GOOD DIRT

Life Beyond White Rice

2010-12-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

Somewhere in the wee hours before last Friday's Novato Charter School Gardening Class it dawned on me that while we are always encouraging children to eat whole grains, going on and on about the higher nutritional value of whole grains...very few actually know what whole grains are.

My lesson plan for the day included a lot of prep work for beds we would use to grow a variety of whole grains in the new year. I needed the students to help with the mulching and amending of these beds. How much more interesting that work might become if the kids knew what the goal was. So, we held a Whole Grains Tasting Feast.

This is a pretty healthy crowd. I suspect their parents regualrly sneak barley into the soup or flax atop the cereal. But when asked students if they could identify the grains, (pre and post cooking), they were stumped. A few recognized millet from their bean and millet days in the NCS Kindergarden, but most didn't believe they had heard of the names of these grains

We tried the following: millet, quinoa, flax, pearl barley and bulgar. Qunioa wins, hands down!

Here's A Favorite Recipe - found on a blog called The Friendly Veg (http://www.thefriendlyveg.com/)

Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing

* 2 acorn squash, halved
* 2 tbsp. olive oil
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 cup dried quinoa
* 1 bay leaf
* several small saffron strands
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 yellow onion, diced
* half a package of soy sausage, like Gimme Lean brand
* 1 bunch beet greens, chopped
* 1/2 cup walnuts, crushed
* 1 tsp. nutmeg
* 1 tsp. black pepper.
* pinch of salt
* pecorino romano cheese for sprinkling, if desired

The Hows:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop out seeds and stringy bits from acorn squash halves. If desired, rub the inside of the squash with just a little bit of olive oil and cinnamon. Cover a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and roast squash cut-side down for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

2) To make the quinoa: bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil; add quinoa, bay leaf, and saffron to the broth and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally until broth is absorbed and quinoa is soft, between 10 and 15 minutes.

3) In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat; add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add veggie sausage to the pan, using a fork to crumble sausage as needed; cook for 5 minutes, or until sausage starts to brown. Add nutmeg, black pepper, salt, and chopped beet greens to the pan, and cook until greens begin to wilt. Bring heat to low, and stir in quinoa. Remove from heat.

4) Fill each half of roasted acorn squash with quinoa stuffing; sprinkle with grated cheese if desired. Bake stuffed squash for 15 minutes and allow squash ten five minutes to cool before serving.

Fresh Baked Eggs: More Than A Fair Trade

2010-08-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

Thirteen years ago we moved into our home in semi-rural Novato, and one of the first things we did was build a chicken coop. At the time I could not say exactly why this felt more important than the so many essential improvements on our To Do list, but it was one of the things I most wanted for our family.

Last week our country vet came by to check in on our animals. As he checked the goats' eyes and palpated their bellies, he told me he believes that people who learn to take good care of animals tend to be good at taking care of each other. I thought of James Harriot, the English country vet who wrote All Creatures Great And Small as well as dozens of other perfectly told animal stories. My siblings and I grew up on these tales of mischievous kittens and lost lambs, loyal sheepdogs and brilliant draft horses. I believe that the secret ingredient that drew our attention then, and what enraptures my own children still, is the essential element in each of these stories: Harriot himself...a human who cares.

Caring is a distinguishing characteristic, one we humans should be proud of. It is also a large part of why we have survived. Caring for animals is part of a pretty basic agreement, a straightforward "fair trade." We make a comfortable shelter, provide healthy food and a happy life, and they provide us with labor and/or something delicious to eat. Oh, and animals often throw in a good dose of entertainment, as is the case with our playful goats.

After 13 years of tending our chickens and collecting their eggs each day, I can say with certainty, we get a phenomenal deal. The ability of a hen to produce up to an egg a day continues, year after year, to be, in my mind, nothing short of a miracle. How does a scrawny little cluster of feathered bones do this exactly? Apparently it has something to do with nucleation points and mammillary protrusions and aragonite piles and columns of oriented crystalline calcite that grow up and around the egg and...well, let's just leave it at It's a miracle!

Many people ask why we don't simply buy eggs in the store. This is a great question, considering the work it takes to set up for and maintain chickens, and also the abundance of excellent egg choices in the stores these days. Every once in a while in the winter, when the chickens have slowed down their laying regimen, I do buy store eggs, and that is when I notice the difference. Store bought eggs have pale yolks that fall apart more easily (I'm assuming this is the time in transportation and on the shelf), you never know if they are as healthy (no matter what the label claims) and, mostly, they don't taste rich and creamy.

Because our eggs taste so good, I have become an egg junkie. The whole family has. If it's not a Dutch Baby (which we have always called "Puff The Magic Dragon") it's french toast or croissant egg sandwiches or crepes or very eggy waffles.

Lately, I have been on a baked egg kick. In this case, the fresher the egg the better because the yolks must hold together sturdily in their little nests of sauteed spinach or arugula or whatever green strikes your fancy. Then they bake for 12 minutes or so (sometimes less, depending on the size of the egg) and leave you with the just set light whites and a yolk that has held firmly together but runs with the slightest prick of a fork tine.

My favorite breakfast cookbook is called Brunch by Marc Meyer and Peter Meehan. I have made many variations of their "Baked Egg With Spinach and Brioche" recipe. I love arugula, and almost always add that somewhere along the way. Also, I saute the greens with a touch of white truffle oil, shallots and plenty of garlic. And I've found that if I don't have creme fraiche available, its fine to just drizzle a touch of heavy whipping cream over the whole dish before placing it in the oven. These eggs are absolutely delicious, every time, as AJ will attest.

Baked Eggs with Spinach, Brioche
Adapted from Brunch: 100 Recipes from Five Points Restaurant by Marc Meyer and Peter Meehan

Ingredients:
1 tbls olive oil and/or White Truffle oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 shallot
1 bunch spinach (about 3/4 lb) washed and stemmed)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbls unsalted butter plus additional butter for baking dishes
4 slices brioche, 1/2 inch thick
6 large eggs
1/8 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

Driections:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and when it simmers, add shallot and garlic. Cook until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes and add the spinach. Reduce the heat to medium, add a pinch of salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is just wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a bowl to cool (it doesn’t have to cool completely, just enough so as not to cook the eggs before they get into the oven).

Lightly butter the brioche slices on both sides. Lay them on a sheet pan and bake in the oven, turning them in mid-toast, until lightly browned and crisped - 3 to 5 minutes (or toast in toaster and butter after).

Lightly butter two ramekins or baking dishes large enough to hold brioche in one layer. Arrange the brioche on the bottom of the dish and scatter the wilted spinach around and on top of the bread, making rough little nests to hold the eggs in place. Crack the eggs into the spinach nests and season with slat and pepper. Drizzle creme fraiche over the dishes, sprinkle with grated parmesan, and set on the lowest shelf of the oven. Cook until the whites are just set but the yolks are runny, about 12 - 15 minutes.

Ode to Blueberries

2010-07-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

Some things are sweetened by longing. I put love and freshly picked blueberries in this category. Falling in love, and finally having that love reciprocated, is at the top of the list of life experiences, of course. At long last making it to the East Coast to eat ripe blueberries straight from the bush as the sun rises to warm them? Right up there.

We recently returned from a tour of the Northeast where we were fortunate to spend a week at our relatives’ farm in upstate New York. We arrived just as the blueberries made their vigorous deep violet appearance. We were in heaven. True blue heaven.

Each morning the youngest cousins woke and ran outside to fill several pints for the farm stand. I tried my best to help, but found that a one for the basket, two for me rhythm felt most comfortable. They soon learned that their aunt is not at all reliable in the Blueberry Picking department.

Here in Northern California I have tried a few times, both in our school garden and at home, to grow blueberries. The southern highbush variety of blueberry is most successful in the Bay Area. People claim great success with varieties such as "Revelle" and ""Misty" and "Bluecrop." Like their cousins, Rhododendrons and Azaleas, blueberries love acidic soil. They also like plenty of sun and a sandy well-drained bed. The key, however, is that their roots must be kept moist as they grow. And they like a nice long, cold night. At the school I have had success with some small bushes producing fruit (before the gophers did their gopher thing) but nothing has grown more and more vigorous each year so that by the third year (which it was at the Neff family farm) you literally cannot keep up with the ripening fruit, glistening pearls of that irresistible sweet and slightly tart taste, bursting with high health and waiting for your nimble fingers, day after summer day.

Flavanols and reversatrol and proanthocyanidins…all sorts of crazy-good-for-you stuff is packaged in these spherical treats. No wonder they are called Superfood. I teach elementary school gardening students to look for foods with the deep purple color- this indicates cancer-fighting properties.

