont like salesmen. So where do
they get advice?
Fulford reserves special disdain for OMRI, the private body that reviews products for use in organic
farming to see if they meet the organic programs
standards.

Every time a company comes up with a line of

products that actually work, he complains, there is
usually a big bottleneck at OMRI so you cant get it

approved there for two or three years. You should be

able to go to any third party approval group and get
your product reviewed in a reasonable time and for
a reasonable fee. But if certifiers wont honor them,
or wont work through them, then farmers cant use
their products on organic operations. Right across
the border I can get a biological wetting agent that
works great because its made from corn, vegetable
oil and cane sugar that has been reduced to a nanosize particle so it is very slippery. It carries all kinds
of other nutrients. You can add it to fish, you can
foliar spray it on the plants. Yet you cant use it here
until it has that OMRI label. Its made in the US, but
most of it is sold overseas in Asia. Its approved for
organic agriculture in all those other countries.

28

Re-graining New England

Another thing that Mark is investigating is raising
grain. The public wants local grains, he believes,
and there is a growing interest in re-graining the
New England states. Many old notions about grain
production are no longer valid.
As a country, he says, we adopted grain farming
practices based on a huge scale of production right
away. As we went west the scale grew several
teams of horses working in tandem in vast fields.
But until the late 1800s New England was self sufficient in grain. Im trying to find a way to get the
subsistence farmer to be able to deal with the grain
issue at home again. If you could grow an acre of
wheat it would make all the bread your family could
want, plus your livestock, especially if you sprouted
it for chickens. Everybody deals with raising grain
at home in Asia, but nobody does here unless they
have a combine. With our poorer and poorer weather systems, who can afford a combine? Let alone,
get one out of a field of mud?
The economics, Fulford says, make grain raising
possible again. Now grain prices are almost fourfold what they were four years ago. When the grain
prices shot up and the market became strong again,
the New England grain production picture began
looking strong again, especially organic grains and
odd varieties that have some ancestry or heritage to
them. If you did everything from start to finish, and
you had a rare variety for which there is already a
market, a New England grower could do well with
10 to 20 acres of grain. If it was in rotation with potatoes and then fallowed with sod, one could do real
well.
Half the problem keeping New England farmers out
of grain production, Mark stresses, is that we dont
have appropriate scale equipment for small growers. But at least half the population in Asian countries is employed growing food at the family scale
primarily rice, millet and wheat and they have
such equipment. Fulford found a guy in Sri Lanka
who makes an original treadle powered threshing
machine better than almost anything on the market.

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

He puts out one machine every three months, with
no financing, for $1300. Mark is interested in licensing the design and making them here, or putting
together financing to increase his output. A one-acre
farm could use one and thresh virtually any crop
sunflower, beans, dry corn, small grains.

my eyes to different ways of doing things. They

were getting significantly greater grain yields by
having fewer plant populations, and less pest problems. That is counter to what we would think, but
I have an experiment to demonstrate some of that
here.

Some of Marks bigger potato growing clients are

already rotating with 300 to 600 acres of grain.
Originally it was mostly for feed, but there is a push
now for grains for humans and they are expanding
beyond oats and barley into organic wheat. But if
there are farms raising livestock on grain, he feels
its a very smart thing for them to grow their own
and not pay the market price anymore, especially if
they are producing organic livestock or poultry.

Here is a spring wheat trial, he continues.

Theyre staggered along with onions so there is a
little bit of pollinating space to maintain seed lines.
On the end is a wheat that is one plant per square
foot. Each single straw produces a head. The idea
is to get the crop to tiller out and produce far more
straws, therefore more heads, but all from one root
crown.

Poultry can handle dry grain better than other

animals, he says, but they get more nutrition if
it is sprouted. Dairy animals would rather have all
their feed in the green form. The best pigs are those
grown on milk-stage oats, peas, cut and wrapped
like silage. Dry grain conversion is hard for a pig,
compared to a grain that has already been sprouted.
All lactating animals prefer it if there is chlorophyll
in their system instead of lots of grain. The enzyme
range of a dormant seed as opposed to a growing
seed changes the nature of its nutritional value.
Often if you are growing wheat for feed, he says,
livestock want higher protein numbers. Not just
nitrogen, but real protein. The ultimate test is to
get grain from a rock dust-treated field in front of a
bunch of cows. Compare their preferences for grain
because they are much better attuned than any soil
lab is.

This is Turkey Red wheat, he continues, a Russian strain of a winter wheat. It should be down in
mid August, go through the winter and be ready to
harvest in the spring. Each tuft grows from a single
seed. The average number of stems in each single
seed tuft is over fifty. This is the same spacing and
pattern that they are learning to grow rice in the
Philippines. Rice is a little more generous but a
wheat just like this is grown in northern India. Its
going to take some time to get worked out here, but
since there are so many other countries doing small
grains successfully, it will work here a wide spacing, thinly patterned cropping system. Over there, if
one farmer does it in a village, next year everyone
does it in the village. Its survival.
He says that if his results look like there is anything
exciting, hell publish them on his website (www.
lookfar.org) and send them around to people who
are interested.

Grain Research

Nutrient Density

Fulford is researching several varieties of grains.

Some crops can handle fairly dense spacing as long
as they have enough nutrition in the soil, he has
found. Others are more sensitive and want elbow
room in order to be productive.

Marks research in building soil nutrition and maximizing crop quality is sparked by what he feels is
a lack of attention to soil conditions. Up until recently, he remarks, food brands were farm names.
Certain farms were always known for their produce
or their milk or their meat. It related to their practices, the quality of their soil, their microclimate.
These days you can mine a soil out pretty fast if you
are pushing a lot of crops through or trying to keep
a lot of CSA members happy. The more the health
record and spoilage rate of current crops collapse,
people will be looking for nutrient dense crops. One
of the biggest problems with the organic industry
was that it abandoned nutrition. It just said what it
wasnt going to put on crops things that are toxic
or poisonous or environmentally unsound. But there
wasnt enough attention paid to growing healthy
crops for the sake of the crop.

Ive seen some densely planted grain crops this

year, he says, in experiments in Asia that opened

In some countries, he continues, marketing on

nutrient density as measured by brix has already
happened. Some of the supermarket chains in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and a couple of
other countries have trained their staffs to use a refractometer to accept or deny a shipment of vegetables. Instead of testing the leaf in the field to monitor plant growth, they simply use it on the grape.
Anything below a certain reading they will refuse
because they know the grower skipped out on a few
elements. If the grocer is smart and wants to make
a fruit or vegetable section with less spoilage, they
will always pick produce with a high brix reading.
Its a higher caliber fruit of vegetable. Repeat sales
will be based on flavor. A good grocery chain might
take the time to educate their customers. One chain
that was trained in a seminar with Arden Andersen
and Graeme Smith is doing that. And the Japanese
are doing it.
Fulford makes the point that nutrient dense crops are
an economic choice for the farmer, too. When you
put pencil to paper and calculate the costs of maintaining a square foot of soil, you realize you might
as well put as much nutrition into one acre as you
normally would for two or three. That way you will
have one third the weeding, and be able to handle
it without heavy equipment. You can also keep a
tighter eye on it so if something goes wrong you can
get in there quick. My larger field clients who have
a lot of land are spread pretty thin. Everything has to
be done by tractor. But here at Teltane it is about as
tight and dense as I would like to see it.

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

Healthy Soil Grows Healthy Food

29

by Michael Martin Melndrez

Its interesting to note that if you look back in

history at any photo with a large number of people,
almost everyone is slim and trim. I was recently
reading a pictorial essay of Albuquerque, New
Mexico, with images from the early to mid-1900s,
and found this to be true. Today, however, if you
look at any typical crowd, obesity is everywhere.
There are many reasons for this situation, but I
feel certain that the eating of empty calories, food
produced on poor soils, and the long-distance
transport of these compromised groceries are
a major culprit. The diet of those earlier years
was more likely composed of foods loaded with
vitamins, enzymes, minerals and low in corn syrup
based ingredients. Therefore people did not eat
empty or hollow calories (the FDAs term, not
mine) and their foods had a high Satiety Index (a
system to measure different foods ability to satisfy
hunger), so they did not overeat in order to feel
satisfied. Today our diet is dominated by empty
(hollow) calories low in minerals, vitamins and
enzymes and which have a low Satiety Index, so we
overeat and get fat.
Even before the processing of our food strips its
nutritional value, theres a bigger problem: the
world has been losing its precious topsoil, the
humus fraction that defines a healthy soil, for the
past 7,000 years. The Fertile Crescent of the Middle
East, which today is a desert, was at one time rich
in topsoil and had forests of oaks protecting the
watersheds from erosion. But farming ruined the
soil, as it continues to do today, regardless of where
the farm is found. The problem has accelerated
in the past 60 to 80 years, as agriculture became
distracted from the importance of humus, the
generic term for a product of soil chemistry that is
more correctly referred to as humic substances.
The distraction was the invention of manufactured
fertilizer when it was discovered that soluble

Fulvic Acids chemical structure is incredibly complex, composed of fragments of DNA from
past generations of living organisms. It gives life, energy, health, immunity, and renewal to
Earth and all of its life forms

acidic based N, P and K (nitrogen, phosphorus

and potassium) could stimulate plant growth and
increase yield. But no longer was there a pipeline of
humic formation taking place in soils thus treated,
nor were the 19 essential plant nutrients being
replaced, as they were being mined from the land
each time a crop was harvested. The result: empty
calories, poor nutrition, hunger and overeating to
compensate for our poor diets.
Its important to understand that the presence of
these humic substances constitutes the definition
of a topsoil, and that they are not organic matter

in the true sense, rather they are more correctly

called bioorganic molecules. In the Journal of
Chemical Education (vol. 78, December 2001), it
is said that these humic substances, composed of
chemical fractions such as humic acid and fulvic
acid, are highly functionalized molecules that can
act as photosensitizers, retain water, bind to clays
(which will improve the tilth and porosity of soil),
act as plant-growth stimulants, and scavenge toxic
pollutants. It also claims that these substances are
remarkable products of soil chemistry that are
essential for a healthy and productive soil. I dont
know about you, but I find this information about

30
the humic substances remarkable, refreshing and
exciting!
An even more critical issue Ive been concerned
about for the past few years is that of population
growth and our ongoing loss of farmland across the
globe. Every reference I can find, from the USDA
to the coffee-table periodicals (such as National
Geographic, Where Food Begins, September
2008) all say the same thing we are not gaining
farm land, we are losing farm land at an alarming
rate. The population of the world will grow by at
least 6 million people in the next 12 months, and
according to the USDA it takes six acres to provide
enough food/calories to feed each person. This
figure is confirmed by work done at Sandia National
Labs of the Department of Energy, where a project
Ive had connections to has created an Ecological
Footprint Assessment model that shows the same
problem. If true, we will need an additional 36
million acres of new farmland to accommodate this
population increase. Thats 56,000 square miles
of land, almost half of the State of New Mexico,
needed to feed the population growth for this year!

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

extracts from non-disturbed soils, is from 1,140
years to 1,235 years, depending on which humic
acid fraction is being tested. In other words, unlike
compost and decomposing soil organic matter,
which are rapid cycling carbons, the humic
substances will last a long time, and therefore tie up
carbon for that same period of time. The end result
will be healthy soils growing healthy food.

Michael Martin Melndrez is the founder and

managing member of Soil Secrets, LLC, and Soil
Secrets Worldwide, LLC. Hes also a nurseryman,
founder and owner of Trees That Please in New
Mexico, a tree production farm and retail nursery.
For more information, visit www.soilsecrets.com or
call 505-550-3246.
Reprinted with permission from Acres U.S.A., www.
acresusa.com, 800-355-5313.

It is my opinion that time is of the essence in the

effort to change how we farm. We must begin
priming and supporting the soil development
process so that humus can once again be a product
of soil chemistry on our farms, and we must
remineralize our soils so that our food is not just
empty calories. Furthermore, if you are not making
humus in your soil, you need to be adding it, as the
research is clear that the benefits are extraordinary
and will move us in the right direction.
On a final note, with all the talk about global
warming and excessive dumping of carbon into
our atmosphere as we consume fossil fuels, it is the
process of humic substance formation in our soils
that can sequester more carbon than all the trees
and oceans of the world combined. The benefits
will be long-lasting, as components of humus are
molecules of aromatic carbon rings and aliphatic
carbon chains. The mean residence times (how long
they last in soil) of these organo-mineral complex
aggregates based on radiocarbon dating, using

e-mail: moodoovt@sover.net

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

31

The Framework of Biological Dairy Farming

The Natural Farmer

by Gary Zimmer & Becky Brown

to be takes a complete biological system.

