Farming Practices
Our farming practices seek to be as cutting edge and regenerative as possible in their role on the land. In seeking out funding and support from many different fronts, such as sustainable farming organizations, soil conservation agencies, biodynamic associations, and permaculture channels, we identified five major categories that our farming practices will be based on. These categories include biodiversity, soil building, soil conservation, pest management, and Biodynamics and are further explained below.
2.1 Biodiversity
One of our primary principles that we hope to establish is that of biodiversity. We believe that the biodiversity needed for a healthy farm extends far beyond the literal fields and as far as the borders of the property will allow. We firmly believe that as cultivators or inhabitants of land we have a responsibility to it as stewards. Within the confines of the vegetable growing areas, we hope to strengthen biodiversity through a variety of methods such as:
Establishing polycultures and plant guilds of beneficial companion plants. Certain plants grow well together and enhance the life of the other. An example of this being the three sisters garden which has corn, beans, and squash growing together to strengthen their micro system. Corn creates a long stalk which beans can grow up, the beans fix the nitrogen into the soil, and the squash shades out the weeds while its large leaves retain moisture. Other examples of this include using a variety of plants grown within vegetable crops to act as pest confusers, pollinators, beneficial insectaries, weeders, moisture retainers, dynamic accumulators (nutrient rich compost plants) and nitrogen fixers.
Establish a healthy balance of annual and perennial crops of various shapes and sizes. Intermixing perennial crops with annual crops strengthens the soil ecosystems while intermixing a variety of sizes creates microclimates.
Surround the vegetable growing area, we hope to create a food forest that will essentially be a perennial food zone that incorporates fruits, nuts, and berries into a wild space that can be used for intensive foraging. This food forest design can be an incredibly bio-diverse area creating not only habitats for food, but also for all types of beneficial life forms along the food chain
Soil Building
Organic and Biodynamic practices of farming are set apart from modern day conventional farming by the principal of healthy soil systems. We plan to build rich soil that will increasingly improve every year as we enhance the life systems within it.
We plan to develop the soil through the following methods:
Keyline Ploughing: Keyline ploughing maximizes the use of beneficial water resources on a piece of land. We will use a Keyline plough to go across the entire thirty acres of open space. What this does is cut grooves into the soil along the contour lines so that water runoff is eliminated and microbial life is extended as far as a foot below the surface. Repeating this process annually can build over a foot of healthy topsoil within three years.
Mycofarming: Mycofarming creates symbiotic relationships between certain kinds of plants and fungi. We will use mushroom spawn in our mulched vegetable beds. The mycelium network can extend as far below the soil as three feet and can merge with the root systems of the plants, extending their nutrient availability to places the plant could not previously go.
Mycoremediation: Mycoremediation is a form of bioremediation, the process of using fungi to degrade or sequester contaminates in the environment.We plan to use the stem butts and used mycelium spawn to inoculate the soil in layers with mulch. Mycelium is the only known remedy for chemically polluted soils and can feed off of the chemicals, thereby removing them from the soil. We believe this process would be enhanced by the Keyline plough. We would section off a 2000 square foot area for the first trial of this process.
Soil Conservation
We plan to develop a system that requires less than 50% of the growing area to be tilled within the first few years.
One third of the growing area will be tilled and farmed using biodynamic methods (see 1.5). The second third will be sown with cover crops on a rotational basis depending on which area is in most need of restoration. The final third of the growing area will be farmed using zero till methods and perennial crops such as Jerusalem artichokes, regular artichokes, rhubarb, comfrey, and other nitrogen fixers and pollination enhancing flowers. The zero till areas of the garden will be best for longer crops such as brussel sprouts and cucumbers which will benefit greatly from the microbial activity and water retention.
Pest Management
We plan to use a variety of integrated pest management techniques.
we would use companion planting and guilds to plant pest confusers and deterrents amongst the plants that certain pests tend to target.
we would plant beneficial insectaries and create natural spaces that would act as habitats for predator species that control the pest population.
In worst case scenarios, we would use organic pest solutions such a PyGanic spray solution, Entrust, and diatomaceous earth, all made from natural ingredients.
Biodynamics
Biodynamic farming is both specific methods and a philosophy. Biodynamic farmers view the soil and the farm as living organisms and regard maintenance of soil life as a basic necessity. The maintenance of soil life leads to the production of high-quality crops. This is done by the application of sufficient organic manure and compost in the best possible state of fermentation; by proper crop rotation; by proper working of the soil; by protective measures such as wind protection; cover crops, green manure, and diversified crops rather than monocultures; and by mixed cropping so that plants can aid and support each other. In many of these regards biodynamic agriculture is similar to Permaculture. What is significantly different is the spiritual advice that was given to farmers by Rudolf Steiner. Some of these practices include planting with the moon and planetary patterns and applying a variety of substances to the soil such as silica preparations or cow horn preparations that are said to enhance the soul life of the soil.