Home now, I dream I am picking blueberries. One for the basket…two for me. This journey to the Northeast was a sort of pilgrimage. I am grateful for the experience of traveling to a place where these fruits have always thrived and did especially well this year with the late rains, to savor them in their natural, exuberant state of well-being and bright blue productivity. Plus, the fruit of my dreams is only sweeter for my longing.

Teya and her Aunt Nancy made pies

Here is a favorite "Peak-of-The-Season" Blueberry Pie recipe from an important cookbook called The Berry Bible by Janie Hibler (only one cup of the blueberries are cooked, the rest are folded in, which gives the pie a freshly picked taste)

Makes 6 Servings:

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1 1/2 (3 cups) fresh blueberries (plus a handful for garnish)

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

1 cup heavy cream

2-3 tbsp confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Put pan over medium heat and add 1 cup berries and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and turns clear instaed of cloudy looking, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir butter, lemon juice, and the remaining 2 cups blueberries. Pour the filling into prepared pie shell and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Before serving, whip the cream with confectioner's sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, and spread on top of the filling. Sprinkle a handful of berries on top of the whipped cream.

A Big Goat Party

2010-06-07T10:48:00.001-07:00

I’m tired. Really tired. But who cares…My kids, of both the human and goat persuasion, are happy.

Let me describe day one with baby goats. Theodore (Teddy) and Delilah (Lila) arrive at our home dazed and subdued, wondering one thing: when do they get to nurse again? They’re old enough and sturdy enough to wean, but that doesn’t make it easy to leave Mama Ceci and go cold turkey. They’ve been sipping from the milk bar day and night as long as they’ve been alive.

Slowly they shake off the car-sickness, wander around their new home (our donkey stable turned enclosed chicken yard) for a few moments, realize mama and that warm elixir are not nearby, and begin to cry. This goes on all day, non-stop. We distract them for short periods with lengths of blackberry brambles, or oak and pine cuttings, but mostly, they want mama’s teat and the milk that comes with. And they will cry until someone brings it to them.

Suddenly I’m thrown back to the weaning days with my own babies, trying to get something done for the first time in years and all I can hear is my sobbing one year old, outside with a babysitter who can’t stop the moaning and howling …the special cry, reserved for the immediate and imperative need for mother’s milk.

What to do about these sorrowful babies? I start by calling all the neighbors to apologize. Their responses could have been a tape-recorded message. “Don’t be ridiculous,” they all said, "This is Indian Valley. We’re not the least bit concerned with animal noises and if we were, we wouldn't live here.” So, that was a relief. But still…the sound, it was so sad. It truly seemed we had locked two babies down in the chicken coop for the night.

Teya graduates from 8^th Grade in a few days, so that evening Sam and I took her to an end of the year parent-child celebration. Jens and AJ decided they would go swim at a neighbors then bike home and put themselves to bed. I only hoped they could fall asleep with all the noise, which only grew louder and more pitiful as evening fell.

Leave it to kids to figure out kids. By the time I got home at 9pm, AJ and Jens were just falling asleep in my room. “Oh, it was a great night,” they reported. “But we’re in here because we just got the goats down and didn’t want to disturb them as they were falling asleep,” AJ said. I must have appeared confused. “We tucked them into bed in my room,” Jens told me, “and we didn’t want to wake them up by going back in there.”

They had arrived home to a crescendo of crying, and being the practical children they are, they got straight to work. AJ set up the old dog kennel. Jens put the dog’s spiky collars on Teddy and Delilah and led them up to the house. Then they sang them lullabies and petted them to sleep until everyone was happy and cozy, sleepy and...quiet.

Okay, I thought, having one of those moments where you the parent think that maybe, in fact, you do know nothing. Maybe it is okay to have goats sleeping in your daughters' bedroom. “Well…okay,” I said. “That...sounds...good.”

All was well until around 3am. I recall hearing something, but couldn't drag myself out of sleep. I told myself, "it must just be the ice machine." Yeah, yeah, that’s it, the refrigerator’s ice machine making a racket. I managed to sleep another hour or so until AJ and I both woke up, realizing that there was a loud party going on. Make that an unsupervised party. Make that a big, unsupervised goat party, raging in the girls’ bedroom. (When I walked in, Delilah was dancing on the top bunk and Teddy was butting himself in the mirror, reminding me very much of a frat guy I knew in college)

I don’t need to go into details, but suffice it to say that the dog kennel was not secure and that I’m doing lots of research on how to remove the smells of farm animals from non-farm settings.

I’m cleaning. I’m tired. But now, already on day two, all the kids are happy and playing, and everything is fine.

What is a Farmer's Market When you take Away The Farmers?

2010-05-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a Wall Street Journal piece on the trouble some Farmer's Markets are having because some vendors, it turns out, are not farmers.

Wall Street Journal: Do You Need Farmers For A Farmers Market?

The Tipping Point at the Novato Charter School

2010-04-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

In environmental circles the phrase “Tipping Point” is usually referred to when speaking about the catastrophic effect of climate change and our inability to reverse our own exponential negative impact on the planet. Pretty depressing. And overwhelming. But I’ve seen a different, hopeful version of the Tipping Point in action over the past years at my children's school.

In 2001, when the Novato Charter School moved onto a stretch of former US Air force base - barren, hard pan, cement runway rubble - things looked pretty grim. Many parents who had helped form the school just a few years earlier threw in the towel, saying the land was “dead” and that we could never have a healthy school on that abused land.

Nine years, thousands of loans, donations, workdays, classes, and staff, faculty and parent volunteer hours later, it is my opinion that the Novato Charter School grounds have reached a Tipping Point. The property is now home to one of the largest school gardens you’ll find – over an acre of trees, pathways, natives, succulents, arbors, chickens, greenhouse, butterfly beds, scarecrows…and wildlife. Our school has become a preserve. Walk through the garden some morning and you will hear the call of bluebirds and hawks, the songs of crickets, and frogs. Lift a log and you will find lizards and millipedes. Stand near the bugleia bushes you might just have a butterfly or ladybug land on your hand.

About three weeks ago a couple moved into the area. After looking around, they chose our little school for their young. They seemed to have chosen the school for the beauty of the natural environment, and the sense that their children would be protected and safe to grow. This couple just happened to be birds. Mr. and Mrs. Killdeer moved right onto the middle of the school grounds to lay their eggs. It was the Sunflower Kindergarten class who discovered them that first morning, and they roped off a large area so the new parents would feel especially secure on their nest.

Safe as they are, the Kildeers still perform all kinds of antics when someone approaches. Dad hops around threatening with his remarkable size (at least he feels big) and serious peeps…and Mom wanders off the speckled eggs to flap around very dramatically, acting as if her wing were broken, just to pull our interest away from her offspring.

The twin eggs are due to hatch any day now. The chicks will emerge, ready to go. We’ll watch them run away to find their own food, and we’ll hope they come back and visit soon. The school’s eco-system has reached a Tipping Point, and now this healthy land will compound itself, on its own. Maybe these Killdeer kids will be back when they’re grown up and ready to hatch their own chicks. We’ll be waiting.

Here's a little video. Not much happens, but it pans to Father Killdeer, taking a break over in the sand box, about halfway though. The Killdeer Family

And here is more information about Killdeer and their unique behaviors - ground nests, fake broken wings etc Killdeer

UPDATE! 4/22/10 The chicks have hatched. Below are two videos. Amazing how ready they are for the world when they are born. These guys are only hours old.
Mother Killdeer with baby #1.
Father Killdeer with baby #2

Spring Happiness: Mini LaMancha Goats

2010-04-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Indian Valley Farm class is a gift that just keeps giving. Last semester I overheard Maria Kennedy and Leslie Adkins talking about their goats and the fact that they often have kids for sale in the spring. We have been visiting with the goats down the way for the past thirteen years, just loving these wise, sweet, feisty, hungry and affectionate animals...so it seemed that being within earshot of this conversation between my classmates was a sign. It was time for goats.

Last weekend Leslie called. Her mama goat, Ceci, had twins, a boy and a girl, both sturdy and healthy.

The little palomino girl is Delila. The boy is Theodore. They will stay with mama for a few months at Inverness Valley Inn, then come to their new home where they will share the donkey stable and back pasture with the chickens. I have been reading up about their care on an excellent site recommended by Leslie and Alden - Fiasco Farms. This is the place to start if you are thinking about raising goats.

Dirt Diva's "TALKING DIRT" is GOOD Dirt

2010-03-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Annie Spiegelman, Novato-based "Dirt Diva" gardening columnist and environmental activist extraordinaire, has really improved the crop of organic gardening books this spring. I'm telling you, this is not only an excellent growing advice book...it is also great read. Annie is simultaneously so funny and so practical. You feel like you're talking over the neighbor's fence, and that neighbor just happens to be the person who knows what is really going on in the hood.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who feels overwhelmed by Organic Gardening Information. And if you're already a seasoned gardener, this book will remind you about what is most important. I've read a lot of gardening books, and this one stands out.