Biological farming is a dynamic system of farming

that works with natural principles. Its purpose is to
make a profit by growing healthy, mineralized foods
that are nutrient-rich and of maximum quality for
people. In order for this to occur, all stages of production including soil, forage, crop, animal, business, and lifestyle management must be healthy
and interdependent.

Grow or buy forages where these four minerals are

high in the plant (for that plant species), and they
will be the most palatable, digestible feeds you can
deliver to livestock.
Lets look at each individually.
Calcium is the trucker of all minerals, meaning it
largely governs plant availability of the other minerals. For this reason we consider it the most important soil nutrient. Among other attributes, calcium
affects energy and digestible energy in plants and
is essential to microbe health. There is also a strong
correlation between plant calcium levels, legume
growth, soil health and quality forage.

The biological cycle begins in the soil and is based

on a healthy population of balanced microbiology
(bacteria, fungi, protozoa, earthworms, etc.), which
require soils with an adequate supply of properly
balanced nutrients including, but not limited to,
nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, manganese, iron, boron and additional trace elements.
The biological farming approach we use at Otter
Creek Organic Farms aims to improve and balance
soil and forage/crop mineral levels by using a balanced fertilizer program, growing green manure
crops, practicing proper tillage, employing tight
crop rotations, utilizing a wide diversity of plant
species, and measuring and monitoring all of these
aspects.
Mineralized soil produces high-quality forages,
which yield healthy, productive livestock; cows that
have minimal or no health complications, breed
back easily, and efficiently produce ample, highquality milk with potentially fewer dollars invested
in fertilizers, off-farm feed and supplements, and vet
bills.
Biological farms often have decreased cost of operation. When using a biological system, the production of organic milk becomes a viable and profitable
endeavor.
Measuring Farm Health
An essential starting point for implementing a
biological or organic system is a beginning farm
evaluation. Possible components of this evaluation
are the right kind of soil test, feed/pasture tests, and
visual soil and pasture assessment using a method
that measures specific soil and pasture characteristics. Once this information is gathered, we have a
baseline starting/reference point and can then put
together a livestock, fertility, and crop improvement
plan based on that data.
Testing needs to be part of an ongoing monitoring
system. After all, if you cant measure the effects of
your improvements, how can you have confidence
that you are on the right road? Tests, however, only
give us clues about ur feeds and soils. The more we
monitor with both tests and observation, the more
complete picture of improvement we get, although
tests themselves are often incomplete. That said, we
often take soil samples every three years because
major changes that would show up on a soil test are
often gradual.

ergy palatability and digestion. Forage tissue testing

(including trace minerals) is very important because
it tells what nutrients are actually getting into the
plant. We are looking for limiting factors, ratios and
health-promoting indicators. All this diverse data
plus whole-farm observation gives a much better
picture of the soil/plant interactions in any forage
production system.
Living, Mineralized Soil
Every nutrient has a function both in plants and animals, and they all need to be provided in balanced
proportions. The nutrients applied to a soil affect the
nutrients in the plant, which in turn affect digestibility, energy, flavor, mineral balance and protein
quality of the plants.
There are two basic choices for providing nutrients
to plants. One option is the use of soluble N-P-K
chemical fertilizer. In our opinion, highly soluble
chemical fertilizers essentially use soil merely as a
medium through which the soluble nutrients travel
to the plant. They may reduce the availability of the
soil nutrients, reduce clover numbers, and cause soil
health to decline over time.
For example, you can grow large quantities of nutrient-deficient feed with the use of soluble/chemical nitrogen and potassium. Although it looks like
youve grown a lot of feed, mineral uptake, balance
and energy can certainly be short. Youll need to
feed more of this lower-quality forage and add livestock supplements to maintain production levels.
Soluble nitrogen makes soils lazy. It encourages
grass growth (rather than legumes) and interferes
with calcium uptake in the plant. We believe it also
has a negative effect on palatability, digestibility and
animal health and creates too many incomplete proteins, an opening for insect problems in the crop and
health issues in livestock.

Just as soil tests dont measure whats in a soil (they

only measure nutrients that are easily extracted and
assumed to be usable by the crop), feed tests only
measure parts and pieces of the feed, but certainly
not everything. They are only calculations assumptions and estimates based on the normal
range. Tests give us clues as to what is going on and
offer a starting point, but we need to be detectives,
gathering data from many sources in order to find
out what is really going on. Testing is a management
tool guiding our fertilizer and farming decisions.
However, we find that the practice of intentional observation (which means slowing down and making
time to observe) is often what separates out the best
farmers.

The second option is based on keeping soil microbes

healthy so they can build humus and provide nutrients to the plant. The job of the successful biological
and/or organic farmer is to get the soil mineralized
and keep the soil habitat for the microbiology as
close to optimum as possible so those microbes can
build humus and govern the supply of nutrients to
the plants. Soil health needs air, water, a healthy environment and the proper food. How do we accomplish this? With proper tillage and soil balance.

We have our soil tests performed at Midwest Labs

and our feed tests at Dairyland Labs. To get the
most accurate mineral results on forage tests, we
use a wet chemistry test rather than near infrared
reflectance (NIR). We obtain a series of complete
tests throughout the growing season, being sure to
harvest at the proper time to insure maximum en-

The Big Four

Additionally, when soil microbes build humus

the primary determinant of soil health large
amounts of carbon are sequestered from the atmosphere back into the soil.

There are four indicator minerals in plant tissue

testing that do tell a large part of the story of whats
happening on the land: calcium, boron, phosphorus
and magnesium. These are indicator minerals because to get them up to the levels where they need

A vital baseline to biological farming is to provide

enough soluble calcium to the plant (with high nitrogen, potassium or magnesium levels, calcium levels
may not be adequate in the plant the goal is a 1:1
ratio at around 2 percent in feed tests). Just because
the soil pH is within the ideal range (6.5-7) does not
mean you will automatically have high plant uptake
of calcium, that additional calcium does not need to
be applied, or that the soil doesnt need lime. Providing a diverse supply of calcium sources is highly
beneficial, even if pH is at a good level.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to different sources of calcium for different soil situations.
However, smaller amounts more often seem to work
well on most soils. Field-grade lime is insoluble and
performs well with low pHs.
Calcium sources include calcium nitrate, gypsum,
Bio-Cal, OrganiCal and HumaCal, rock phosphate
(if you also need phosphorus), burned lime and activated calcium (note that not all of these are organic
choose the right source for the situation). Often,
supplying a humate source with calcium yields good
results.
Spraying on a few ounces of a plant-stimulant calcium may help by serving as a short-term fix, but it
wont do in the long run. Remember, an alfalfa crop
removes 250 pounds of the available soil calcium.
Boron and calcium seem to work together. We like
to call calcium the trucker of all minerals, and
boron the steering wheel. Boron is needed in relatively small volume but governs calcium uptake and
sugar movements, both critical factors in producing more plant energy and plant pectins (the highly
digestible carbohydrate that is closely associated
with calcium). Boron is relatively easy to get into
plants and to manage. Its an anion (meaning that it
is negatively charged), so its a highly soluble/leachable mineral, and thus readily plant available. In our
Midwestern soils, we normally add one pound per
acre each year to fields, and sometimes more based
on soil type.
Phosphorus at high levels in the plant is a great indicator of healthy, biologically active soils. Phosphorus exchangeability and organic matter are needed
by the plant at high levels, but large amounts of
non-plant available phosphorus are often tied up in
the soil. Commercial phosphorus dumped on the
ground does not simply get sucked up into the plant
as nitrogen and potassium do. In fact, putting on
soluble phosphorus has a negative effect on plants
symbiotic interaction with mycorrhizae, the soil
fungal group that aids in getting phosphorus into the
plant.
We like to use natural rock phosphates, certain plant
species, and biological activity to extract the phosphorus and convert it into a chelated organic, plant
available form. Phosphorus and magnesium are synergistic team-mates, and should be at 0.35 percent or
higher on feed tests. These are energy minerals, both
vital to production through photosynthesis and also
to transportation. These two minerals are extremely
difficult to get into the plant.
Magnesium is an indicator of many things, a major
storyteller of soil balance and health. Magnesium
levels can be high in the soil and yet low in the

32

plant. Magnesium carbonate (dolomitic lime) isnt

plant-usable unless something breaks it down such
as soil biology acids, plant extraction, or sulfurs.

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

One more issue to keep in mind: there is an inverse

relationship between potassium and magnesium.
The higher the soluble soil potassium, the more
potassium and the less magnesium the plant takes
up. In order to get high plant magnesium, you cant
overdo potassium. Good biological activity along
with a variety of plants to feed soil life is part of the
success of getting magnesium into the plant.
Sulfur is needed to make proteins and build humus
in the soil. Our Midwestern Bio-Ag consultants
have suggested that we should really talk about
The Big Five rather than The Big Four, because
sulfur should be added to the list. However, in order
to get magnesium uptake in the plant, sulfur needs
to be in good supply, so you cant get ideal levels of
The Big Four without good sulfur levels.

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Each year a minimum of 25 pounds of sulfate sulfur

needs to be added to most soils. If you are foliar
spraying, adding Epsom salts (MgSO4) is a good
idea on most farms.

Cows are designed to eat a variety of forages (not

grain), so utilizing more and diverse nutrient-dense,
high-quality forages for an extended grazing season
is the focal point of biological farm management.
We want to assist cattle in production with highquality forages fed at the right level. Were not
interested in pushing that cow into high production
with lots of grain at the expense of the cows health
and the health of the consumer.
Dairy nutritionists have parameters for keeping a
cow producing well. What is missing from the forage has to be supplemented, quite often at a substantial cost, in order to meet the cows requirements.
Because it takes time to get soils minerally balanced
and healthy, extra supplementation to a cows ration is likely needed until that soil is balanced. Once
quality forage production is achieved on the farm,
more minerals and nutrients are provided through

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33

The Natural Farmer

those plants and less supplementation is required.

Quality, nutrient-dense forages offer more energy
due to improved digestibility of the plant carbohydrates, resulting in more sugars, pectins, hemicellulose and other materials that are more digestible by
the rumen bacteria.
Many farmers notice a difference with biologically
fertilized crops, saying that they feed better although
they may or may not test differently. We also find
that we can get better utilization of the minerals in
these feeds as they break down during the digestive
process. Also, with the newer, improved Relative
Forage Quality (RFQ) test, we believe that we have
moved a step closer to an accurate assessment of
feed quality.
Keep in mind that there are flaws associated with
the current protein test techniques. For example,
true protein is not measured, nitrogen is it is then
multiplied by 6.25, and the resulting number is assumed to indicate protein levels. In truth, proteins
are made up of amino acids carbon-chain compounds with nitrogen attached, and some also carry
sulfur and other minerals. If these minerals are lacking and nitrogen is in excess, the amino acids cant
be made, and thus you have incomplete proteins. On
the other hand, if extra nitrogen is available from
nitrogen over-application or too much manure, then
free nitrogen can get into the plant. The test cant
tell the difference; this free nitrogen is calculated as
protein, but in fact it may not be.
Quick Cow Management Guidelines
Do everything you can to get the livestock healthy
and comfortable. Whether she harvests her own forages or you harvest and store the feed for her, quality forages and cow comfort are the key to healthy
and productive cows and profitable, successful
dairying.
Cow science is cow science, whether you graze or
store feeds, are organic or not. You cannot violate
the principles of the cow. If these parameters are
violated (which in most circumstances means the
dry cow is getting an excess of potassium, nitrogen or protein, or a lactating cow is deficient in
some nutrient), then train wrecks occur. The chal-

lenges are balancing nitrogen, digestibility and

energy for the cows diet, and getting her comfortable and stress free.
Ration balancing is difficult with grazing. Common sense and the eye of the master are essential.

Grow special forages for each group. Get an

excellent dry cow program in place in order to
rebuild the cow. If you dont have low-potassium
good grassy hay, buy it. Its your cheapest investment of the year.

Grazing is a less expensive way to harvest, plus it

eliminates molds and provides fresh vitamins and
exercise. Cows are designed to eat forages. Having a minimum of 60 percent of the diet in forages
is essential.

Feeding the extras vitamins, selenium (in many

areas), yeast, kelp, direct-fed microbials is certainly beneficial for many farms. Your job is to do
everything you can to make that cow healthy and
comfortable. Some additions dont have immediate visible paybacks, but health and breeding improve when the whole program is implemented.

Grass-based cow genetics are key to efficiently

producing milk in a pasture-based operation.

Water is essential: clean, fresh, and available in

adequate amounts.

Quality protein, energy, minerals, vitamins and effective fiber are essential in forages, but whatever
is missing from your forages is what needs to be
supplemented to the cows. Starting nutrition in
the soils can improve forage quality over time, but
you have to earn the right to not supplement the
cows.