Our Land Stewardship
Hudson Locale believes that to cultivate a landscape requires a strong mutual relationship between ourselves and the entire ecosystem and biosphere around us. Our purpose is inspired by the impact we perceive permaculture, regenerative community systems, and local renewable energy to have on the landscape. This is one of the main reasons we feel aligned with the mission of Solaqua and what it, as a community center and demonstration site for a new way of living and working with ones community, has to offer.
Our vision is to include effective permaculture land management into the designing of a future community on the land behind the Solaqua mill, with natural buildings and regenerative landscapes. We feel that the development of a farm and the envisioning of a community that would surround it go hand in hand. We have actively been studying the ideas of regenerative communities for a number of years and are creating a curriculum for students around this topic.
Below is a list of five stewarding practices that we would like to implement into our work at Solaqua.
Key-line design
A Keyline plough is a simple two or three chiseled plough that cuts grooves into the soil along the contour lines so that water runoff is eliminated and microbial life is extended as far as a food below the surface. This, however, is not the definition of Keyline design. The definition of Keyline design is an entire water management plan for your property. Proper management of water prevents runoff, loss of fine soils, and retains water that essentially makes a landscape drought-proof, while also enriching the life of the soil beyond compare to any other method.
This is one of the main concepts of permaculture, to capture and store energy. Water storage happens in many ways. Water can be stored in tanks and ponds as well as in the ground itself to be slowly dispensed to the surface, effectively keeping moisture in the soil through any drought.
Our first priority will be to develop soil where it is poor or not classified as a good soil type. We will do this by working the open space over time with the Keyline plough. We will later extend the water management design to include swails and ponds.
Mycology
We plan to grow a variety of mushroom species for human consumption and to benefit the landscape. While much of our growing will take place in an indoor area, we also hope to establish edible and medicinal mushrooms to the landscape for reasons that are explained in the four points below.
Mycelium is a giant intelligent brain which spreads itself out across landscapes breaking down composting matter and enriching the soil faster than any other type of decomposition. We therefore hope to establish mushrooms where the landscape needs any type of recovery or enhancement. Mushrooms build up the soil, making it richer for growth and also partner with all of the forest root systems to enhance growth and vitality of forest ecosystems.
Mycelium is a soil remediator and can break down toxins in the earth. We plan to use the stem butts and used mycelium spawn to inoculate the soil in layers with mulch.
Mushrooms can break down tree stumps and be used quite effectively for clearing land before any type of building goes up. Land can be cleared a year or two in advance of any building or infrastructure need, and the stumps can simultaneously be used for food production.
Mushrooms can be effective at keeping certain insects and pests at bay while also helping to fight off certain arboreal diseases.
Sustainable Forestry Management
A delicate process in many communities is the management of their forests. The question of how the forest can be sustainably cultivated and cared for while still allowing harvesting in order to meet direct needs is an exploration that Hudson locale has taken deeply. We would like to continue examining this as part of our educational program and develop a design model that takes all aspects of forestry management into consideration. The following are potential models that could be implemented:
Sustainable thinning of trees where the wood could be used for building projects, woodcrafts, fence posts, and firewood.
Establishing some areas as coppice crops. Coppice crops are stumps that are left for the shoots to grow into multi-branched, small trees. These can be sustainably harvested and left to re-grow at 10 year intervals. They are great for use as fence posts, firewood or for wood crafts and furniture.
Understory management, which is the arranging of debris so that it will decompose and strengthen new growth. This can also be enhanced with mushroom spawn.
Food forests
An extension of forestry management is to bring the food producing zones into the forest, as well as bring the forest to some of the food producing zones. In permaculture terms this is called a food forest. This is a practice that has been employed by indigenous people across the globe for many thousands of years. In the forest we would establish understory fruit and berry crops such as paw paw, hardy kiwi, and other species. In the open space we would plant a few food forest areas with perennial food zones that incorporate fruits, nuts, and berries into a wild space that can be used for intensive foraging. These areas have the potential to be incredibly bio-diverse and would create rich environments for food and habitats for beneficial life.
Animals
Our hope would be to graze small animals in healthy rotations on the land, thereby creating fertilizer for the field, and meat products for human consumption. Some of the animals we would consider are:
Chickens -for egg production and meat
Rabbits -for meat and pelts
Goats -for small scale milk production and meat
Sheep -for wool and meat
Pigs -for meat
Bees -honey and pollination
We would employ animal stewardship and husbandry at a later point in the farm’s development or would partner with someone who would be willing to take on this task. Beekeeping, however, would be implemented as early as possible, since bees offer a valuable asset to our farm, both financially and as pollinators.