I picked up my copies at Book Passage. Here is the link to Annie's site, which will give you all purchasing options and upcoming book signings.

The Dirt Diva's Talking Dirt

Fields a poem by Faith Shearin

2010-03-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Fields

by Faith Shearin

For Henry and Irene Spruill

My great grandfather had some fields in North Carolina
and he willed those fields to his sons and his sons
willed them to their sons so there is a two-hundred-year-old
farm house on that land where several generations
of my family fried chicken and laughed and hung

their laundry beneath the trees. There are things you
know when your family has lived close to the earth:
things that make magic seem likely. Dig a hole on the new
of the moon and you will have dirt to throw away
but dig one on the old of the moon and you won't have

enough to fill it back up again: I learned this trick
in the backyard of childhood with my hands. If you know
the way the moon pulls at everything then you can feel
it on the streets of a city where you cannot see the sky.
My mother says the moon is like a man: it changes

its mind every eight days and you plant nothing
until its risen full and high. If you plant corn when
the signs are in the heart you will get black spots
in your grain and if you meet a lover when the
signs are in the feet he will never take you dancing.

When the signs are in the bowels you must not plant
or your seed will rot and if you want to make a baby
you must undress under earth or water. I am the one
in the post office who buys stamps when the signs
are in the air so my mail will learn to fly. I stand in my

front yard, in the suburbs, and wish for luck and
money on the new of the moon when there
are many black nights. I may walk the streets
of this century and make my living in an office
but my blood is old farming blood and my true

self is underground like a potato. At the opera
I will think of rainfall and vines. In my dreams
all my corn may grow short but the ears will be
full. If you kiss my forehead on a dark moon
in March I may disappear—but do not be afraid—
I have taken root in my grandfather's
fields: I am hanging my laundry beneath his trees.

by Faith Shearin, from The Owl Question. © Utah State University Press, 2002.

(I first read this poem online at The Writer's Almanac )

Kids In the Garden Workshop - Monday, April 5

2010-03-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

On Monday April 5th from 3-5pm I will teach a workshop entitled "Kids In The Garden" in the Novato Charter School garden. This workshop is sponsored by the Novato Live Well Network and will cover the basics of working with starting and maintaining a school garden, integrating academic curriculum, and working with K-8 students on various garden projects. For more information, follow this link below:

Kid In The Garden Workshop

Haitian Quake an Opportunity to Restore Rural Ecology

2010-03-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

The World ran an excellent piece about ecological restoration in Haiti...Environmental aid is perhaps the most important long-term contribution we can make.

Haitian Quake an Opportunity to Restore Rural Ecology

A New York Times Tribute to the Evolution of Grass

2010-03-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

Biologist Olivia Judson writes of the interconnectedness of human evolution an grasses.

Evolution By The Grassroots

Proud of Novato Schools

2010-03-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here is some great news. Novato schools and the Novato Sanitary District have teamed up to compost food waste and save the school district hundreds of thousands of dollars in the coming years. Congratulations Novato!

Novato Schools Cut Costs By Composting

Frogs Changing Sex....Are We In Wonderland?

2010-03-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Anyone else feel like Alice, bumping around in Wonderland? We are trying to go about our business, trusting that we are safe on this planet amongst our own kind, when, all of a sudden, things are not as they appear. They are distorted and mad. Oh yes, the EPA did "re-approve" Atrazine in 2006, assuring us there was no problem and allowing us to continue use on everything from lawns to corn fields, to the point where it is the primary chemical found in our waterways. The Swiss Agri-giant Sygentra promised us its safe and fine. Why would we not believe them, just because they manufacture the stuff? But now it is 2010 and well, unfortunately, it looks like the stuff makes male frogs lay eggs.

Turns out the Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland may have been based on the London hatters who were exposed to mercury in the pelt curing process used at that time. It seems things are the same as ever: a little insanity (and/or rearranging of reproductive organs) is apparently worth the buck.

Here is a link to the Washington Post Weedkiller In Waterways Leads to Change in Frogs Sex Traits

Grafting Magic

2010-02-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

The end of February, no matter the storm system, not matter the thermometer reading, is when our Northern California fruit trees decide it is time to put on a show. I recently helped worked on a biographical play about Johnny Appleseed, and, as extraordinary as he was, I believe his fundamental desire to celebrate and spread the wealth of fruit trees is alive and strong in many of us. I stopped by the Indian Valley Organic Farm last week just in time to see Steve and Wendy model the mysterious and magical process of grafting. Nature helps us to help ourselves in so many ways, and here is an exceptionally useful and glorious one. The class had the beginnings of 50 new trees by the end of the day.

Wendy Johnson - Dharma Talk at the Zen Center, Sunday 2/28

2010-02-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the link if you'd like to hear Wendy, this Sunday 10:15 http://www.sfzc.org/ggf/display.asp?catid=3,78,92&mode=c

Community Garden Forum : Feb 25, 7-9 PM

2010-02-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

Steve Quirt will moderate a forum on building a community garden from the ground up, this Thursday eve. (February 25) from 7-9pm at the Novato Unified School District offices, 1015 Seventh Street, Novato. The event is sponsored by the Novato Live Well Network.

Reading, Writing and ... Gardening? An Anti-School Garden Writer Rants

2010-02-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

Many educators and activists are abuzz about writer Caitlin Flannigan's Atlantic Magazine piece lambasting school gardens. My impression is that Flannigan has done a service to the School Garden movement, inspiring debate and asking us to articulate better why we believe in teaching Gardening, Nutrition and Environmental Science outdoors.

Flannigan is one of those writers who likes to get a rise, which is why she is popular. She might as well have said "Music has no place in the schools!"

Here is her article:

Cultivating Failure

and here is the Center For Eco-literacy response:

The School Garden Debate: To Weep or Reap

I will simply say it is very satisfying to see a student who has declared "I would never ever eat spinach!" chow down on the leaves he has sewn and harvested himself (being physically active all the while), then ask his mother to contact me to get the recipe for the spinach salad he helped prepare...So many reasons this matters, but especially satisfying at a time when obesity is a national crisis.

Laura Brainard info on California Farmlink event

2010-01-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Classmates,

I thought some of you might be interested in this "Meet and Greet" event sponsored by California Farmlink. It is this Thurs. in Nicasio. I'm not sure if you need to be a member of California Farmlink to go.

Blessings,

Laura Brainard

here is the link for info:

California Farmlink

Two Dates Coming Up: Green Gulch and Maria Kennedy's for Agridharma

2010-01-22T16:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 7th from 2-5 pm
All are invited to gather at Green Gulch on Arbor Day; come earlier for the meditation and lunch (look on the site for info) or come at 2 pm for the outdoor gathering. Children are more than welcome! http://www.sfzc.org/ggf/display.asp?catid=&pageid=253

Sunday, March 14th from 1-4 pm
The second AgriDharma Institute is planning to be held at Maria & Robert Kennedy's wonderful home in the San Anselmo hills. An invitation with directions will be sent closer to the time; please save the date!

A note from Ladd

2010-01-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Kirsten:

Can you post this to our Agridharma blog group and the IVC class folks that attended the meeting out at the Inverness Valley Inn two weeks ago when I distributed the amrita and vhibutti? They can watch the video taken of how and where the nectar and ash materialize at this particular holy place in India.

Here are the links which tell the story of the man, Haligappa who runs the orphanage in India where the vhibutti (sacred ash) and amrita (nectar of the Gods) has been materializing for the past 44 years since 1964. I've been visiting this place for over 20 years.

Here's the story with photos:

Sathya Sai Baba Miracles - Miracles at Sri Ranga Patna orphanage in Mysore, India

http://www.saibaba.ws/miracles/orphanagemysore.htm

Here's the You Tube video done by a Spanish speaking visitor:

YouTube - Sathya Sai Baba Amritha Materialization Mysore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2dm-ejcLqc

All love and blessings,

Ladd

Numen: The Nature of Plants (from Steve and Herb Exhange)

2010-01-15T08:10:00.001-08:00

Mid-January, 2010

Hello folks:

Even though the Herb Exchange is dormant during the winter, and we are not
in the office daily, you can still order roots (weather dependent, of
course). Feel free to inquire.

Also, please post the attached flyer and treat yourself to an outstanding
event at one of the two upcoming screenings of the groundbreaking film,
NUMEN, THE NATURE OF PLANTS.