Our ration: Due to our forages higher protein content, we havent used much supplemented protein
for many years. Corn silage does fit our program
to help lower total protein and some of the minerals. Our ration this winter was about 25 pounds
corn silage as is, 15 pounds high-moisture shell
corn, a couple of pounds of dry hay and the rest a
mix of the haylage bales. We may feed one or two
pounds of roasted soybeans along with the mineral balance, some charcoal, yeast, kelp, direct-fed
microbials, enzymes and vitamins.

Free-choice minerals are another good idea. This is

not in place of trying to add minerals known to be
short in the soil/feed such as calcium, magnesium
and traces. The minimum free-choice mineral
program starts with a good, natural salt (we also
like to free-choice kelp alone or mixed 50/50 with
salt), a 1:1 mineral, a high-calcium mineral such
as CharCal and finally, a buffer. We also use a
montmorillonite clay called Dyna-Min.
Adding carbon to the cow diet (dried molasses,
some grain, plant charcoals) helps absorb the extra
free rumen nitrogen. Also make sure sulfur is used
in soil fertility programs for quality proteins.
Corn silage and good dry hay help match highprotein, low-fiber, high-moisture, out-of-balance
forages and early spring pasture growth.
Corn silage is low in minerals and protein. It can
be up to half shell corn on a dry matter basis and
does dilute out unbalanced feeds.
Milk cow feed and dry cow feed are not the same.

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Our summer ration is keeping the corn silage and
grain levels similar, but we may supplement oats
and other small grains for some of the corn. We
graze as much as possible starting with cereal ryes
in the spring and then moving on to established
pasture, summer annuals, new seedings, and ending
in the fall with oats, peas and brassicas. We do use
some straw, dry hay or dry baleage in the TMR for
effective fiber.
Managing Nutrients
There are two nutrient areas to consider:
Soil correction: Soil balance is achieved by supplying nutrients that are lacking, based on a complete
soil test.

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The Natural Farmer

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

Crop fertilizers: These inputs are above and beyond soil correction inputs.
These are specific blends for the crop you are growing and the soil type you
have. A crop fertilizer doesnt correct soil deficiencies and should be a balance of all nutrients, not just NPK.
The nutrient sources we are often managing on a grass-based dairy are manure, compost and fertilizers (nutrients).
Nutrient sources: Fertilizers are sold on water solubility and price per unit.
What about fertilizers effects on soil and soil life? How plant-available is
it? Are the nutrients stable, or will they leach away before the plants can use
them? You can do things to enhance the nutrients and the fertilizers, such
as adding carbon and balancing the soluble to the slow release types, which
provides timed release of nutrients.
Composting manure with lots of carbon stabilizes the nutrients, changing
manure from a soluble to a slow-release nutrient source.
With liquid manures, a light application of lime prior to manure application
and a surface aeration is a good idea. Smaller, more frequent lime additions
are more beneficial than larger doses. On low-phosphorus soils adding rock
phosphate to liquid manure is a beneficial practice.
Foliar feeding with fish, molasses, kelp, magnesium sulfate and/or micronized minerals is not a bad idea. This is an extra or short-term fix, however,
not a replacement for a good soil mineral management program. Remember
to include Epsom salts in your foliar program.
Nitrogen and highly soluble salt fertilizers can stimulate a big pile of lownutrient feed, but we also need to consider energy and cow performance on
these kinds of feeds. What impact do these materials have on soil life, root
development and plant health?
You have to earn the right to reduce or eliminate nitrogen from your fertilizer program. As a biological farmer, you can grow nitrogen. If you set the
conditions, then in time (on most soils) purchased nitrogen wont be needed.
Healthy soils with nutrient balance and plant species balance have good nitrogen:carbon balance naturally. Keep in mind that calcium favors legume
production while nitrogen favors grasses.
Tillage
We believe that careful, properly timed, shallow tillage is vital. Improper
tillage can do severe damage to the soil structure and microbes. When major soil corrections with lime/minerals or improvements in soil structure are
needed, pouring things on the surface will have limited effect. Sometimes

A healthy, blooming alfalfa crop annually removes

250 lbs. per acre of calcium
you need to till to apply soil correctives and till to re-establish pasture species. For
our crop farming, we like to shallow incorporate nutrients and plants and, if needed, subsoil to loosen compacted soils and allow deeper root growth.
Zone tillage, shallow incorporation of plants and residues, and deep ripping work
well on many farms. We do believe that subsoiling with a Yeoman plow (along
with deep-rooting annuals and a good fertility program) has a place on a grazing
farm and does a lot to relieve compaction, which often is a much bigger problem
than realized.
Management Bottom Line: You cant let the soil put limits on the plants by limiting
the type, quality or amount of forage grown. You cant let the cow put limits on the
plant, either, whether through grazing or soil compaction.
Gary Zimmer is a well-known consultant and speaker on biological and organic
farming as well as the president of Midwestern Bio-Ag, a consulting and products
company that works with thousands of farmers. He is being assisted by Rebecca
Brown in establishing the Otter Creek Foundation. They are developing the BOSS
(Best Organic Sustainable Systems) plan, which aims to define the parameters that
must be followed for successful production in diverse farm systems, ranging from
organic dairying to pastured pork, poultry and beef to permaculture and vegetable
production. Visit www.midwestern bioag.com for more information.
Reprinted with permission from Acres U.S.A., www.acresusa.com, 800-355-5313.

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

35

Nutrient Density: Market The Advantage

36

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

amount of food in order to get the same level of nutrients as we got in 1960!
Todays retail landscape is changing quickly. As
large retailers scramble to boost sagging sales, and
consumers struggle to find enough money to pay
bills, the word saving has become the top priority for most of us. Consumers have by necessity
become more aware of what they are getting for
their food dollar. Cartoon characters and glitzy
sales gimmicks are not as effective now that there is
not the elasticity available in food dollars in most
households. There are a multitude of issues facing
the produce industry today. Here are a few of them.

by Mark Nakata
Beyond Organix Founding Member
I am often asked about the name Beyond Organix.
The founding members of Beyond Organix (BYO)
chose the name on purpose. We feel there is an important standard that has not yet been defined that
combines all of the best in organics and the need
for nutrition in food. As many people are becoming
more aware of the falling nutritional value in food,
the ability to find food that has good nutritional
value has become more important. Many so-called
(processed) foods are full of fillers and man-made
compounds that add fat, or toxins to the body. Unfortunately this phenomenon is becoming increasingly evident in our ever-expanding waistlines.
Obesity in school-age children is at an all-time high
in spite of an increased emphasis on physical education. Doctors are seeing the effects of our unhealthy
diet in an increase in obesity, diabetes, and stress
related disorders. Farmers can be a key to reversing this trend by learning how to grow food that is
nutrient-dense. This type of food is full of measurable nutrients that provide consumers with food
that nourishes the body and soul. Beyond Organix
consults with growers on how to grow fruits and
vegetables for nutrient-density as well as helping
retailers put together sources of nutrient-dense fruit
and vegetables. Consumers are the ultimate beneficiaries of this system as they can purchase flavorful
whole foods and consume food packed with nutrients, get healthier, and realize more, bang for their
buck. As we all know, its cheaper to get nutrients
from food rather than buy vitamins.
The Standard
Beyond Organix has a standard for nutrient density
that has come from years of testing and field trials.

These Honey Rich Apriums are marketed by

Beyond Organix from Marks family ranch,
Nakata Farms Inc. Apriums are 70% apricot, and 30% plum. When grown and ripened properly, they will test at about 18 brix,
with low acid. They ripen in mid May.
The standard is proprietary at the moment, but will
eventually be made public. The need for a standard
comes from a desire to assure retailers and consumers that they are buying something better.
Over the last half a century we have seen the advent
of chemical farming, and the positive and negative effects of it. We here in the United States have
created large agricultural companies that have led
the effort to feed our people as well as the rest of
the world. Yet there have been negative effects
also. Chief among them, but not commonly talked
about, is the falling nutrient levels in our food. The
U.S.D.A. has tested 23 fruits and vegetables for
13 vitamins and minerals every ten years since the
early 1900s. Since 1960 the nutrient levels have
fallen 40-65%. So today we need to eat double the

Retailers will soon be required to display not only

country of origin labels (COOL), but also nutrition
labels for produce. When this happens, there will
be a tremendous upheaval as most conventional and
some organic produce will not achieve the stated
levels of nutrition on the label. Large retailers will
do independent testing, and smaller retailers will
probably buy most of their produce from large shippers that can provide reliable test data.
In todays marketplace, food safety is the number
one issue. With all the recent food scares, and the
emphasis being placed on the growers ability to ensure a safe food supply, it is imperative that growers
become adept at selling safe food. Many retailers
are putting heavy pressure on growers to find solutions to the food safety issue. It is interesting to
note that there are direct connections between plant
health and the ability of pathogens to grow on or in
that plant. Pathogens only grow under a specific set
of conditions. If you introduce or culture a competing biology, often times the pathogen will stay dormant, or not survive. Growers do have the ability
to reduce the risk of food-borne illness beyond what
they think.
Innovative packaging that provides a safe, clean,
properly labeled unit for sale will become paramount for many retailers as they try to conform to
the new rules. Growers that use innovative packag-

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W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

37

The Natural Farmer

Apriums are packed amd marketed by Beyond Organix (BYO)

in boxes like these.

ing to meet the demands of the retailers will likely be more successful at selling to those retailers than those that dont. Because growers are being asked to
provide new types of packaging, and are being asked to pay for it, building in
competitive advantages seems appropriate. Often times, growers dont look at
new packages as a benefit. Rather most see it as a cost or opportunity to ask the
retailers to pay more. Unfortunately, this strategy is not usually effective. It
is usually growers that pay for the innovations, so if you dont have what they
want, they will buy it from someone who does. If there is more than one producer, then they will buy from the low price producer. Having new attractive
packaging that meets the demands of the retail market is a large key to success.
The fresh fruit and vegetable industry is facing some very challenging issues to
say the least. On top of the above-mentioned issues is increasing competition
from foreign producers. The more we sell our innovations, or U.S. firms move
operations over-seas, the better our competitors get. So how do we survive?
Beyond Organix believes the answer lies in nutrient-density. It has spent the
last four years working on innovations at the farm level as well as marketing
innovations that will usher in the next great food wave to hit the U.S. The Beyond Organix system uses a field to fork approach to create maximum benefit
to the end-user. By satisfying the end-user, it turns consumers into customers.
The end result helps increase sales for retailers that buy from Beyond Organix
and its partners.

Oranges from a BYO grower from Lindsey CA. The orange varieties test about 14 brix in December, and rise to 18 plus by March.

Humans instinctively know when they are consuming something good for
them. This is the, signature of a great grower. That ability to connect with
customers on a sub-conscious level is a truly amazing skill. The reason has to
do with the ability to grow product that tastes better because it is better. The
more nutrients a fruit or vegetable has, the better it tastes. It is possible to have
brix and not density. But it isnt possible to have density without brix. The
ability of the grower to achieve nutrient density is a key to success at the marketplace. Once a grower understands how to achieve it from a field management standpoint then marketing becomes the key to financial success.
There are several keys to marketing nutrient-dense organics. Identifying your
target animal, identifying the markets that serve your target animal, and
exceeding the expectations of your target animal are vital to developing a
marketing plan. Once these questions have been answered, a plan can be established. Beyond Organix is expanding its network of growers and retailers to
be able to sell locally and nation-wide. By providing the expertise to achieve
nutrient-density, and then sell that product into a system that understands how
to merchandise it, both growers and their retail customers win. In general,
customers that want nutrient dense product are more sophisticated in their buying habits, and understand what good health really means. The ability to test
to a standard that is significantly higher than the current U.S.D.A. standard is a
huge advantage from a marketing perspective as long as the advantage can be
exploited at the retail level. The new labeling laws that are being implemented

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The Natural Farmer

benefits of growing strong plants are increased production as well as increased quality of appearance
of the product. Both of these benefits increase the
number of salable units of product for the grower.
At retail, the difference in appearance, shelf life, and
repeat sales are obvious.
Ultimately, achieving nutrient-density opens up a
whole new world to growers. It represents a paradigm shift in thinking at the grower level, but brings
that same shift to retail sales also. The ability to
increase value to the consumer on one hand, and
cut pest and weed control costs on the other hand
is huge. The increase in production realized is the
topper.

These Gala apples are from a Watsonville, California, BYO Grower.

The are harvested at 15 plus brix.

at the retail level are a great opportunity to demonstrate the difference in nutritional content between
nutrient-dense organic and conventional product.
The flavor profile, however, is the most important
aspect to most customers. Once the product has great
flavor, great nutrition adds tremendous value, and a
consumer becomes a customer. Without great flavor,
the consumer will try something else. Where Beyond
Organix has achieved nutrient density, the demand
for product has exceeded supply. We believe this
tremendous demand is due to meeting or exceeding
the expectation of the consumers. It is constructive
to note that the demand for available product rises
significantly when nutrition levels increase.