Our Social Model
Our social model is equally as important to us as our ecological model. We will start a farm that gives as much focus to this dimension of cultivation and community as we give to the farm itself. The largest shift of the food culture in the 21st century will be to bring the roots of agriculture back to community growing in order to make farming as productive on a local level as it is on a mass corporate levels. In order to meet the demands of an inflated population, we must engage everyone. It is therefore the nature of 21st century farming to become a social activity. This trend of community based farming is become a movement as young people are choosing farming and community lifestyles over more individualistic self oriented ways of life.
We structure our social model off of an idea that was put forward by Rudolf Steiner in 1923, and has since been proposed in many different forms by other social thinkers. This idea is called Social Threefold. What this means is attaching ones awareness to the balance and interplay between three categories of social activity; economics, politics/rights/laws, and culture. This is a social structure that students and participants of the Hudson Locale Program will be learning about and actively working with.
Economic Model
Sustainable, community engaged farming practices are the core of the Hudson Locale project but we are also aware of the need for the project to be financially viable. Our economic model aims to strengthen the community’s access to healthy local food but will be made profitable in the following ways:
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSA’s focus on the production of high quality food for the local community and often use organic and biodynamic farming methods and a shared risk membership marketing structure. This kind of farming operates with a much greater degree of involvement from consumers and stakeholders which result in a stronger consumer-producer relationship. The design includes developing a cohesive consumer group that is willing to fund a whole season’s budget in order to get quality foods. The system has many variations of how the farm budget is supported by the consumers and how the producers then deliver the foods . CSA theory suggests that the more a farm embraces whole-farm, whole-budget support, the more it can focus on quality and reduce the risk of food waste and financial loss.
Wholesale
We hope to set up a similar system for our restaurant produce accounts, lowering the prices for restaurants who commit to a seasons share. Restaurants can customize their shares to suit their individual needs. In doing this we hope to promote a more direct relationship between restaurants, cafe's, stores, and the farm.
Field Goods Inc.
We will be actively participating in Field Goods, a multi-farm subscription CSA model. Field Goods is a company that we have offered consultancy and farm model support to over the fall of 2010 while the model was being drafted. The Field Goods operation buys wholesale crops from small farmers and creates customized shares that allow the farmer to remain in control of the market but allows the consumer and farmer to both have input. This model combats the saturation of CSA markets within the Hudson Valley by adding customization and choice, expanding the market and making the “produce package” more appealing to the average consumer.
Direct Sales
Farmers Markets will be our main source of direct sales to the local public. These markets are a vital method of strengthening local economy and food culture. We are currently enrolled in the Philmont Farmers market and the Troy Waterfront Market and will engage in several other markets over the course of the summer. We also hope to build an onsite farm stand. We will work together with the WIC. program and other food stamp programs to provide produce for those enduring financial hardship or those in need.
Political Participation and Organizational Methods.
We will apply the most holistic practices to both our internal organization structure and our participation as an entity in the world around us. We will seek out political action groups or members of government that share an interest in strengthening community agriculture and local economy. These groups are our allies and we would like to work in collaboration with them to make food culture a priority in legislation and community action.
Our internal organizational structure will be that of transparency and open source participation. Open source models are a cutting edge technology being used everywhere from computer programming, to Wikipedia, to successful business models around the world.
We would like to offer input as well as output that strengthens the direct relationship with the consumers and the wider community. We will document the process through our blog and have an online newsletter for consumers that they would view when customizing their share orders. We will also offer consumers the ability to view our accounting books so they can see where their financial support is directed.
There will be fixed hierarchical leadership on the farm. We believe that this is no longer a sustainable model of organization, and while it works, it has led our wider economic structures to ruin. We will have an open community stakeholder structure where anyone who contributes to the farm and community project in any way can have an input. These stakeholders will elect representatives on a regular basis that represent producers, distributors, and consumers. These stakeholders will meet using consensus decision making methods and decide on the value and economic relationships of the farm as an economic organism.
The farm as a social and educational organism will be run by the students who will actively design, build, and run the farm as an educational demonstration site. Students will learn a variety of methods and structures of community organization, group dynamics, and social design.