The first screening, described below, is in the town of Sonoma on Saturday,
January 23, and the second will be in Sebastopol on February 11.

Meanwhile, may you enjoy the stillness of winter.

West Coast Premiere of the film NUMEN, THE NATURE OF PLANTS
Sonoma Environental Film Festival
Saturday, January 23 10:40 AM Free Admission
Sonoma Women's Club, 574 First St. East, Sonoma 95467
www.seff.us

This extraordinary film focuses on the healing power of plants and the
natural world. Filmmakers Terrence Youk and Ann Armbrecht travelled the U.S.
to speak with doctors and herbalists, ethnobotanists and others about human
and environmental health, and to discover how healing is made possible by
embracing our place in the wider web of life. Stunning footage of
medicinals plants accompanys discussion of the re-awakening of traditional
knowledge of plants and a vision of safe, effective and sustainable
medicine.

Interviewees include herbalists Rosemary Gladstar, David Hoffmann, Dr.
Tierona Lowdog, Lynda LeMole, Kenny Ausubel, Phyllis Light, and others.

Following the film will be a discussion with Leslie Gardner, Director of the
Sonoma County Herb Exchange and faculty member California School of Herbal
Studies, Lynda LeMole, Executive Director of United Plant Savers, and David
Hoffmann, Research and Development at Traditional Medicinals Tea Company and
faculty member California School of Herbal Studies. There will also be a
demonstration of the making of a plant tincture with locally grown roots.

Healthy Soils, Healthy Food Conference (Feb 6-7 in Chico)

2010-01-12T17:28:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

This year's CCOF Education Conference is On 'Healthy Soils, Healthy Food,' has some great speakers on inspiring topics, and is only $15 for students for the 2 days (or $20 at the door). It's at CSU Chico on Feb. 6-7. Check it out at:

http://www.ccof.org/educationconference.php

Hope you and your gardens enjoy the rain we're supposed to get tomorrow! Hope to see you soon, Bonnie

Here We Are!

2009-12-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Man Who Planted Trees (from Kelly Allen)

2009-12-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hi lovely classmates. Take care of yourselves over the beautiful holiday season. Here is the link to the fabulous inspiring movie, "The man who planted trees." Enjoy-Kelly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MbosrkVYPU&feature=PlayList&p=1F72F503F5FE6353&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4

Thank you so much,
Kelly Allen

Publish Post

The "Health of The Earth Builder" Cover Crop

2009-12-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

Above is a close-up photo of the cover crops Bonnie and Jenna brought into class in a glass jar this week. As I listened to slide show presentations about their beautiful garden projects, and heard from other classmates about farming and gardening dreams - for home or farm or school or inn or neighborhood - I could see the way each person's imaginations has taken the threads of what we've learned this semester and woven those threads into a personal tapestry, a vision of cultivation. And I am in awe.

We all have day jobs. We all have obligations and limitations and reasons to be discouraged...Yet, somehow, we all have the same crazy notion that we can do better, we can go beyond "just managing" and simply "fitting in" to the current model of plant propagation and food production. This is a class full of people who seem to have no doubt that we can thrive alongside, and in partnership with, the plant and animal kingdoms. This is a group of individuals who are making the time and the sacrifices to gather knowledge and find a way to live more gracefully on the planet.

This is why I have come to think of this group as cover crop. It is our job to go out and fortify the soil. We will break ground, draw beneficials, and infuse nutrition. We may or may not bear fruit, but our work will matter for all that follows.

Indian Valley Organic Farming Class, Fall 2009

Job Posting From John Malenic

2009-12-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

Treasure Island Job Corps also provides academic training, including basic reading and math. Courses in independent living, employability skills, and social skills are offered in order to help students transition into the workplace.

One of our top goals at Treasure Island Job Corps is to ensure that every qualified student obtains his or her GED or high school diploma prior to leaving the center. Students who don't already have a high school diploma upon their arrival at Treasure Island can enroll in our GED program or through the SIATech Charter High School located on site.

Pay and Allowances:
Job Corps pays each student a living allowance twice a month while in the program. Our center houses 710 students in several dormitories. Students are provided three nutritious meals each day at no cost in one of the best cafeteria facilities in Job Corps. The wellness center is open daily for basic medical, dental, and optometrist services which are provided free to our students. The wellness center also provides 24-hour emergency medical services.

Graduate Benefits:
Job Corps graduates are qualified and prepared for today's professional workplace. Additional graduate benefits include:
    * $1200 transition allowance to assist with transportation and housing
    * Job placement assistance for up to six months
    * Career counseling
    * Relocation counseling services
The Treasure Island Job Corps Center Community Farm
TIJC was awarded funds by the Department of Labor Job Corps Center Green Projects Grant Program to construct a sustainable, organic farm on a three-quarter parcel within the center grounds. The farm will be constructed in 2010 and operate thereafter.
The farm will provide organic food for students, staff, and island residents; promote healthy life styles by making nutrient-rich organically-grown food available; enhance student learning by educating students about sustainable principles; encourage youth to learn about ecology, gardening, and composting; and serve as an open gathering space for community events.
The Community Urban Farm’s primary goal is to make organic produce readily available on Center for students, staff, and island residents. Most students enrolled in Job Corps come from low-income urban areas that are underserved by supermarkets, making eating healthy a difficult choice. The farm attempts to increase access to organic foods which are typically unavailable to low-income populations due to high cost, The Center will integrate organic produce into the daily menu of the cafeteria, serve organic dishes at the Center’s student-run restaurant, and provide the local community with access to a monthly farmers market.
The cultural shift associated with the implementation of the farm highlights the vast effect it will have on student health and the Center’s learning environment. The use of organic produce in the student-run restaurant will enhance culinary students’ knowledge while simultaneously providing local residents with the opportunity to taste the flavorful produce of a successful harvest. By incorporating the produce into the operation of the restaurant, it will allow culinary students to practice what gourmet restaurants are known for—using local organically-grown produce in their menus. Students will gain a greater understanding of new culinary trends and heirloom varieties of produce and, ultimately, become more employable in San Francisco ’s large high-end restaurant market.
Farming is becoming an increasingly important trade and exposing students to a multitude of farming techniques will strengthen their understanding of agricultural production. Our food system is currently becoming more localized due to the increase in the price of petro-chemicals. It is becoming increasingly unfeasible to transport crops large distances. As our oil supply continues to diminish food prices will continue to surge; localization is the key to driving costs down while simultaneously having fresh and nutrient-rich produce available for all.
It is critical to expose students to this reality and educate them of the importance of recycling. The farm is essentially a visual demonstration of a closed loop recycling system. The main input of the farm is food waste from the cafeteria, which will be turned into a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer by using a technique called vermicomposting. The compost is required for the farm to operate. Students will physically see their food scraps be used to feed the farm, which will connect them to the actual process of agricultural production.
The greatest benefit of farming is that is allows anyone with an interest to participate. The farm will develop student work ethic and give them the skill-set required to become urban farmers. It will teach students how to develop high yields in small areas. The hope is that students that participate will develop a skill-set that they can bring home to their low-income communities after they graduate. The farm’s purpose is to educate our community about urban agriculture, hopefully change the status quo and bring nutrient-rich produce into the underserved areas of our society.

CLASSIFICATION & COMPENSATION:
Full time / Salary / Exempt / Compensation: DOE
QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s Degree and degree or certification in agricultural studies required. Five years minimum experience with agriculture operations and management. Teaching experience required. Previous experience with nutritional education programs, organic crop production, and Spanish language proficiency preferred.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
1. Supervise the construction phase of the new Treasure Island Community Farm and its subsequent educational agricultural programs.
2. Responsible for budget tracking and providing supervision and expertise for farm projects, such as installation of garden beds, orchards, irrigation system, composting systems, etc.
3. Considerable knowledge of the techniques and methods involved in planning, organizing and coordinating recruitment and training programs for volunteers and students.
4. Responsible for daily maintenance of farm, equipment, and farm’s life-cycle (seedling propagation, crop planning, planting, amending, cultivating, pest management, crop rotation, pruning, animal husbandry, beekeeping, making compost, harvesting, etc.).
5. Communicate and enforce farm and greenhouse procedures and maintenance schedules to program participants.
6. Develop a horticultural education program to teach Job Corps students about farm operations and involve vocational trades in farm’s daily operations.
7. Provide initial student orientation, screening and training; develop and implement training programs.
8. Develop materials, manuals, and resource information for volunteers, staff and students.
9. Develop and handles volunteer/student work schedules and assignments.
10. Maintain records on volunteers and students time contributed to the farm as well as farm records on inputs and outputs.
11. Organize volunteer program to assist with farm’s operation and create marketing program to encourage community participation in the program.
12. Establish and maintain community linkages and serves as the primary contact and resource to outside organizations that want to participate in the farm’s operation.
13. Considerable knowledge of available resources within the local Bay Area community.
14. Develop appreciation and incentive programs for members of the volunteer staff.
15. Develop news media announcements and other recruitment information aids such as brochures, newsletters, and fliers and Participate in promotional and public relations activities for the Treasure Island Community Farm.
16. Assist in scheduling, designing, planning, developing, staging and staffing special events.
17. Ability to plan and organize a variety of programs for groups of various sizes and establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide variety of people.
18. Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
19. Manage the overall performance benchmarks of TIJC Community Farm.
20. Perform other duties as assigned.