Many people have heard that fruit and vegetables

tasted better, back in the day. Well it was true.
The U.S.D.A.s own data shows that nutrient
values have dropped since chemical farming really started to grow. To be sure, plant-breeding to
improve appearance or shelf-life played a role, but
chemicals are by far the biggest culprit. Growers
can avoid those problems associated with chemical farming by growing heirloom varieties organically. Then if they use current technology to grow
their plants, success can be obtained. The ability
to achieve nutrient-density however is a step above
this level. Beyond Organix has learned how to
fight pests and diseases through the use of nutrients
as well as provide nutrients for plants. Additional

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As the volume of nutrient-dense product increases

and stabilizes, the potential sales increases are tremendous. Doctors are the, practitioners. In essence, they are the, farmers of medicine. The
only difference is they deal with human beings, not
plants. But just like with plants, the better the food,
the stronger the patient. This is why healthy eating
is so important to athletes. In order to perform at
the highest level, they MUST eat right. Pregnant
women also must eat a healthy diet to improve their
chances of having healthy babies. Plants also must
get great nutrition to maximize their potential. Doctors and farmers must put to practical use the lessons learned in the lab. As such, they see first-hand
the problems associated with a poor diet. Most doctors would much rather have their patients eat nutrient-dense food than vitamins. The problem lies in
the ability to steer their patients to a store where the
patients can buy nutrient-dense products. By giving
doctors and health-care providers a list of locations
and nutrient-dense indicators (packaging), sales of
nutrient-dense products should increase dramatically.
Eating nutrient-dense food is probably the easiest, fastest way to lose weight and improve overall
health. It is up to the marketers to sell this difference as real, not a marketing gimmick, or hype.
Many marketers try to sell sizzle, or gimmicks. Nutrient-density needs to be sold for what it is, a way
forward to a better future for all Americans.

BUY

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In Southern New England,
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Hay Covers
Sisal Twine
Poly Twine

Large Warehouse Inventory

Alex Arau
207-236-3283
alexcarau@gmail.com

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0
(continued from page 1)

consequences. In addition to her keynote address,

Fallon will be teaching during 6 workshop slots on
Saturday and Sunday.
Her workshops will begin Saturday morning by
addressing how the false cholesterol theory caused
Americans to abandon traditional whole foods
and created an epidemic of chronic disease. With
the raging debates over our diets as a backdrop,
the session will cut through widespread fraud in
scientific studies on cholesterol and expose the
dangers of cholesterol-lowering diets and drugs.
For the following 4 workshop slots, Sally will
deliver the core of her regular seminar, which
she has given at many conferences. This group
of workshops begins mid-morning on Saturday
with an introduction to the pioneering work of Dr.
Weston A. Price and an in-depth look at vitamins
A, D, and K2, the fat-soluble activators, their
critical role in human health, and the sacred foods
that contain them. On Saturday afternoon, Sally will
lay out the basic principles of healthy traditional
diets, including the kinds and types of fats and oils
in traditional diets. The session includes a review
of the dangers of modern soy foods. The seminar
continues Sunday morning with an explanation
of the dangers of trans fatty acids, the importance
of grass-feeding, and the health benefits of real
milk. Sunday mid-morning takes a step toward
implementation. If you value making the changes
presented so far, learn practical steps modern
families can take to prepare healthy food and change
our diets for the better. Following up on the core
content of the seminar, Sally will give suggestions
for no-fuss, economical meals that will help you get
started with a traditional diet. This includes three
weeks of meal planning and plenty of shopping and
cooking advice.

Book Reviews

The Natural Farmer

We are still working on our second keynoter for
the conference. Our short list includes Kathleen
Merrigan, Fernando Funes and Mark Kastel. As
soon as we hear, we will let you all know. Keep an
eye on www.nofasummerconference.org for regular
updates regarding all aspects of the conference.
The NOFA Summer Conference is looking for
enthusiastic presenters to lead workshops for
teens. Each year the teen portion of the Summer
conference offers young adults the opportunity
to meet and learn about topics such as the
environment, livestock farming, alternative health
care, social justice, organic farming and the arts.
While it is a great opportunity for someone who
enjoys sharing knowledge with a dynamic group of
young adults, it is also your chance to be inspired by
this next generation of farmers and change makers.
We are looking for workshops on alternative
energy, ecology, yoga or tai chi, making herbal
products, alternative schooling choices, farm dog
training, street theater and homesteading skills. We
are also open to your ideas. Workshop presenters
receive free conference registration and a $50
honorarium for presenting a 1 1/2 hour workshop.
We are accepting proposals until Jan.25. Please
contact Jennifer Caron at Jennc69@gmail.com or
(978) 544-5646 with any questions or ideas. Those
interested in presenting adult workshops should
contact Ben Grosscup at ben.grosscup@nofamass.
org; (413) 549-1568. For childrens workshops
contact Valerie Walton at aallspice@aol.com; (978)
689-0716.
Here are some sponsorship and advertising
opportunities that provide businesses and
farms with a wide array of exposure for their
products and services, including a logo and
website link placement on the NOFA Summer

The Rebel Farmer

Sepp Holzer has been called the Crocodile Dundee

of the Alps. This farmer, permaculturist, environmental engineer, entrepreneur, curmudgeon and
now international agricultural consultant raises
remarkable plants and animals working with nature
at Krameterhof Farm, 4300 feet up in the Austrian
Alps. He took over the farm at age 19 from his father, who farmed its 59 acres conventionally. The
Rebel Farmer is the story of his life and, as he puts
it in the preface, an impromptu description of my
philosophy.

The sources of income Holzer has developed are

intriguing. He goes for crops and products which
can command a high value, rather than what all his
neighbors produce. But as often as not something
goes wrong. To mention just a few, he has grown
mushrooms (profitable until the Chernobyl disaster
when the market fell precipitously), run a game
park (successful until the town levied a stiff tax on
his profits and he shut it down), raised bees (wasnt
very profitable although he values the pollination),
beavers (animal protectors ruined the market with
their fur protests), rare birds (currently hes breeding blue-fronted parrots in his greenhouse), lynx
(to control sick or wounded game in his park), gentian (he found he could only get it to germinate in

Conference website for six months. Heres a

link to last summers sponsors: http://www.
nofasummerconference.org/sponsors.html.
Larger level sponsors also receive exhibit space
and registration. Businesses and farms are also
welcomed to simply exhibit and advertise in the
Program Book. For more information, contact Bob
Minnocci: bob@nofamass.org or 617-236-4893.
Seeking NOFA Summer Conference Coordinator
for 2011
After 24 years of coordinating the organization
of the NOFA Summer Conference, Julie Rawson
and Jack Kittredge will be stepping down after
the 2010 conference (August 13 -15 at UMass/
Amherst). The Northeast Organic Farming
Association/Massachusetts Chapter Inc. seeks a
highly organized, management-oriented Summer
Conference Coordinator who will oversee and
organize the regional event, with over 200
workshops, keynoters, entertainment, vendors/
exhibitors, a country fair and parade, farmers
market and more, drawing over 1,500 people from
throughout the Northeast annually.
The Summer Conference Coordinator position
is a 600 hour per year job with a pay scale to
be determined, depending on experience and
qualifications. Coordinator must be a member of
NOFA/Mass in good standing. Previous attendance
at NOFA Summer Conference a plus. Applications
will be received until the best candidate is hired
preferably before April 15. Interested candidates
should send a cover letter of interest, a resume and
three letters of recommendation as an application.
Send materials to Julie Rawson at julie@nofamass.
org. For more info, go to www.nofamass.org, or call
(978) 355-2853.

ing the insects as well as serving as food for the

larger carnivorous fish, and disease disappearing
as the conditions for fish health were maintained.
He now has water gardens where trout, carp, pike,
catfish and other varieties live. They have various
zones appropriate to the needs of the fish, some
shallow and some deep, some sandy and some muddy, etc. He markets the smaller fish, crustaceans and
mollusks, and created an angling center for sportsmen to pay for the privilege of taking the larger fish.
To make ponds in his soil without using thick plastic
sheeting Holzer came up with a way to vibrate the
bottoms of the ponds with an excavator during construction. The vibration causes the fine particles to
sink into the subsoil and compact much as happens
when contractors vibrate a concrete slab.

by Sepp Holzer
published by Leopold Stocker Verlag, Austria
2004, 239 pages including drawings and photos
hardcover, from $66.96 used, Amazon.com
review by Jack Kittredge

As you will see if you read this book, that philosophy is not easily characterized. Holzer has attracted considerable attention in the last decade as
an inventive and practical farmer. Hundreds of tour
busses bring visitors to his farm every year, and his
methods are the subject of several scientific studies.
He has laid out terraces on his mountainside and irrigates them with water falling through a series of
ditches and ponds. He has planted fruit and nut trees
beside sweet potatoes and New Zealand kiwis, built
a small hydroelectric power plant, set up game enclosures, and fought vigorously with Austrian forest
authorities who consider his diverse operation forest desecration.

39

Holzer is said to grow vegetables out of rock!

natural, not greenhouse, conditions), silver alpine
willows (the wood is optimal for mushroom production) and pythons (not for market but to cure his and
his childrens own fear of snakes it worked).
His fish operation was typical. Initially he built the
operation by the textbook with large steep-shored
ponds without obstacles to obstruct nets and able to
be drained for regular disinfection. He bought commercial fish feed. But Sepp soon found his fish had
problems with disease, he was paying large feed
bills, and others with level locations more suitable
for ponds (including Prince Schwarzenberg of Murau) were undercutting his prices. So he followed
his philosophy of looking to how nature does things.
He reorganized his stretches of water so they contained both deep and shallow areas, places tree roots
and stones in the ponds as well as digging sandy
feed ditches. The result was an area that sustained
itself with rotting plant material encouraging water
snails which in turn fed the fish, with frogs regulat-

Goodly chunks of the book are descriptions of

Sepps encounters with bureaucrats and regulators
usually of the spruce forests surrounding him, or
of the game that lives in those forests. Dumbfounded by the existence of some law or regulation he has
unwittingly violated in his farming experiments and
permacultural endeavors, he attends the appropriate
hearing but ends up in a fight with the authorities
after protesting the stupidity of the rule. He finds
himself rebuked and fined, but usually gets his revenge in a creative and entertaining way.
I found some of the most interesting parts of the
book to be Sepps descriptions of growing up on
a mountain in Austria in the 1940s and 50s. The
farm was only reachable by oxcart, a thousand
foot climb from the nearest village. His father and
mother were uneducated country people, used to
doing for themselves and getting by without much
money. They worked Sepp hard on the farm, as they
worked themselves. One of his happy memories was
planting chestnuts given him by the local pig-castrator on a visit to the farm. His mother let him plant
them in pots she maintained on the window sill. He
watched and watched until finally little green shoots
came up. It so fascinated him that he would sit until
dragged away, just watching the tiny plants.
Garden space was at a premium for the farm, and
his mother would not give Sepp any to transplant
into. So when he was given 2 shillings by his godfather, Holzer approached his father about renting

40

a piece of land for his seedlings. His father let him

use a steep and rocky parcel that was so unproductive he only scythed it once a year. Sepp moved his
transplants there, and surreptitiously began bringing in more rocks and strewing them about. When
his father finally came to cut the hay, he broke the
scythe handle on the stones and was so angry he
vowed never to cut hay there again. The boy quietly
expanded his plantings.
At eleven years of age Sepp bought a lamb and a kid
to raise. His father said he would have to do all the
work involved, which included raising the grain and
beets for feed. With wire from the barn Sepp built a
cableway to transport dung to his rocky slope in order to have enough fertility to raise crops to feed his
sheep. Thus the lad learned to harvest yields from
even the poorest soil.
During his adult years Holzer has been able to buy
up nearby land for his endeavors. Such acreage has
generally been considered unproductive and is taxed
very lightly. As a result of his ideas and work, however, his fame spread and ultimately the tax authorities came to visit. They examined his permaculture
methods carefully and agreed that the land was
now much more productive because of his terraces,
tracks, irrigation, special crops and animals etc. It
was thus to be classified as horticultural rather than
unproductive, and the assessment rose elevenfold!
As word of Sepps methods has spread, he has slowly gained adherents -- even from among those who
earlier opposed him. Elected to farmer organizations, he found many ways to represent the interests
of farmers in governmental deliberations and came
to be an important ally and confidant to farmers
experiencing difficulties with the bureaucracy. His
consulting now extends to places like Brazil and
Columbia.