Cultural and Educational Practices
One of the primary functions of the Hudson Locale Project is to serve as a demonstration site for education in ecological and social design. It is of utmost importance that the cultural and educational realm of the community becomes a sensitive intelligence towards its needs and metamorphic qualities. It is therefore important that the group of students first and foremost learn to develop this sensitivity as a group in order to maximize their group working potential. The one year student curriculum would embody the following themes:
Social three-folding (tri sector partnerships between politics, economics, and civil society)
Group work and team building (participatory democratic forms)
Leadership Training
Farm Management
Permaculture
Biodynamic Agriculture
Artistic work and observation
Natural Building
The program will follow a peer led model meaning that it will have no centralized leadership and will be run democratically through facilitation by students. Throughout the year the students will learn from organized classes and will also facilitate and participate in the design of their curriculum based on what they feel their specific needs are and what the needs of the community might be. The students will learn in a hands-on environment with the support of mentors and will navigate around the main theme of what it means to step into community and bring about healthy relationships in the economic, organizational, and cultural domains
7.1 How it Works
Education
A level of complexity is added to the structure and organization of the farm by adding education to our focus of activities. One might ask how the students can farm and learn as a group at the same time. With the awareness that every action in farming or community building is a learning experience, the students will make a commitment to themselves and to group to participate in both fields.
Peer facilitation and Time
The beginning of each week will begin with agreements. We realize that the lives of our participants may include other jobs and activities, and moderation of such will be actively communicated between students. The time that participants spend in the program and the farm is never to be a topic of discord. Instead, participants will be asked to make clear agreements based on how much time they are able to offer. We will try to spend a minimum of 20 hours a week working on the farm and helping to facilitate educational events.
Short term courses
Short term courses would run within the time frame of one to three days, depending on the nature of the course. Students would actively help with the organization around bringing in guest teachers to teach the wider community about topics such as:
Permaculture -Permanent food and regenerative community systems
Biodynamic Agriculture -A study group based on the lectures by Rudolf Steiner and other experts
Leadership -Authentic communication training
The Art of Hosting -Democratic group facilitation techniques
Social and Ecological sculpture -Creating sacred landscapes
Mushroom growing -Growing mushrooms for soil regeneration and human consumption
Natural building -Building techniques for ecologically sound structures
Forest gardening - A food production and land management system
Medicinal herbs -The art of growing and utilizing medicinal herbs
Field trips
In order to participate and learn from other projects or conferences that are strengthening new social and ecological ideas, our class would temporarily split in half. One half of the class would participate and then report back with their learning’s while the other half would remain on the farm to continue the required practical work. This would be an alternating system.
Mentors and skill-sharing
Each student will choose a skill, topic or method they would like to learn in relation to farming and community. They will then be connected with a mentor in this field to engage in research on their chosen project. Once they feel confident to share what they have learned, the student will become a teacher and share what they have learned with the rest of the group.
An example of this is beekeeping. The student would learn about bees and their habitat and establish bee hives with the help of their mentor who would be a local beekeeper. And would then take what they have learned and teach it to their peers through models of skill-sharing.
Farm education exchange
Long term students will have the opportunity to work in exchange for their participation in the Hudson Locale program. Arriving in late April and early May, their first two months would be about learning to participate in the operation and management of the farm. Throughout this time, participants will learn to be self organized and orient themselves to the daily needs of the farm and the tasks they are responsible to carry.
The first guest teachers and mentors are anticipated to arrive in June. The full time students will help with preparing meals for the classes, setting up for classes. cleaning up, and taking down after classes. The idea is that through this level of organizational responsibility, the full time participant is able to attend the short term classes as part of the long term curriculum for free.
The short term students will be paying students but their tuition will be flexible because of scholarships subsidiaries which will be offered in exchange for farm work. These students would come for two weeks to a month prior to their chosen class and participate on the farm as a volunteer. This exchange system models a new kind of currency and will eliminate an employee budget. Our focus will instead be on the value of time and participation as we create community and education opportunities together.
Curriculum
Every student will provide input in the creation of their curriculum. A facilitated brainstorming process will gather the essential topics of which the students would like to learn. The curriculum will, however, be shaped around the general topics listed in the stated goals of the farm as these are the driving principles behind the program.
Student Life
Student participation will be a full time commitment during each of the courses. Schedules will be specialized to enable full time students to participate in the trainings and courses. After hours, participants are free to schedule their time as they wish. Our priority is to ensure that mutual agreements of commitment and participation are clear and that all else is left to human freedom.
There are many recreational opportunities around Chatham. Students will have bicycles so they can ride into town and enjoy the cafe's and stores and participate in the events of the local community. There are also a number of swimming locations around Chatham, including a swimming hole and water fall at the foot of the property. Across the street there is a restaurant and bowling alley and the Solaqua buildings are soon to become a hub of cultural and community life.