Interested parties should e-mail a resume, cover letter and references to:
Willow Rosenthal, TIJC Farm Consultant; willow@cityslickerfarms.org

Bonnie Nielson's Green Tomato Recipes

2009-12-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Down vest/purple dharma gang

Maria, Kristi, Bonnie and Jenna.

(Thanks Lynn, for the photo)

Thank you, Bonnie, for these delicious recipes.

GREEN TOMATO CRISP:
8 medium sized green tomatoes, sliced
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (feel free to add any other favorite spices)

Mix it all up and plop in a rectangle dish, add crumble topping of choice, and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (you want to see the juices bubbling and thickening in the tomato part and the crumble browning on top before it's "done").

GREEN TOMATO SALSA:
5 lbs. green tomatoes, chopped (about 12 cups)
6 large yellow onions, finely chopped
3-6 jalapenos (depending on your bravery), diced
4 red bell peppers, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup cilantro, finely diced
1 cup lime juice
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then cook 30-45 minutes (until the salsa is at its desired thickness), stirring occasionally. Bring salsa back to a boil right before spooning into sterilized canning jars, then process and continue as you would with any other type of canning. Makes ~ 12 half pint jars.

Enjoy with good company! :D

Farm Class Presentation Schedule

2009-12-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Thank you Kelly Warner !

ORGANIC FARMING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
FINAL PRESENTATION SCHEDULE – Fall ‘09

DEC 2
John
Lisa
Alden and Lisa
Marcia
Pat
Linda Johnson


DEC 9
Bonnie and Jenna
Kelley W
Dahlia
Pam
Ladd and Laura
Melinda C
Bresh

DEC 16
Maria K
Lynn T
Melissa/Darcy/Catherine/Mary
Kirsten
Joyus
Liz
Kelly/Michael

Lughnasadadh (from Linda Johnson)

2009-11-30T15:26:00.000-08:00

Hi Kirsten,

At our last class gathering I read a blessing to the class before we went off to work in the garden. Wendy asked me to send you a copy of what I read to be posted on the blog.

The bread/food blessing is just part of a holiday or Sabbat ritual I performed a few years ago for the celebration of Lughnasadh (LOO-na-sa) the feast of Lugh who is the Celtic Sun God. The feast was said to be held in honor of his *foster mother who gave of her fertility and her life so that the land of Ireland would always provide the people.

Lughnasadh is celebrated on August 1st and is associated with the grain harvest. It is the Pagan version of Thanksgiving.

*Foster mother is an old term meaning nurse or milk mother. Her name I do not know for sure. Some mythologists think that it refers to Tara, a later (Roman influenced) name for the Celtic Earth Goddess earlier known as Anu.

The blessing is as follows:

"The apple is red with fire, the corn is golden with life, the oak is green with light. All cherish the bright and glorious sun. Blessed are they, blessed are the grounds from which they grow. Oh Great Divine grant us the wisdom and the power to help seed, grow and feed the earth and all it's creatures. So Blessed be."

Wednesday 11/25 Harvest Celebration Workday

2009-11-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday 11/25 our class will have a Harvest Celebration Workday at Indian Valley Organic Farm. Please bring something "potlucky" to share!

Olive and Fruit Trees at Indian Valley Organic Farm

2009-11-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

From Mary Haring...

On Wednesday we had a small group for the planting of our first olive tree at about 1 PM - My friend Cem Akin of the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation www.ftpf.org came out to the Farm to meet with Bethallyn and Henry...It was so fortuitous that it was also the day that the donated olive trees were delivered by McAvoy Ranch - http://www.mcevoyranch.com/html/index.php.

Lunacy - Experiencing the Pull of The Moon

2009-11-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today was sheer lunacy...all about the moon. Here is one more powerful element in the divinely choreographed dance of the Universe. We small beings, hoping to grow food and flowers and medicinals, are part of that dance, and Wendy Johnson asked us to consider the full cycles of the moon, and the influence those stages may have on our work in cultivation. She gave us an overview of the ancient Cross Holy Days and of the pagan harvest festivals. Holy Days, in all religions, are rooted in a relationship with the moon and the sun and the harvest. From Hallows Eve in October, to St.Brigid's Day in the spring, from the Celtic tradition of Lugh, or "bread basket," in August, to Christmas, at the Winter Equinox... these celebrations represent a history of farming within the rhythms of the seasons.

Wendy encouraged us to cultivate an awareness of the tides in all aspects of the environment. Throughout time, sugarers, drawing maple syrup from their trees, have said "the sap flow is faster in the bright of the moon." Alan Chadwick would tell Wendy, "The moon pushes and the sun pulls." There is a reason the Farmer's Almanac has always included specifics about the behavior of those two great spheres in the sky.

"The Bright of the Moon" (such a beautiful, lyrical phrase) is the 14 days when the moon is "waxing," in a period of inclination.

"The Dark of the Moon" is the 14 days when the moon is "waning," in a period of declination.

Biodynamic Farming was developed by Rudolph Steiner, the founder of Waldorf Education. This method involves an extensive awareness of the moon. Here is a link to the National Sustainable Agriculture Association with more information about Biodynamic Farming, as well as a list of astronomical gardening calendars.

Biodynamic Farming and Compost Preparation

Planetary Influences

Lunar and astrological cycles play a key role in the timing of biodynamic practices, such as the making of Biodynamic preparations and when to plant and cultivate. Recognition of celestial influences on plant growth are part of the biodynamic awareness that subtle energy forces affect biological systems. A selection of resources are listed below. On examination of the variations in agricultural calendars that have sprung from the biodynamic experience, it is apparent that differing viewpoints exist on which lunar, planetary, and stellar influences should be followed.

Stella Natura – The Kimberton Hills Biodynamic Agricultural Calendar, available through BDFGA for $11.95, is the biodynamic calendar edited by Sherry Wildfeur and the most prominently known calendar of this type in the United States. It contains informative articles interspersed with daily and monthly astrological details, and lists suggested times for planting root, leaf, flowering, and fruiting crops.

Working with the Stars: A Bio-Dynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar, available through JPI for $12.95, is the biodynamic calendar based on Maria Thun's research and is more prominently used in Europe. Of the three calendars mentioned here, Thun's calendar relies more heavily on planetary and stellar influences. It contains research briefs as well as daily and monthly astrological details, again with suggested planting times.

Astronomical Gardening Guide, available through Agri-Synthesis in Napa, California (11) for a self-addressed stamped envelope, is the biodynamic gardening guide compiled by Greg Willis of Agri-Synthesis. This calendar, which is a simple 2-sheet information leaflet, focuses on lunar phases.

Secondary Edible Parts of Vegetable Chart

2009-11-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

also from Lynn...

Secondary Edible Parts of Vegatble Chart

Cauliflower Fractal

2009-11-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

A gorgeous link from Lynn Tompkins...

Cauliflower Fractal

Microbial Fuel Cell

2009-11-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

We've all seen the thermometer in our compost piles, racing up to 140 degrees. We know the energetic power of manure-enriched earth. Now Lynn Tomkins has found a Harvard team working in a power-less area of Sub-Saharan Africa to rub batteries and LED lights with underground bacteria-fueled batteries. A five gallon bucket, manure, mud and salt water...doesn't sound so different from some of our garden concoctions. Very cool!

Microbial Fuel Cell

The Air Aware - beautiful piece from Orion Magazine Sept/Oct 2009

2009-11-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

Wonderful kismet...A few blogs back I wrote about the effect of rain on our back field. Now, I've come across a truly beautiful piece of writing about the mysteries of air and weather.

The Air Aware by David Abram

This is worth reading.

Common Ground Events

2009-11-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Pam Scott forwarded this list from Common Ground in Palo Alto. Some great classes coming up.