Fruitless Fall - The Collapse of the Honey

Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis

by Rowan Jacobsen
published by Bloomsbury USA, New York
2008, 264 pages including sources, and three appendices.
$25.
review by H. Paul Berlejung
If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe
then man would only have four years of life left.
No more bees, no more pollination,
no more plants, no more animals, no more man.*
*Attributed to Albert Einstein
My wife and I, were not bee keepers. So far were
bee havers. Bee keepers get their bees through the
winter. Bee havers like us dont. For the last two
winters our colonies havent made it until spring.
Then again, up here in Vermont, in bear country, on
the leeward side of the Green Mountains, at 1650
above sea level, in a 3b USDA hardiness zone, with
temperatures dipping to -24* in winter, and snow
that covers your bee hives, its hard to keep bees if
everything goes right. With bees things arent going
right.
Thats what Fruitless Fall is all about - it tells the
story of how bees havent had a few bad days or
even a few bad years, theyve had two decades of
things not going right. In 1987, a pest from Asia,
the varroa mite, arrived and turned the beekeeping
world upside down. If you cant think how a little
mite could be so devastating, Jacobsen says Picture
going through life with a tick the size and shape of
a kettle stuck to your back In fact, he says, imagine
two or three on you sucking your blood and then
watch as more attach to your children. Varroa dont
kill honey bees outright but they do weaken them.
To overcome varroa most beekeepers turned to
chemical help. Chemicals have at least three problems associated with them: 1) make sure they kill
the mite but not the bee; 2) chemical residue remains in the hive; and 3) they kill the weak mites;
that leaves the surviving ones even harder to kill as
they become resistant to each chemical that comes
along. Within 10 years of varroas arrival, one fourth
of all professional beekeepers in the United States
went out of business.

The Natural Farmer

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

crops are pollinated by honey bees. On most large

farms (almonds and blueberries are two) almost
100% of the pollination is done by honeybees.

Jacobsen ends the book with a choice: continue

along, wipe out our pollinators and hire poor people
to hand pollinate our crops; or change and choose a
world of flirtatiousfragrance and form In
an Epilogue Jacobsen states that it is his belief that
honey bees will make it through all this but things
for them are going to get worse before they get better.

Three varroa mites around a pencil point.

The mites have been the bane of North
American bee keepers since the late 1980s.
Because varroa also killed off 95% of feral honey
bees, because of the economic devastation beekeepers were facing, and because of cheap imported honey, more and more beekeepers got into pollination.
Jacobsen tells how some larger honey bee keepers
moved into the migratory pollination business.
Some bee keepers move their bees via tractor trailer
from Texas to California for almond pollination in
February, Washington apples in March, South Dakota sunflowers and canola in May, then back to Texas
in the fall. On the east coast its Florida for citrus,
Maine for blueberries in June, back down to Pennsylvania for pumpkins in July, and then back home.
While the economic boom helped the bottom line
it hurt the bees. Most bee keepers describe that it
added one more problem to the bees and that was
STRESS! How would you like to be cooped up with
60,000 others in a wooden box, driven thousands
of miles to work in unknown territory, and fed high
fructose corn syrup while you were in transit? Well,
the bees didnt like it. With more than half the bees
in the United States spending the year this way,
thats a lot of stressed out bees.
Meanwhile a new type of pesticide was developed:
neonicotinoids ...which mimic nicotine, a natural
insecticide that is highly concentrated in tobacco
but is found also in tomatoes, potatoes and green
peppers. They work on an insects neurotransmitters. Its a nerve poison. A little wont even hurt a
bee. As Jacobsen says, however, The land is more
soaked in pesticides than we could have imagined. And they dont go away as completely as we
thought they did. Add all the foregoing problems
and a few more such as mono-crops, loss of habitat,
and exotics and, as people like to say, it was the perfect storm.
The storm first hit in Florida and Pennsylvania
in late 2006. The bees simply started to disappear.
They flew out of their hives and never came back.
Not by the thousands - or millions for that matter
- but by the billions. So many that By spring 2007,
a quarter of the northern hemispheres bees were
AWOL. Its been labeled CCD or Colony Collapse
Disorder. Youve probably heard that term. Its akin
to AIDS, i.e., the immune system of the bees totally
collapses. In a chapter entitled WHODUNIT Jacobsen explains how the bee experts and scientists
eliminated one cause after another until The only
thing everyone could agree on was that CCD must
require a combination of triggers.
The scientists also found that bees, like humans,
have viruses and other pathogens in them. We dont
have effective treatments for those in humans,
much less for bees. Varroa, stress, poor nutrition,
pesticides, viruses, and maybe some other things
that havent been discovered yet, all came together
to weaken the bees. It was a death by a thousand
cuts. The cumulative effect is the collapse of the
honey bee.
China, the Himalayas, Brazil, Mexico, and Hawaii
have all lost some of their pollinators in what Jacobsen calls a fertility crisis where pollination is
done by hand and not by insects. Jacobsen believes
there is a silver lining in the cloud of colony collapse disordermany people now understand that
agriculture depends on the honey bee.
With three quarters of the worlds staple crops needing insect pollination, thats a big dependency. In the
US, 80% of the flowers, fruits, vegetables and nut

I enjoyed the book and suggest its reading to understand what were doing to the environment whether
youre a bee keeper or not.
Berlejung and his wife, both big city kids, keep
honey bees and have lived off-grid in Groton, VT for
the past three years.

Cooking Close to Home: A Year of Seasonal

Recipes

by Diane Imrie & Richard Jarmusz

Published by Diane Imrie, LLC and Richard Jarmusz; 239pp.
Available for $24.95 from NOFA-VT, at 802-4344122
review by Meg Klepack
Cooking Close to Home is the latest cookbook to
target the localvore crowd. With sumptuous color
photographs and rich descriptions (would anyone
like some Grilled Honey Bourbon Pork Chops with
Cilantro Apples?) the book made my mouth water
the first time I picked it up. However, while my
tastebuds were set as I leafed through its pages, the
experience was more like reading a menu at a fancy
restaurant than getting inspired to fire up my castiron skillet.
I was impressed by the number of recipes for difficult to utilize vegetables. Cute kohlrabi, for example, always win me over with their good looks
but, no matter how many good intentions I make,
they always end up at the back of the fridge and ultimately the compost pile. Fennel, tomatillos, parsnips, and celeriac fit in this category as well. I was
intrigued by Winter Kohlrabi and Cherry Salad,
an enticing Carrot and Roasted Fennel Soup,
and even a Hot and Sour Spinach and Dandelion
Greens Soup. I was also impressed with the number
of recipes seeking to spice up those cabbages, potatoes, beets, carrots, and turnips that get so boring
part-way through winter.
However, dont mistake this cookbook for a survival
guide to the Eat Local Challenge. Olive oil figures
in to most recipes. Some of the deserts seem to have
made it into the book by containing a tablespoon or
two of maple syrup. Some recipes even go so far as
to feature kiwis or chocolate or ginger.
But my main beef with this seasonal cookbook,
however, is the complexity of the recipes. I should
put a caveat in this review: Im the first to admit that
Im no gourmet chef. I tend to cook vegetarian suppers that take less than an hour to prepare. Most of
the main-dish recipes are heavily meat-centered and
lean towards the complicated side. There are a full
2 pages on how to butterfly a pork tenderloin and,
while the Wild Leek and Mushroom Ravioli recipe
sounds delicious, most people I know simply dont
have time to make homemade pasta.
Simpler recipes I tried were honestly a little flat.
The Ginger Black Bean and Pumpkin Cakes with
Creamy Horseradish didnt have enough flavor
while the Maple Oatmeal Pecan Cookies with Dark
Chocolate, despite a whole teaspoon of nutmeg and
a whole cup of dried cranberries, didnt have any
zing.
Cooking Close to Home should be lauded for its
work featuring the fresh fruits, vegetables, and
meats of the farms of the northeast. However, with
its creativity in featuring these familiar foods in a
new light comes the complexity of transforming
them into gourmet entrees. If Diane and Richard
open a restaurant with food as gorgeous as their
photos, Ill be first in line. Just dont expect it out of
my kitchen any time soon!

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

41

The Natural Farmer

Now is the Time to Grow

your Business at Natural
Products Expo East
October 1316, 2010

Boston Convention
& Exhibition Center

Boston, Massachusetts

expoeast.com
Register Today!
Register today at www.expoeast.com,
1.866.458.4935, or 1.303.390.1776.
Registration is FREE for qualied buyers,
brokers and distributors until
September 10, 2010.

We Invite You
to Join Us
The 4th Annual Organic Summit
will take place
October 13, 2010 at the
Seaport Hotel in Boston, MA.
Space is Limited. Register on or before March 15, 2010
to take advantage of the early bird rate Save $200
For more information visit
www.theorganicsummit.com
Admission to Natural Products Expo East/Organic Products Expo - BioFach America
is included with registration to the 2010 Organic Summit.

Produced by

42

Feeding Ourselves
The Natural Farmer

by Renee Ciulla

Early rays of sun were warming the walls of the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland, Maine when I arrived for the New England Association of Resource Conservation & Development Areas annual three-day fall conference held October
29-31st. This years theme was New England: Feeding Ourselves and joined
together farmers, teachers, business owners and non-profit employees to discuss
the importance of New England becoming more self-reliant by growing and
processing its own food supply.
Friday morning began with a focus on the state of Maine, well known for supplying brown eggs, maple syrup, wild blueberries, potatoes, and of course,
lobster. But where are Maine residents getting most of their grain, vegetables
and other foodstuff? Alison LePage from the Eat Local Foods Coalition asked
the timely question, Can New England feed itself, or more importantly, can
New England feed itself again? She is correct in positing that during the Civil
War and earlier, New Englanders were growing most of the food on their table,
including loaves of bread. In the 1830s Somerset County grew 239 bushels of
wheatenough for 100,000 people. New England was actually exporting grain
in those days, but we have now lost a generation of knowledge. Alison declared
it was time to change convenient consumerism and return to a more localized
way of eating.

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

currently offers a weekly menu which the members can choose to order online
and pick-up their food at the community kitchen on Congress St. One of the
most interesting ideas Jonah presented was the possibility of utilizing school
kitchens during the summer months or after-school hours.
The second workshop offered Marketing or Distribution presentations. In the
distribution class, Marada Cook from Crown OMaine Organic Cooperative and
Martha Putnam with Farm Fresh Connection shared the floor while speaking
about the similarities and differences of their delivery businesses. Maradas focus is mainly on commodity crops such as potatoes, cranberries and blueberries.
Recently she has been studying the feasibility of supporting the Maine school
system since there is a potential to feed 4,200 people two meals/day! When
asked about what they envision as a more utopian situation for their distribution
systems, they immediately responded, More hubs located everywhere, an underground storage bunker and improved wages and health care for employees.

Marada stressed that Maine farmers should consider growing more unique varieties tolerant to Maine weather, such as purple and red turnips, which would
allow sales to be made according to a products quality instead of quantity. She
drew the connection to Tuscany grape varieties that are designated under the
European system of D.O.P which gives a crop variety a special status symbol
while making a statement about the unique provenance of the item, elevating
both its price and consumer appeal. I would agree with Marada; why would you
want to eat an Idaho potato in Maine? An emphasis was also made about the
The first Friday workshop sessions included Production or Processing. In the
importance of farmers getting their own face attached to their product, even if
Production room, we were treated with Amber Lambke, co-founder of the
one of the delivery services was handling most of the sales. Hearing customer
Somerset Grist Mill and Chair of the annual Kneading Conference in Skowfeedback is only one advantage of direct sales, but another result surprised even
hegan, Maine. Amber emphasized Maines agricultural heritage in connection
Marada. She had an Amish farmer that was making artisan cheese and deto grain growing and the importance of reviving this lost knowledge. Through
the purchase of the old Somerset County jail building, a home has been created cided he wanted to sell some of it directly to a few of the same stores as Crown
OMaine. Understandably, at first Marada was befuddled at this tactic but soon
for the Grist Mill which will supple the necessary infrastructure for this to hapdiscovered that sales were actually increasing both for her and the farmer. This
pen. Next, Eloise Vitelli shared her inspiring work with the Maine Center for
occurred because when he delivered the cheese himself, he was able to attach a
Women, Work and Community and the non-profit, New Ventures, which she
story to the product that the store owner passed on to the customers (such as the
began in 1984 that provides entrepreneurial training for women. Lastly, Jonah
Fertig spoke with endless energy about his exciting new cooperative Caf, Local traditions they followed for cheese making and cutting the ice for the icehouse
Sprouts, which will be opening soon on Congress St. The Caf is based around where it was stored). The moral of the story is that sometimes the farmers need
to leave the farm because only they can tell their own story. In relation to susthe question of how to provide more access to local, non-processed food. The
tainability, both Marada and Martha try to be as efficient as possible by bringing
answer? Sourcing from dozens of local producers and offering an expansive
things like fertilizer to the farms when they go to pick up items (several farms
local food menu. He feels it is equally important to see people growing and
are part of a buying club).
cooking their own food, so education (hence a Learning Caf) is a strong
component of his mission. While in Berkeley, California, Jonah was inspired by
After a full morning of inspiring stories about local food connections, we were
a community kitchen that was distributing food to their members, and upon returning to Portland he incorporated this aspect into his business. Local Sprouts ready for a meal. Maine potato salad, a complete sandwich buffet and Maine
sweet potato soup awaited the crowds of hungry conference-goers. While sipNutrient Density Crop Production ping on soup, we were treated with a truly special guest, Deputy Secretary of
Agriculture, Kathleen Merrigan. She began her speech by stating her belief that,
Workshop Series for 2010
not every family needs a lawyer or an economist, but every family needs
a farmer. Lucky for her, she is in regular contact with the First Lady and she
spoke about Michelle Obamas genuine passion about the organic White House
This designed to give the farmer/gardener all of the information,
garden. Visible to every tourist that walks past the WH lawn, it is a real galvatechniques, tools, and support necessary to become a producer of
nizer for national and international discussions about growing our own food.
cutting edge maximum quality crops in the Northeast.
The garden had a bumper harvest this fall and they are currently planning to
use a hoop house for season extension and plant a cover crop. Merrigan spoke
Led by Real Food Campaign
SERIES DATES
about the initiative, Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (or KYF in White
Director Dan Kittredge
Whately, MA
An organic farmer since 1984 and
House lingo) and how she is working to increase the visibility of the programs
Jan-17, Mar-14, Mayformer Executive Director of
benefits as well as setting up webinars to help applicants work through the com02, Jul-11, Sep-12 &
Remineralize the Earth, Dan has
plexity of the applications. She emphasized the need to reach out to the youth
Nov-14
spoken at conferences & led
of America and has several trips planned to Universities to stimulate them about
workshops across the US.
Hartford, CT
the importance of agriculture and our food supply. When the time for asking
Jan-1, Mar-21, MayThese workshops draw from cutting edge research and
questions arose, my hand shot into the air and I was fortunate to be one of two
16, Jul-18, Sep-19 &
long proven techniques that build the ideal soil
selected inquirers. I was curious to hear her opinions about the strength and
Nov-21
environment for crop growth and production.
weaknesses of New England to feed itself with a more localized food system.
This series is also designed to take the grower step-byColumbia County, NY
Merrigan responded that what is regional and local in each area will be differstep through the principles, practices, and materials that
Jan-10, Mar-07, Mayent, emphasizing that this is OK! Areas that need more attention are season
will optimize crop health and growth.
08, Jul-10, Sep-11 &
extension (such as is being done by Eliot Coleman), assisting young people with
Nov-07
The essential premise of this series is that if all of the
new business plans and more value-added products. Directly after the speech,
environmental factors are ideal for the crop that is being
Montpelier, VT
grown, it will perform to the potential of its DNA. That
Merrigan went to Borealis Breads in Portland where she announced a $1.3 milFeb-7, Mar-28, Maymeans nutritive levels will be at their peak, yields will be
lion grant from the USDA to increase farmers capacity to produce high quality
23, Jul-25, Sep-26 &
at their peak, as well as pest and disease resistance will
organic bread wheat. Demand for locally grown wheat from millers and bakers
Nov-28
peak. An ideal environment gives plants an opportunity to
has been steadily increasing and there is now an incredible opportunity for rethrive.
Lincoln, MA
gional farmers to begin growing grain again.
Starting with the soil, mineral deficiencies are delineated
Jan-23, Mar-13, Apr24, Jun-27, Aug-29 &
Oct-31

Series : $270
Per Workshop: $50
For more details
contact:
Dan Kittredge
Phone: 978-257-2627
E-mail:
dan@realfoodcampaig
n.org
For Registration See
www.realfoodcampaig
n.org
For links to the series
you want to sign up
for.

with suggested correctives, primarily rock minerals, with

some biological inoculants, bacterial and fungal and soil
life food, fish, kelp, humates, and sugar or molasses.
We then move to seed inoculation, transplant inoculation,
and soil energy monitoring. As the course progresses we
will detail plant and soil monitoring, nutrient drenches and
foliar sprays also.
We will cover numerous details on subjects rarely
discussed such as plant physiology, plant and
fungal/bacterial symbioses, the timing of growth and
fruiting cycles and how to maximize their effect, and foliar
sprays designed to effect leaf or fruit growth will be
explained. Resources provided.
The entire course is based on a half principle/half practice
daily schedule. We will meet one day every two months
starting in January, and detail practices necessary to
maximize the vitality of the biological system and crop for
the next two months and principles behind why these
practices make sense.

Afternoon sessions included workshops on alternative farm financing mechanisms and educational efforts to help consumers understand the importance and
benefits of a local food system. However, I opted for the experiential learning
option of a tour around Portland to visit innovative small businesses that were
strengthening the local food supply. The first stop was the Boyd Street Urban
Farm in Bayside, one of Maines poorest neighborhoods housing many refugees.
Craig LaPine, the executive director of the farm was our tour guide, explaining
the history of the farm with an infectious smile and enthusiasm that Im sure is
felt by all those he inspires to grow food on the plot. Craig works hard to make
sure the youth that participate arent just seeing food grow, but are also learning to cook and enjoy eating the vegetables. When the soil of this plot was first
tested, the lead levels were extremely high (1,200-20,000 ppm and EPA cites
200 ppm as safe) because of the paint on the houses that had been knocked
down years ago. Using phytoremediation as a solution, sunflowers, mustard
greens and spinach were planted since they take up lead in the soil. Amazingly,
by the end of the second summer the lead levels had reduced to 100 ppm! The
Portland community seems to embrace this urban farming paradise and Maine

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

College of Art students are currently building a cold

frame for the farm to extend their growing season.
As our group hit the streets again we trekked past
several eateries including a French bistro, Italian
sub shop, pizzeria and even a book store selling
only food related reads. Our final destination was
Cinque Terre, a beautiful restaurant specializing in
Italian cuisine made from local ingredients. As we
opened the doors, we were greeted by proprietor,
Lee Skawinski, donning a John Deere cap and directing Martha Putnam (already back at work with
Farm Fresh Connection) on where to place boxes of
Brussels sprouts, eggs, tomatoes and squash. Skawinski is known for his commitment to the Farm to
Table approach and believes strongly in applying
principles of small-town Italy to his restaurant. He
currently has a long list of Maine farmers producing quail, lamb, livestock and cheese for diners at
Cinque Terre. When he meets with farmers during
the winter months, they discuss various Italian vegetable varieties that could be grown in Maine. After
working in dozens of conventional restaurant kitchens, Skawinski can testify that there is not much of
an economic loss when purchasing local ingredients,
and in fact the difference is balanced when considering the longer shelf life and flavor quality. Comparing cooking to playing, this animated chef left
us with the quote, Portland is like a chefs playground. There is always someone knocking on your
door asking, Hey can I bring you heritage turkeys?
Jam? Honey?

CONTINUING THE TRADITION OF

FAMILY FARMING IN VERMONT
Robert & Linda Dimmick
Makers of Award-Winning
Organic Farmstead Cheeses
Organic Raw Milk Cheddar:
Winner at The Big "E", 2008
Organic Monterey Jack:

American Cheese Society Winner, 2005, 2006

Organic Jalapeno Jack:

American Cheese Society Winner, 2008
Organic Colby:
American Cheese Society Winner, 2007
Organic Green Onion Cheddar:

American Cheese Society Winner, 2005, 2006

Another important Portland landmark we visited

was the Public Market House on Congress St.
When the original marketplace closed in 2006, a
hardcore group of four vendors gathered together
to create a petition for a new location. Their efforts
paid off when they moved into their current location across from the new Portland Pubic library.
They are excited to announce that a second floor
is soon to be opened above the market where three
new vendors will rent space overlooking the common. The Community kitchen downstairs has given
several entrepreneurs a chance to try making food
of their dreams and young businesses are also able
to rent tables for $15/day to try selling their items in
the market. Public Market House will also be part
of the Friday Art Walk giving them the sense that
they are finally offering a public space again.
I left Portland with a smile and a freshly baked loaf
of Big Sky Bread, made with grains grown across
our country in the state of Montana. During my
drive home to NH, while chewing on soft bites
of bread, I pondered whether the next time I visit
Portland Ill be munching on bread full of nutritious
wheat that is grown, harvested and milled in the
state of Maine.
Renee Ciulla, a NH native, is an Agroecology Master of Science candidate with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Aas, Norway. Last year
she studied organic agriculture and food systems in
Italy, Germany and Norway and is currently writing
her thesis on the feasibility of a more localized food
system in New England. She can be contacted at:
begreen618@hotmail.com

Many Hands Organic Farm

Julie Rawson & Jack Kittredge (978) 355-2853

Barre, MA, www.mhof.net, farm@mhof.net

Produce, Fruit & Flower farm shares

Soap & Garlic Braids

Organic & Free-range

Poultry & Pork, Organic Lard

Certified by Baystate Organic Certifiers

43

The Natural Farmer

Organic Garlic Cheddar

Organic Cow Milk Feta
Look for our cheeses in your local
Natural Foods Store!

Neighborly Farms of Vermont

1362 Curtis Road
Randolph Center, VT 05061
1-888-212-6898

www.neighborlyfarms.com

Graduate Program in Sustainable

Landscape Planning & Design

The Conway School of Landscape

Design is the only institution
of its kind in North America.
Focus: ecologically & socially sustainable

landscape planning & design

Method: learning through real projects for real
clients; wide range of scope and complexity
Approach: practical, integrated, & collaborative,
examining interrelationships between natural
& cultural systems
Program: ten-months; 19 students from
diverse backgrounds
Location: wooded hilltop campus in scenic
western Massachusetts
Accreditation: New England Association of
Schools & Colleges
Degree: Master of Arts in Landscape Design

Information Sessions: Dec. 5, 2009 & Feb. 6, 2010

m
332 S. Deerfield Road, PO Box 179,
Conway, MA 01341-0179
| www.csld.edu

VEGETABLE
AND FRUIT
PACKAGING

Large Stock in
Multiple Warehouses
Plain or Custom Printed
Vegetable Rubber
Bands and Twist Ties

Soft Tie Polyester Strapping

Twines and Ropes, Natural
and Synthetic
Tapes-Carton Sealing, Duct,
Electrical and more
Grafting Bands/Bud Strips
Pallet Netting
Stretch Film
Tytan International

Alex Arau
207-236-3283

alexcarau@gmail.com

44

The Natural Farmer

NOFA Organic Land Cares

Ten-Year Anniversary:
Reporting Healthy Growth

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

by Kathy Litchfield

Much more than compost tea is brewing for enthusiasts of the NOFA Organic
Land Care Program! Now in its tenth year, the program includes almost 500
NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals (AOLCPs), practicing in 18
states, and over the last 10 years, expert scientists and land care professionals
have taught more than 1,000 students the practical methods to care for landscapes organically and sustainably.
The mission of the NOFA Organic Land Care Program (NOFA OLC) is to extend the vision and principles of organic agriculture to the care of the landscapes
where people carry out their daily lives. Through urban and suburban landscapes
and gardens, organic principles are used to promote and enhance biodiversity,
biological cycles and soil health; minimize inputs; and use management practices that restore, maintain and balance ecological harmony. The program educates
professionals and the general public about landscaping and gardening practices
that eliminate synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use and improve the health and
well-being of the people and web of life in their care.
We are pleased to report on healthy growth and several new initiatives for the
program throughout the Northeast and beyond.

Photo by Ashley Kremser.

Michael Nadeau teaches landscape professionals about intensive

pruning during one of three OLC Advanced, Hands-On Workshops.
eowners Campaign that includes workshops, a website re-design, monthly
press releases and tips for do-it-yourselfers in organic land care. This work is
funded in part by grants from the Quinnipiac River Fund, the Watershed Fund,
the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, the Wellesley Natural Resources Commission and Newmans Own Foundation. As part of this work, the website will
include a professional peer-to-peer forum and public social networking as well
as homeowner resources. To sign up for an email service with seasonal organic
landscaping tips and reminders, contact Clara at clara@organiclandcare.net.