Here is the link to their website: Common Ground

BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES
Nancy Garrison Saturday, November 14, 2009
10:30 - 12:30   $30, To register call 650-493-6072 or
http://berries.eventbrite.com/

Learn how to successfully grow blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and mulberries for bountiful berry harvests May through late fall. Mulberries are less known but wonderful in that they are seedless and Thornless, with flavor like a combo of many different berries. You will learn the best varieties of each and specific planting instructions including soil amendments and trellising.
Nancy has been researching the best varieties for this area for many years and will share her vast knowledge so you will get abundant harvests. Nancy offers a center tour of her favorite and must-have products after the class.

SOIL FOODWEB
Alane Weber Saturday, December 5, 2009
10:30 - 12:30   $30, To register call 650-493-6072 or
http://soilfoodweb.eventbrite.com/

Super soil! The soil Foodweb consists of all the beneficial micro- and macroscopic soil critters that function harmoniously in our garden soil. They are responsible for nutrient cycling, soil production and immune system boosting. Understanding the riches in our soil will give you greater ability to surf with nature's wisdom and make better compost.
Alane is an advisor for Soil Foodweb, Inc. She runs the education program of RecycleWork's Master Composting Program for San MateoCounty. Her approach is animated with humor and suffused with the integrity of sustainable care for our lands.

RAINWATER HARVESTING
Sherri Osaka Saturday, December 12, 2009
10:30 - 12:30   $30, To register call 650-493-6072 or
http://rainwater.eventbrite.com/

Prepare for next summer’s dry season by collecting and storing rain water now. This class explores methods of rainwater harvesting and storage from roof materials, to tanks and their costs, to landworks, and finally to using pure, sweet rainwater in your garden. We'll discuss permitting, mosquitos, and calculating the amounts of rainwater against the cost of storage. We'll show how rainwater harvesting not only saves water, but energy and infrastructure as well, and how it can be a part of every garden.
Sherri is the owner of Sustainable Landscape Designs and is co-founder of the Sustainable Landscape Roundtable, an organization that encourages landscape professionals to adopt ecological practices, and a director of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.

Speaking of Irrigation...

2009-11-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

We're moving water again. Lynn Tomkins sent this link to a NYTimes piece on the most extensive California water plan since the 60's

California Water Overhaul Caps Use

The Importance of Making Your Bed

2009-11-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

According to Steve Quirt's wife, he cannot make his bed at home. (Note to mothers: do not promote learned helplessness by making your sons' beds for them)

Fortunately, Steve makes his farm beds expertly. Here he is in action:

Steve's advice:

- Make your bed somewhere about three feet wide (Wendy Johnson promotes wide beds - at least 4 feet wide because, she says,they narrow over time.) Steve says the key is to make them a width that allows you to reach across as you plant.

- Leave only 12 inches of space between your rows. We're going for maximum fertility and productivity so you don't want too much space on the pathways

- add a few inches of lovely finished compost to the bed (organic matter!)

- "edge" the bed and fortify it, using a shovel to firm up the soil on the sides of the bed

- Use a rake and smooth out the top of the bed. The back of the rake is good for this as well. In Steve's opinion, it is better to make the top of the bed flat, or even slightly concave, than mounded.

- Now, carefully make your way across the bed "typewriter style" with a fork, lightly turning the compost into the top of the soil.

- You are reading to plant your starts. In this case, we were planting lettuce. Steve tucked them in approximately four inches, or a hands width apart. We're aiming to cover the entire surface of the bed. (And the good news with lettuce is that Baby Lettuce leaves are highly desirable, so you are using the produce as you thin)

The Beds of Indian Valley Organic Farm

Turning Buckwheat (cover crop) in

Adding a middle line to a bed

THANK YOU Pam Scott and Lynn Tomkins for the photos

More Asexual Activity in the Greenhouse

2009-11-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

Wendy speaking about the wonder of propagating Lemon Balm

Lavender, just waiting

Lavender strikes go into Perlite

Sage, tucked in a ready to grow

Joyous, working with baby lettuce

Farmstand is Open! (Plus Green Tomato Recipes)

2009-11-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Indian Valley Organic Farm Produce Stand has officially reopened . Come by on Wednesdays at 1pm. Located on the College of Marin Indian Valley Campus, just beyond the playing fields

Here are two Green Tomato Recipes. Fry or bake, take your pick.

Fried Green Tomatoes

18 1/4-inch-thick slices green tomatoes (about 6 tomatoes)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 cup olive oil

Sprinkle all green tomato slices with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup flour in shallow bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 cup flour with cornmeal in another shallow bowl to blend. Working with 1 green tomato slice at a time, coat with flour, then egg, then flour-cornmeal mixture. Transfer to baking sheet. Line second baking sheet with paper towels. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry green tomatoes until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer to prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep warm in oven.
adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit August 2003

"Un"Fried Green Tomatoes (as in, baked)

BREADING
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt (don't skimp on the salt)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or the pepper!)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pimenton or sweet paprika (or cumin or maybe garam masala)

TOMATOES
Buttermilk
2 large green tomatoes, core removed in a V shape, sliced crosswise about 1/3 inch thick

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes to get it plenty hot. Spray it with cooking spray. Meanwhile, stir together the breading. Place the breading in a large shallow container, the buttermilk in another. Slice the tomatoes. Once the baking sheet has been preheated, work quickly. Dip each tomato slice into the buttermilk, then into the breading. Arrange on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the slices over. Bake another 10 minutes or until cooked clear through. Serve hot, they don't improve!
Adapted from Cooking Light

Two Simple Diagrams: Botany of A Flower

2009-11-04T16:45:00.001-08:00

Today we discussed plant pollination and looked carefully at rudbekia, oats and squash blossom, trying to identify the various plant parts. Below are very simple diagrams I use with Middle School students. I hope they are helpful.

The Bowl That Keeps Feeding Event 11-15-2009

2009-11-03T22:09:00.001-08:00

Studio4Art and What's Cooking are proud to present
Soup - The Bowl that Keeps Feeding - a benefit to fight childhood hunger in our community.

Studio4Art will work with children to throw and glaze soup bowls, and children from local schools will work with What's Cooking to prepare home-made soup.

At our event, guests get to select any bowl of their choice and we will fill it with soup and enjoy a meal together. Guests get to bring their empty bowls home as a reminder of the hungry children in our community and that they personally did something to make a difference. All proceeds of our event will go to Homeward Bound of Marin's Emergency Family Shelter.

Forr more information, please contact Michelle Stern, What's Cooking, 415-342-4353, www.whatscooking.info or Kebby McInroy, Studio 4 Art, 415-596-5546, www.studio4art.net

Patty Hamilton: Master of Irrigation

2009-11-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

There are few out there who have undertaken a true study of the Art of Irrigation. Many gardeners call the creation of a watering system "irritation." But most of us have personally experienced the sensation of thirst, and know that it is a yearning that will not be abated with anything but that essential combination of hydrogen and oxygen. Water, and how it is delivered, is at the "root" of everything that happens in our gardens. Last Wednesday Patty Hamilton from Harmony Farm Supply in Sebastapol, a Master of Irrigation, came to share the top six inches of her wisdom with us.

The class moved quickly, and we did so much math that at times I had to look around to make sure I hadn't been tossed back into college calculus ("Um, excuse me, could you please repeat that last part?"), but in the end we had a good overview of how to approach setting up an irrigation system. Here I must go back to one of Wendy's favorite garden quotes: "In general, everything is specific." That means that we know we start with the basic irrigation building blocks (timer, filter, pressure regulator), then make very specific decisions based on the lay of our own land.

1. Start with a "Bucket Test" - a five gallon bucket, see how long it takes to fill up so you get you gallon/minute rate.
2. Filtration system - This decision is based on water quality...are you on city, pond or spring water? do you need a screen filter (basic, if on city water) or a disc filter (26 times more filtration than a screen...needed if you have a lot of particulates in water)
3. Pressure regulator comes after the filter in your set-up...This is where you begin to make some calculations based on your water pressure and relates to the next step (#4).
4. Drip, Spray or Combined system. What type of plants are you watering? For instance, you don't want a spray system when watering trees because you want to make sure the water gets most directly to the roots....What type of soil do you have? This relates to the capillary force ( surface tension) and soil structure matters here. If you have sandy soil, the capillary action is not as extensive and so your water tends to dive straight down...on the other hand, a nice loamy soil means that the water will spread out on its own underground in a nice large ballooning shape. These, along with questions about the slope of your land,and the length of our rows, are questions we must address to design our systems.

The Harmony catalog has a lot of excellent information about Irrigation, and Harmony will test soil and water before you begin designing your system.

Finally, we moved on to a discussion of Irrigation Tape and an in-depth calculation of emitter spacing on the tape and when you might need "pressure compensating emmitters". "T-Tape" is what waters the rows at Indian Valley. It is a flexible, user-friendly option...BUT it requires farmer responsibility. In Florida, farmers are leaving the tape in the fields and discing it into the soil. There is no known recycling option for this tape at the moment.

Here's an idea...before the creators of T-Tape (and all the future wonder solutions) receive a patent for their fabulous new product, they must come with the "un-make" plan (otherwise known as "recycling")...and they may receive the patent for that as well.

The Secret Language of Rain

2009-11-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

Last week after the first rain, our "back forty" made its exquisite fall transformation. My kids were the first to notice. On their way down to the chicken coop to check for eggs they begin to call wildly... The grass has come up!

Great painters and newfangled printers have tried, but have not been able to come up with anything close to "new grass" green. This is an elusive green found deep inside emeralds, an irretrievable green that glistens and radiates, a green that stays with your thoughts all day and reappears as you close your eyes to sleep at night. The photos above are fine, but the Elysian glow has disappeared...it cannot be captured with a lens other than the naked and exhilarated eye.

We have also have a mixed-seed lawn on our property, one that we will give up one of these years, but for now it is used as religiously as a playing field in a county park - by our extended community of family, friends and neighborhood kids - so it remains. The lawn browned over the summer and, on this same first rain morning, returned in full green regalia. My husband commented that even if he had watered, it would not have responded and come back the way it did until that storm. This is the mysterious moment when the air whispers to the earth to hold its breath for just a moment more, now the rain is coming. Then, the great freeing of water onto the clenched soil, releasing in a pattern of drops made for the seeds and dormant life, a secret message to signal It is time.

Farm Stand is Open Weds, 1pm

2009-11-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Indian Valley Organic Farm Produce Stand has officially reopened - Wednesdays at 1pm. I'll post the exact hours soon.

Pat's Painting of Indian Valley Organic Farm

2009-10-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

Lyn Tompkins sent along a photo of our classmate Pat's beautiful painting. Thank you Lyn...and thank you Pat!

40 Farmers Under 40

2009-10-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a link sent to me by Lisa Chipkin (Thanks Lisa) from the Mother Nature Network. These are young farmers from across the nation.
40 Farmers Under 40: Readers Choice

Plant Propogation Notes from 10/14 and 10/21

2009-10-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you Pam Scott for contributing class notes and photos for this blog:

Wendy holds up plant for root division

Class Notes: 10/14

Growing Plants Through Strikes
-   Taking a strike off of the mother plant – just pull off a piece of the original plant
-   Better than cutting because cell walls stay intact if you pull and let the plant divide
-   Remove all lower leaves – the stem cells can create leaves (which it already did) as well as roots (which it now will have the chance to do
-   Cut top leaves at an angle
-   Stick material into perlite at 45-degree angle
-   Water daily but don’t disturb (by checking for roots) for 6 weeks
-   This is a great way to keep the genetic material of the plant in tact
-   After awhile, though, the vigor of the plant will wear down and need to propagate through sex to remain strong and vital

Mix for Making Good Potting Soil
-   When you start plant from seed, it does not need rich soil; lean, well-drained, retentive soil
•   1/3 natural soil – so that the plant will be used to the culture of the native soil
•   1/3 sifted leaf mold – adds structure and retains water; can also use coco peat or peat moss; vermiculite also
•   1/3 sharp sand – for drainage; not salty Sandy Lawrence
-   No matter what, cut in some native soil from where it will ultimately live; if not, the plant will be in shock when it goes to its final home

Great idea for compost: Create a ‘barrel’ with chicken wire; fill with oak leaves, in a year you’ll have good soil

Steve and Wendy sift leaf mold

Class Notes : 10/21

NYT ran an article on zero waste yesterday
SF made it illegal to throw away food scraps
(very exciting stuff!)

What is propagation?
-   How to grow. How to increase plant material. The many ways plant material can be spread and shared.
-   Sexual propagation – blending of genetic material; annual and bi-annual plants always spread this way; sometime perennials too
-   Asexual propagation – taking a strike or cutting and spreading the same genetic material

What does it mean to cultivate soil?
-   To turn the wheel of life. Culture is a wheel. To create, clean culture in the ground. To go down into the ground, into the depths to dig down into, to weed.

Great suppliers – call for catalogues
1.   Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
2.   Harmony Farm Supply

To Create Strikes
-   Months or weeks before, cut the lead off of the mother plant – encouraging it to send up other major stems to replace it
-   When the plant is in seed, it wants to spread by seed; so look to divide plants when they are flowering but before they’ve gone to seed
-   Now is a very good time to be doing this
-   A good strike (the bit that has been pulled off) should feel woody at the base
-   You want your strike to be no more than 8”, preferably less
-   Remove the lower leaves – roots will grow from these stem cells
-   Create a balanced strike – about ½ will go into the ground, the other ½ above the surface
-   Seeds push material equally above and below ground. We need to create this same balance when we create plants from strikes.
-   Put at 45-degree angle into perlyte
-   Water daily, water deeply

Root Division
-   Easiest way to divide a plant is to pull it apart. When not doing that to create a strike, can do by pulling small bits of the plant complete with roots
-   Look for healthy root mass in mother plant
-   Pull off woody base growth (or cut)
-   Cut off most on top – especially biggest bits (more than I would have thought)
-   If root exceedingly long, cut it too
-   Looking to create balance
-   Plant in lunch mix (see below)
-   Fall is the season to be separating plants by root division!
-   Oregano, tarrogon, sage – a lot of the herbs can be separated now

Looking to create a balance of roots and tops

Hardening Seedlings
-   When plants are grown from seeds, one thing to consider is that they cannot be planted outside until they’ve been ‘hardened’
-   This means getting them acclimated to the outdoor conditions – this is after having been raised early on in a green house
-   Harden plants by setting them outside for hours at a time until they spend a couple of nights outside; then they’re ready to be put into the ground
-   Not as important in our mild climates as other places

Wendy puts a strike in perlite

Speedling Flats – made of white Styrofoam; every pocket is cone-shaped; easier for mass planting
-   Planting soil should be peat-based – coco peat (or peat moss – try to avoid using); to help with water retention
-   Cannot use sand because Styrofoam doesn’t absorb water so drainage is not an issue
-   A little bit (not much) of native soil
-   Pinch of perlyte (white stuff that you use for strikes)
-   No compost – it is too rich

The Fungus Fair!

2009-10-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

Need I say More?

The 38th Annual Fungus Fair will take place

Saturday Dec. 1, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 2, 12–5 p.m.
at the Oakland Museum of California

(presented by the Mycological Society of San Francisco)

The "P" Word (discussing Population Control)

2009-10-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

Last week, in the course of a conversation about the future of food, the "P" word came up...Population.

Here is a link to The Worldwatch Institute, a highly respected organization whose mission is:

"Worldwatch Institute delivers the insights and ideas that empower decision makers to create an environmentally sustainable society that meets human needs. Worldwatch focuses on the 21st-century challenges of climate change, resource degradation, population growth, and poverty by developing and disseminating solid data and innovative strategies for achieving a sustainable society."

Seedy People

2009-10-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Flax seed, saved and winnowed on the Indian Valley Farm

Let's accept the facts... We are all seedy people. Whether we like it or not, we come from seed. Along with the rest of flora and fauna on our planet, we are a great blended genetic mystery, born from seed. So... there's one big thing we have in common. Maybe if we focus on that we can get along a little better.

Yes, of course we find differences amongst us living organisms of planet Earth. Unbelievably complex differences...so many amazing adaptations we've been able to work out over the eons. Thank goodness for these differences. Diverse and together - that is the only way all us seed-born creatures have been able to stay here. How about we honor each other, especially for our differences... all the while remembering that every one of us came from the same place.

On this tropical storm Wednesday, we made our way through the series of small standing water lakes that is Marin county after 5-6 inches of rain, to the College of Marin classroom to listen to Wendy Johnson who reminded us of our seedy start. This led to a discussion of Sexual vs Asexual (or Vegetative) reproduction. Wendy mentioned that her 7th grade students get very attentive when the word "Sexual" comes up at the beginning of class. I tired it out on my Middle School students the next day, and sure it enough, works like a charm. Only problem is that my daughter sat in the front row in one of the classes, and, needless to say, she was horrified. Her head actually fell onto the table with a loud thud.

We talked about Comfrey, known for both a capacity to easily reproduce by root division (stick a small piece of root in the ground) and its healing qualities for almost any ailment. As I get to know plants better over the years, I've come to respect perennial hard-workers. They seem to garner the most concentrated beneficial nutrients and essences for us humans. Is it a coincidence that many ancient perennial crops, like fig, artichoke and olives, are top the lists of "Food We Should Eat?"