Update Course
Geared to the programs AOLCPs but also open to the public, the annual Update
Course will be held Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 2009 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA. Keynoter Bill Cullina will explore the world of plant efficiency and
complexity during his presentation Sugar, Sex and Poison: Shocking Plant Secrets Caught on Camera, Additional topics presented that day include Biochar
as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy & Soil Ameliorant, Cues, Signals,
and Tree Response to Pruning, Mile-A-Minute Vine Research Update, and
Organic Products Research Update. Register by calling (203) 888-5146 or by
Online Searchable Database
The new online searchable database, AOLCP Search enables the public to find visiting www.organiclandcare.net.
nearby accredited professionals who provide the organic landscaping services
they seek. Professionals customize their own web presence on this site, and our 5-Day Accreditation Courses
tracking data show that this feature has been widely used since its inception six If youre not already accredited, or if you are and want to brush up on your
skills and knowledge, youll love the 9th Annual NOFA 5-day Accreditation
months ago. Visit www.organiclandcare.net and click on AOLCP Search to
Course in Organic Land Care, to be held in four states in 2010:
find a professional near you, or AOLCPs to update your listing!
Advanced Hands-On Workshops
This summer, we hosted three highly popular Advanced Hands-On Workshops
in compost tea brewing, intensive pruning and organic invasives removal. At
these courses students performed the specific work and the hosting site reaped
the benefits. The Beardsley Zoo, for example, was grateful for the beautiful, trim
new look of its many public plantings that students pruned.

OLC Homeowners Campaign

Newly hired Clara Buitrago of West Haven, CT is coordinating a new Hom-

Newburyport, MA
New Haven, CT
Westchester County, NY
Providence, RI

January 13, 14, 15, 19, 20

January 21, 22, 25, 26, 27
February 10, 11, 12, 15, 16
February 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

This five-day intensive educational course is designed to provide professionals

with the education needed for an understanding of organic and sustainable landscaping from design to maintenance. The curriculum is based on Standards for
Organic Land Care: Practices for Design and Maintenance of Ecological Landscapes, written by NOFAs Organic Land Care Committee. These standards, first
published in 2001, are the first of their kind in the country.
Course faculty include respected scientists and experienced organic land care
practitioners, who instruct the following classes: Principles and Procedures; Site
Analysis, Design, and Maintenance; Rain Gardens/Storm Water Infiltration; Soil
Health; Soil Biology & Ecology; Fertilizer and Soil Amendments; Composting;
Lawns; Lawn Alternatives; Planting and Plant Care; Wetlands; Pest Management; Wildlife Management; Disease Control; Water Management; Mulches;
Invasive Plants; Client Relations; and Running a Business. Four hands-on case
studies are also included in the course.
At the end of the course, students who pass the accreditation exam can become
NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals, able to use the NOFA Organic Land Care Logo, to be listed on the www.organiclandcare.net website and
in the annual NOFA Guide to Organic Land Care and will have the opportunity
to represent NOFA at organic land care events.
Over 1,000 land care professionals from 20 states have taken NOFAs course.
These professionals include landscapers from large and small firms, landscape
architects, garden center employees, arborists, municipal groundskeepers and
property managers. Small business owners, entrepreneurs, homeowners, land
trust and conservation organization staff and many others have also found the
course extremely valuable.
For more information or to receive registration brochures, visit www.organiclandcare.net or contact Ashley Kremser at (203) 888-5146 or akremser@ctnofa.
org. Visit www.organiclandcare.net for more information or to register online.
You Can Help
If our mission resonates with you, help us spread the word about upcoming
events! You can request paper brochures anytime for distribution at garden centers, cafes, libraries or other venues by calling the OLC Program office at (203)
888-5146 or by emailing Program Manager Ashley Kremser at akremser@ctnofa.org. Share the info with organizations, websites and organic and mainstream
forums youre a part of, tell your local cooperative extension university staff,
college professors and local land trusts of these opportunities, and of course tell
your colleagues, friends and family members!

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

Shoshana Osofsky

Your Gateway
to N utrient
Dense Food

BOARD CERTIFIED ACUPUNCTURIST

7 Bridgeton Avenue
Bridgeton, NJ 08302

Phone: 609-334-7082

CARE FAR
RTH
M
EA
WORKING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

45

The Natural Farmer

Compost

Rhode Islands Oldest Operating Farm Composter

Quality Made Compost is the Healthiest Way to Nourish Plants
www.earthcarefarm.com
401.364.9930
Mike Merner & Jayne Merner Senecal
Certified Organic Farm

Use these tools for quick,

easy, leaf-sap analysis.
Make informed decisions
and get better quality.
Refractometer Brix shows
the level of complexing (via
photosynthesis) of simple
ions. Should be > 12 Brix
pH Tester indicates
the balance of
nutrients. Helps identify missing
elements. Ideal is 6.4 pH
Electrical Conductivity
(EC) Tester indicates
the level of simple ion uptake. Ideal
range is 5 - 10 mS
Find out how to grow nutrient dense food
Ask for a free catalog of all our supplies:
Refractometers

Plant Tissue (Sap) Testers

Penetrometers

Plant Nutrient (Soil) Tests

PCSMs

Composting Tools

PIKE AGRI-LAB SUPPLIES, INC.

154 Claybrook Rd PO Box 67 Jay, Maine 04239
Ph: 866-745-3247 or 207-897-9267 Fax: 207-897-9268
Email: info@pikeagri.com Web: www.pikeagri.com

Biological farming & composting supplies since 1977.

$15 for a US address, or

$20 for a foreign address

46

NOFA Contact People

Connecticut

CT NOFA Office: P O Box 164, Stevenson, CT

06491, phone (203) 888-5146, FAX (203) 888-9280,
Email: ctnofa@ctnofa.org, website: www.ctnofa.org
Executive Director: Bill Duesing, Box 164,
Stevenson, CT 06491, 203-888-5146, 203 888-9280
(fax), bill@ctnofa.org
Office Manager/Webmaster: Deb Legge, PO Box
164, Stevenson, CT 06491, deb@ctnofa.org, 203888-5146
NOFA Project Coordinator, Organic Land Care
Program, Clara Buitrago, PO Box 164, Stevenson,
CT 06491, clara@organiclandcare.net, 203-8885146
CT NOFA Program Coordinator, Teresa Mucci, PO
Box 164, Stevenson, CT 06491, tersa@ctnofa.org,
203-888-5146
President: James Roby, P.O Box 191, 1667 Orchard
Road, Berlin, CT 06037, 860-828-5548, 860-8818031 (C), robysorganic@yahoo.com
Vice President: Elizabeth Fleming, 54 Four Mile
Road, West Hartford, CT 06107-2709, 860-5614907, elstrfleming@yahoo.com
Treasurer: TBA
Secretary: Chris Killheffer, 112 Bishop Street, New
Haven, CT 06511-7307, 203-787-0072, Christopher.
killheffer@yale.edu
Farmers Pledge Program: Contact the office.
Organic Land Care Program Manager: Ashley
Kremser, PO Box 164, Stevenson, CT 06491,
akremser@ctnofa.org, 203-888-5146
Organic Land Care Accreditation Manager: Carol
Hannon, PO Box 164, Stevenson, CT 06491,
carol@organiclandcare.net, 203-888-5146
Bookkeeper: Marion Griswold, PO Box 164,
Stevenson, CT 06491, marion@ctnofa.org, 203888-5146

Massachusetts

President: Lynda Simkins, Natick Community

Organic Farm, 117 Eliot Street, South Natick,
MA 01760, (508) 655-2204, lsimkins.ncorganic@
verizon.net
Secretary: Elizabeth Coe, 13 Hickory Hill Road,
Great Barrington, MA 01230, (413) 528-6567,
treecoe@gis.net
Treasurer: Danielle Andrews, 85 Day Street,
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, (617) 524-1320,
dandrews@thefoodproject.org
Executive Director and NOFA Summer Conference
Coordinator: Julie Rawson, 411 Sheldon Road,
Barre, MA 01005 (978) 355-2853, fax: (978) 3554046, julie@nofamass.org
Administrative Coordinator: Kathleen Geary, 411
Sheldon Road, Barre, MA 01005, 978-355-2853
(Mondays & Thursdays, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm), email
anytime to: info@nofamass.org
Webmaster: David Pontius, 26 School Street,
Northfield, MA 01360, (413) 498-2721,
webmaster@nofamass.org
Press and Winter Conference Coordinator: Jassy
Bratko, 28 High Street, Hubbardston, MA 01452,
(978) 928-5646, jassy.bratko@nofamass.org
Newsletter Editor: Winton Pitcoff, winton@
nofamass.org, (413) 634-5728
Website: www.nofamass.org
Baystate Organic Certifiers Administrator: Don
Franczyk, 1220 Cedarwood Circle, Dighton, MA
02764, (774) 872-5544, baystateorganic@earthlink.
net, website: www.baystateorganic.org

New Hampshire

President: Jack Mastrianni, 277 Holden Hill

Road, Langdon, NH 03602, (603) 835-6488,
jamastrianni@yahoo.com
Vice President: Joan OConnor, PO Box 387,
Henniker, NH 03242, (603) 428-3530, joconnornh@
yahoo.com
Treasurer: Paul Mercier, Jr., 39 Cambridge Drive,
Canterbury, NH 03224, (603) 783-0036, pjm@
mercier-group.com
Program Coordinator: Elizabeth Obelenus, NOFA/
NH Office, 4 Park St., Suite 208, Concord, NH
03301, (603) 224-5022, info@nofanh.org

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

The Natural Farmer

Business Manager and Local and Organic Foods

Project Coordinator: Barbara Sullivan, 72 Gilford
Ave, Laconia, NH 03246, (603) 524-1285
borksullivan@earthlink.net

Newsletter Editor: Karen Booker, 44 Prospect

St., Contoocook, NH 03229, (603) 746-3656,
pottedplant@juno.com
Winter Conference Coordinator: Delia
Windwalker, 603-654-7595 during business hours,
DeliaWindwalker@gmail.com
Bulk Order Coordinator Jennifer Quinlivan, P.O.
Box 92, Strafford, NH 03884, (603) 269-0063,
(603) 731-1182 jenq@worldpath.net
Website: www.nofanh.org,
Organic Certification: Vickie Smith, NH Department
of Agriculture, Markets & Food, Division of
Regulatory Services, Caller Box 2042, Concord,
NH 03301 (603) 271-3685, vsmith@agr.state.nh.us,
www.agriculture.nh.gov

New Jersey

Executive Directors: Michelle (Shelly) Glenn, 334

River Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844, 908-371-1111
x 2, m.glenn@nofanj.org
and David Glenn, 334 River Road, Hillsborough, NJ
08844, 908-371-1111 x 6, david.glenn@nofanj.org
President: Donna Drewes, Municipal Land Use
Center, TCNJ, PO Box 7718 McCauley House,
Ewing, NJ 08628, (609) 771-2833, Email:
drewes@tcnj.edu
Vice President: Stephanie Harris, 163 HopewellWertsville Rd., Hopewell, NJ 08525, (609) 4660194, Email: r.harris58@verizon.net
Treasurer: William D. Bridgers, c/o Zon Partners, 5
Vaughn Dr., Suite 104, Princeton, NJ 08540, (609)
452-1653, Email: billbridgers@zoncapital.com
Secretary: Emily Brown Rosen, Organic Research
Associates, 25 Independence Way, Titusville, NJ
08560, 609-737-8630 Email: ebrownrosen@gmail.
com
Supervisor, Organic Certification Program: Erich V.
Bremer, NJ Dept. of Agriculture, 369 S. Warren St.,
Trenton, NJ 08625-0330, (609) 984-2225, fax: (609)
341-3212 Email: erich.bremer@ag.state.nj.us
Administrative Coordinator: Connie Deetz, 334
River Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844, (908) 3711111 x101, Fax (908) 371-1441 General Request
Emails: nofainfo@nofanj.org Email: cdeetz@
nofanj.org,
Website: www.nofanj.org

New York

NOFA New York Offices: Western NY Office: 249

Highland Ave, Rochester, NY 14620, Phone: 585271-1979, Fax: 585-271-7166; Business Office:
PO Box 880, Cobleskill, NY 12043, Phone: (607)
652-NOFA, Fax: (607) 652-2290; Certified Organic,
LLC Office: 840 Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905,
(607) 724-9851, fax: (607) 724-9853, Website:
www.nofany.org
Executive Director: Kate Mendenhall, (585) 2711979, fax: (585) 271-7166, director@nofany.org
Organic Certification Director: Carol King, (607)
734-9851, fax: (607) 734-9853, certifiedorganic@
nofany.org
Assistant Director: Lea Kone, (585) 271-1979, fax:
(585) 271-7166, assistantdirector@nofany.org
Business Manager: Mayra Richter, (607) 652-6632,
fax: (607) 652-2290, office@nofany.org
Farmer Education and Research Coordinator:
Elizabeth Dyck, (607) 895-6913, organicseed@
nofany.org
Education & Outreach Associate: Kristina KeefePerry, (585) 271-1979, fax: (585) 271-7166,
kristina.outreach@nofany.org
Member Services: Elizabeth McPhail, (607) 6526632, fax: (607) 652-2290, membership@nofany.
org

Newsletter Editor: Fern Marshall Bradley, (518)

692-9079, newsletter@nofany.org
Organic Dairy Transitions Manager: Bethany Wallis,
(315) 806-1180, bethany.organicdairy@nofany.org
Organic Dairy Technician: Robert Perry, (607) 7493884, robert.organicdairy@nofany.org
President: Scott Chaskey, Quail Hill Community
Farm, PO Box 1268, Amagansett, NY 11930-1268,
(631) 267-8942, schaskey@peconiclandtrust.org
Vice President: Gunther Fishgold, Tierra Farm, 2424
State Rte 203, Valatie, NY 12184, (888) 674-6887,
gfishgold@tierrafarm.com
Treasurer: Karen Livingston, 2569 Rolling Hills
Rd, Camillus, NY 13031, (315) 672-5244, delv11@
yahoo.com
Secretary: Jamie Edelstein, 3745 Allen Rd, Cato,
NY 13214, (315) 427-8266, wylliefox@earthlink.
net

Rhode Island

President: Erik Eacker, Ledge Ends Produce, 830

South Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818 (401) 8845118, ledgeends@cox.net
Vice-President: Dave Binkley 53 Hilltop Drive
West Kingston, RI 02892 (401) 667-0585
Secretary: Nicole Vitello, Manic Organic, PO
Box 425, Portsmouth, RI 02871 (401) 480-1403,
nicole@manicorganic.biz
Treasurer/Membership: Dan Lawton, 247 Evans
Road Chepachet, RI 02814, (401) 523-2653
dlawton33@hotmail.com
NOFA/RI, 247 Evans Road Chepachet, RI 02814,
(401) 523-2653, nofari@nofari.org
website: www.nofari.org

Vermont

NOFA-VT Office, PO Box 697, 39 Bridge St.,

Richmond, VT 05477 (802) 434-4122 NOFA, (802)
434-3821 VOF, Fax: (802) 434-4154, website:
www.nofavt.org, info@nofavt.org
Executive Director: Enid Wonnacott, enid@nofavt.
org
Financial Manager: Kirsten Novak Bower, kirsten@
nofavt.org
NOFA VT Education Coordinator & VT FEED
Director: Abbie Nelson, abbie@nofavt.org
Bulk Order Coordinator & VOF Assistant: Erin
Clark, erin@nofavt.org
Dairy & Livestock Administrator: Sam Fuller,
sam@nofavt.org
Dairy & Livestock Advisor & Policy Advfisor:
David Rogers, dave@nofavt.org
Dairy & Livestock Advisor: Willie Gibson, willie@
nofavt.org
Community Food Security & Direct Marketing
Coordinator: Jean Hamilton, jean@nofavt.org
Office Assistant and Share the Harvest Fundraiser
Coordinator: Becca Weiss, becca@nofavt.org
Office Manager: Cara Couch, info@nofavt.org
Outreach Coordinator: Meg Klepack, meg@nofavt.
org
Vegetable & Fruit TA Coordinator: Wendy Sue
Harper, wendysue@nofavt.org
Winter Conference Coordinator: Olga Boshart
Moriarty, olga@madriver.com
VT FEED Administrative Manager: Elizabeth
McDonald, libby@nofavt.org
VOF Administrator: Nicole Dehne, nicole@nofavt.
org
VOF Certification Specialist: Cheryl Bruce,
cheryl@nofavt.org
VOF Certification Specialist: Brenda Hedges,
brenda@nofavt.org

W i n t e r, 2 0 0 9 - 1 0

NOFA Interstate
Council

* indicates voting representative

* Bill Duesing, President, Staff, Box 135,

Stevenson, CT, 06491, (203) 888-5146, fax, (203)
888- 9280, bduesing@cs.com
Kimberly A. Stoner, 498 Oak Ave. #27, Cheshire,
CT 06410-3021, (203) 271-1732 (home), Email:
kastoner@juno.com
* Leslie Cox, Hampshire College Farm, Amherst,
MA 01002, 413-530-2029, kcix@hampshire.edu
Elizabeth Obelenus, 22 Keyser Road, Meredith. NH
03253, (603) 279-6146, elizabeth@nofanh.org
* Jack Mastrianni, Treasurer, 277 Holden Hill
Road, Langdon, NH 03602, (603) 835-6488,
jamastrianni@yahoo.com
* Steve Gilman, Ruckytucks Farm, 130 Ruckytucks
Road, Stillwater, NY 12170 (518) 583-4613,
sgilman@netheaven.com
* Vince Cirasole, Sunshine Farm, 745 Great Neck
Rd, Copiague, NY 11726, (631) 789-8231, vince@
sunshinefarm.biz
Elizabeth Henderson, 2218 Welcher Rd.,
Newark, NY 14513 (315) 331-9029 ehendrsn@
redsuspenders.com
* Dan Lawton, 247 Evans Road Chepachet, RI
02814 (401) 949-1596 dlawton33@hotmail.com
* Nicole Vitello, Manic Organic, PO Box 425,
Portsmouth, RI 02871 (401) 480-1403, Nicole@

The Natural Farmer

manicorganic.biz
* Enid Wonnacott, 478 Salvas Rd., Huntington, VT
05462 (802) 434-4435, enid@nofavt.org
Kirsten Novak Bower, 65 Wortheim Ln., Richmond,
VT 05477 (802) 434-5420, kirsten@nofavt.org
Kay Magilavy, Virtual Rep, 212 18th St., Union
City, NJ 07087, (201) 927-7116
David Pontius, Webmaster, 26 School Street,
Northfield, MA 01360, (413) 498-2721, Email:
webmaster@nofamass.org
Jack Kittredge & Julie Rawson, The Natural Farmer,
NOFA Summer Conference, 411 Sheldon Rd.,
Barre, MA 01005 (978) 355-2853, Jack, tnf@nofa.
org, Julie@nofamass.org
Marion Griswold, Bookkeeper, 30 Hollow Rd.,
Woodbury, CT 06798, (203) 263-2221, marion@
ctnofa.org

Interstate Certification
Contacts

Nicole Dehne, nicole@nofavt.org, PO Box 697,

Richmond, VT 05477, 802-434-3821, 802-434-4154
(fax)
Carol King, 840 Front Street, Binghamton, NY
13905, (607) 724-9851, fax: (607)724-9853,
certifiedorganic@nofany.org
Erich V. Bremer, c/o NJ Dept. of Agriculture, PO
Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625, (609) 984-2225 erich.
bremer@ag.state.nj.us

NOFA Membership

You may join NOFA by joining one of the seven

state chapters. Contact the person listed below for
your state. Dues, which help pay for the important
work of the organization, vary from chapter to
chapter. Unless noted, membership includes a
subscription to The Natural Farmer.

New Jersey: Student/Intern $20*, Individual $40*,

Family/Farm $70*, Business/Organization $150*,
$10 additional per year for subscription to The
Natural Farmer
Contact: 334 River Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844,
(908) 371-1111 or join at www.nofanj.org

Give a NOFA Membership! Send dues for a friend

or relative to his or her state chapter and give a
membership in one of the most active grassroots
organizations in the state.

New York: Student/Senior/Limited Income

$20, Individual $40, Family/Farm/Nonprofit
Organization $50, Business $115, Patron $125.
Contact: Mayra Richter, NOFA-NY, PO Box 880,
Cobleskill, NY 12043, Voice (607) 652-NOFA, Fax:
(607) 652-2290, email: office@nofany.org, www.
nofany.org

Connecticut: Individual $35, Family $50, Business/

Institution $100, Supporting $150, Student/Senior
$25, Working $20
Contact: CT NOFA, Box 164, Stevenson, CT 06491,
(203)-888-5146, or email: ctnofa@ctnofa.org or join
on the web at www.ctnofa.org
Massachusetts: Low-Income $20, Individual $35,
Family/Farm/Organization $45, Business $75,
Supporting $150
Contact: NOFA/Mass, 411 Sheldon Road, Barre,
MA 01005, (978) 355-2853, or membership@
nofamass.org or join on the web at www.nofamass.
org
New Hampshire: Individual: $30, Student: $23,
Family: $40, Sponsor: $100, Basic $20*
Contact: Elizabeth Obelenus, 4 Park St., Suite 208,
Concord, NH 03301, (603) 224-5022, info@nofanh.
org

Rhode Island: Student/Senior: $20, Individual: $25,

Family $35, Business $50
Contact: Membership, NOFA RI, c/o Abbie Barber
POB 86 Shannock, RI 02875 (401) 364-7557,
shannockorganicfarm@hotmail.com
Vermont: Individual $30, Farm/Family $40,
Business $50, Sponsor $100, Sustainer $250, Basic
$15-25*
Contact: NOFA-VT, PO Box 697, Richmond, VT
05477, (802) 434-4122, info@nofavt.org
*does not include a subscription to The Natural
Farmer

Calendar

47

Tue, Dec. 8: NOFA Annual Organic Land Care

Update Course, Sturbridge, MA. for more info:
203-888-5146 or www.organiclandcare.net

Digging Deep: An Advanced Soils Course for

Vegetable Growers, Fairlee, VT
Jan. 5, 2010: Soil Testing Tools and Their Use
Jan. 19, 2010: Using Soil Fertility Practices to
Solve Problems on Your Farm
Feb. 9, 2010: Putting a System Together on
Your Farm
for more info: 802-434-4122, info@nofavt.
org or http://www.nofavt.org/annual-events/
digging-deep
Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care:
January 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 2010
Newburyport, MA
January 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 2010

New Haven, CT

February 10, 11, 12, 15, 16. 2010
Westchester County, NY
February 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 2010
Providence, RI
for more info: www.organiclandcare.net, Ashley
Kremser at (203) 888-5146 or akremser@
ctnofa.org
Pfeiffer Center Courses, Chestnut Ridge, NY
Jan 15-18, 2010: The Agriculture Course:
Focus on Nutrition.
Feb. 20, 2010: Introduction to Organic
Beekeeping: Preparing a New Hive for Spring
Mar. 27, 2010: Beginning a Vegetable Garden
Apr. 17, 2010: Raised Beds workshop
Apr. 23-24, 2010: Organic Beekeeping
Workshop
Jun. 5. 2010: The Role of the Horse in the
Farm Organism
Jul. 17, 2010: Continuing the Vegetable Garden
for more info: 845-352-5020 x20, info@
pfeiffercenter.org, www.pfeiffercenter.org
Fri. Jan. 22 & Sat. Jan. 23, 2010: 14th Annual VT
Grazing & Livestock Conference, Fairlee, VT. for
more info: www.uvm.edu/pasture
Fri., Jan. 22 Sun., January 24, 2010: NOFANY Annual Farming & Gardening conference,
Saratoga Springs, NY. for more info: Greg Swartz,
570-224-8515, conference@nofany.org, www.
nofany.org
Fri. Jan, 30, 2010: CT-NOFA Getting Started in
Organic Farming conference, New Haven, CT, for
more info: 203-888-5146, deb@ctnofa.org
Sat. Mar. 6, 2010: NOFA-NH Annual Winter
Conference, Concord, NH. for more info:
WinterConference@NOFANH.org, 603-654-7595,
www.NOFANH.org
Sat. Mar. 6, 2010: CT-NOFA Cultivating an
Organic Connecticut Conference, Manchester, CT.
for more info: 203-888-5146, deb@ctnofa.org
Fri. Aug 13 Sun, Aug 15, 2010: NOFA Summer
Conference, Amherst, MA. for more info: www.
nofasummerconference.org, 978-355-2853

Thank you for joining us and helping to support organic agriculture today!
Name:

Subscribe to:
Send $15 for U.S. address,
$20 for foreign address to:

411 Sheldon Rd.

Barre, MA 01005

Choose Your Chapter and Membership Level:

I would like to become a membership of the:
_________________________________ State Chapter

Address:

Sign me up as a:

City:

State:

Phone:

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Fax:

Zip:

_________________________________ Member
My annual membership dues are: $___________

Email:

Please check the category that best describes you:

Farmer
Gardener
Conscientious Eater

(enclose check made payable to the appropriate chapter)

Food/Ag. Business

Other

Please send this completed form to the appropriate state chapter address.

Do NOT share my address with other organizations.

Non-Profit Organization
U. S. Postage Paid
Barre, MA 01005
Permit No. 28

NOFA Education Fund

411 Sheldon Rd.
Barre, MA 01005

Crop Nutrient Density

photo by Jack Kittredge

$5.00

Maine Farmer Mark Fulford stands among his garlic. Besides farming, Fulford is also
a consultant heavily involved in the movement toward nutrient dense crops.
This issue contains news, features, and articles about organic growing in the Northeast,
plus a special supplement on

Winter 2009-10