Speaking of figs...it turns out Vegetative Propagation came first in terms of human agriculture. Figs were first. This is a link to an article about the discovery of evidence, outside of Jericho that asexual fig trees were shared amongst communities. This was 11,400 years ago, well before the use of written language, and also before the rise of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent.

Wendy made a list of essential reading about seeds, botany and propagation. Here it is:

Botany For Gardners by Brian Capon

Botany In A Day - The Patterns Method of Plant Identification Thomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families

Seed To Seed by Susan Ashworth

The Secrets of Plant Propagation

Plant Propagation

The Lives of A Cell

The Metamorphosis of A Plant by Goethe

Goethe, the famous German author of The Sorrows of Young Werther and Faust, was an amateur botanist. He took a six week "plant walk" in the Swiss Alps and his observations of a great pulsation that was the cycle of a plant. The plant as "process."

Here are four stanzas from a poem of Goethe's that by the same name The Metamorphosis of Plants (you'll find the full text at the link) that capture his sense of wonder in observation of the mystery, the great blending of genetic material that is life.

Twofold as yet, hasten on, destined to blend into one.
Lovingly now the beauteous pairs are standing together,

Gather'd in countless array, there where the altar is raised.
Hymen hovereth o'er them, and scents delicious and mighty

Stream forth their fragrance so sweet, all things enliv'ning around.
Presently, parcell'd out, unnumber'd germs are seen swelling,

Sweetly conceald in the womb, where is made perfect the fruit.
Here doth Nature close the ring of her forces eternal;

Steve Quirt winnows flax seedat IVC Organic Farm

Untangling A Knot

2009-10-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

County Line Harvest at the Dolcini Family Farm

If modern day food production is a giant knot, tying us down tight to a dysfunctional system, last Wednesday we met individuals who are tugging away to loosen and undo strands. These farmers are hard-workers and daring activists who are leading the way to bring us good food, grown in a healthy way.

David Retsky, County Line Harvest Farmer

Here is how Steve Quirt introduced David Retsky, County Line Harvest farmer: "He's a young guy who is doing everything right." Retsky rents 33 acres of rich bottomland below a reservoir on the Dolcini family ranch. The Dolcinis are a family with deep roots in Marin County and Retsky's work on their land has reinvigorated the property. Kittty Dolcini has been growing "incredible" strawberries and opened a farm stand at the corner of Petaluma-Pt. Reyes Road and Hicks Valley Road. Before touring County Line Harvest, we gathered round to listen as Kitty shared memories of a ranch childhood, a world where a kid might grab a cup and run-off to gather her own cool milk, half cream, fresh from the cow.

Kitty Dolcini shares stories, the joys and trials of ranch life

David Retsky and Steve Quirt talks about what it takes to successfully grow organic food

If you've got farming in your bloodstream and in your dreams, David Retsky recommends finding a piece of property to rent as there are a number of parcels for rent in the Northbay (California Farmlinks has listings). He is not cavalier about the work that goes into turning a profit on a small farm, but has a clear-headed way of talking about things that makes it sound so do-able. In his case, he fits together the puzzle pieces of Greenleaf Produce, five farmer's markets and a lot of direct marketing to restaurants and local grocery stores. He tells us of how he came to be farming this land, providing the Bay Area with exquisite produce - some American kitchen staples, some exotic specialties. As he speaks, a story of adventure and lessons learned unfolds. From a childhood in LA county to work on farms all over the world to borrowing money and searching for the perfect swath of land in a region that loves food,... Retsky has journeyed, made mistakes, and discovered something with each bend in the road. It is no coincidence that he is "doing everything right."

Some of the best Arugula you'll taste

We had an opportunity to sample Retsky's greens and, as an Arugula connoiseur, I will attest that his harvest is about as tasty as it gets (This stuff bites back!) His lettuce is tender, his kale smooth and buttery. Again, the Order Form posted on Retsky's office wall reveals a narrative. In this case, we're looking at hundereds of conversations with local chefs - what produce are they looking for? What is delicious and difficult to come by? - and travel to Europe to find the seeds that will add layers of subtle and not-so-subtle tastes to our meals. Gretsky points out the difference between the U.S. and Italy. Americans are easily confused by the strong taste of Raddiccio, he says, while Italians pick it up along with a pack of smokes at the corner market.

Retsky gives a lot of credit to his hands, farmers from Oaxaca

Although he makes organic farming look easy, the shift in Retsky's voice when he talks about the appearance of Purslane in his fields reveals the intensity of the constant dance with nature that is cultivation. You can hear the wheels turning in his head even as he takes us on a tour of his crops. Farming is a full-time mental and physical engagement with the natural world, a constant search for solutions and improvements. Retsky is a modern day food production pioneer, forging a better future on an historic piece of land.

Fennel

Contact Info for County Line Harvest:

David Retsky

PO Box 2742

Petaluma, CA 94953

707.769.1802

dretsky@gmail.com

A Day of Tomato Seed-Saving on The Farm

2009-10-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

Notes on Saving Tomato Seeds

-   Each seed is individually pollinated (can relate each one of them back to a different part of the flower that was pollinated...just like each silk on a corn cob is related back to a seed or kernel
-   On the outside of all tomato seeds is a gelatinous coating that helps seeds pass through animals (and therefore get distributed)
-   To harvest seeds that will propagate, you’ve got to get rid of the coating
-   Must rot tomatoes to ferment them – thereby creating an acid mixture that will eat the coating off
-   To do this, put smashed tomatoes in a bucket
-   Add water
-   Let sit for 7-10 days – stirring occasionally
-   After sitting, sift chunky parts of tomatoes away until you have just the seeds
-   Dry the seeds for saving

Hidden Bounty of Marin Showing at Mill Valley Film Festival 10/11 and 10/13

2009-10-02T11:39:00.001-07:00

This excellent film was co-written and produced by Steve Quirt.

Title:		Hidden Bounty of Marin Showing at Mill Valley Film Festival
Date:		11-Oct-09
URL:		http://www.mvff.com
Contact:
Time:		1:00 pm
Location:		Sequoia Theater
Address:		25 Throckmorton Avenue Mill Valley, CA
Description:
		Hidden Bounty of Marin was selected for the 32^nd annual Mill Valley Film Festival October 8-18, 2009. It is being shown as a short film in the HomeGrown program. Schedule of showings: October 11, 1:00 pm, Sequoia Theater, Mill Valley, CA October 13, 6:45 pm, Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center 3, San Rafael. The full schedule will be available at www.mvff.com on September 15, and tickets will be available for purchase for CFI members on September 20. Tickets for the general public go on sale September 24.

Pam Scott's Creative Cover Crop Design

2009-10-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Steve Quirt read Pam Scott's cover crop design to the class. It is probably too late in the season to start Phase I of her three-phase plan, but her idea is exemplary because it might provide the key erosion control and a multitude of other soil improvements. After hearing a numbers of ideas about how to approach cover cropping this area, we decided we will divide the plot into sections and experiment with various cover crops, including Daikon Radish and Mustards. (Experimentation is the essence of a teaching farm.)

Here is Pam's design.

Situation Assessment

There is a rather large, flat area in the southwest corner of the Indian Valley campus farm that needs a cover crop. It needs a cover crop to:

-      Break up the soil which appears to be mostly hard-packed clay.
-      Add nutrients and attract microbes to the soil which currently looks unable to support much plant life.
-      Upon being tilted back into the soil, work to add organic matter.
-      Lessen the rate and quantity of water that drains off the field, thereby reducing the affects of erosion       during rainy season.
-      Improve water and air penetration of soil, thereby supporting its overall fertility.

Suggestion

First, seed a cover crop of buckwheat. This crop won’t provide nitrogen to the soil but it matures quickly (in 30-40 days) and can break up the soil with its deep roots. Planted by early October, it can be tilted back into the soil later in the month.

Second, immediately after tilting in the ‘green manure’ of buckwheat, seed a hardy California native known for defending soil from the affects of water erosion. This might be Blue Wild Rye, California Diablo Brome, Molate Blue Fescue, Nodding Needlegrass or Purple Needlegrass. Let this crop protect the soil during most of the rainy season.

Third, after turning the California native back into the soil, seed a third cover crop – this time a legume rich with nitrogen. Should there still be a chill in the air, consider hairy vetch and rye which will thrive in the colder months. If there’s time before planting, repeat by spreading more seeds from yet another nitrogen-rich crop.

ps: Also consider something from the thistle family as it looks plants of that family are about the only thing thriving there now. These are great for breaking up soil and bringing nutrients to the surface.

Needed: Winter Cover Crop

2009-10-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

The northwest corner of the Indian Valley Organic Farm (pictured above) lies fallow and compacted. Now, we need to get the soil ready for spring planting. The main concern about the area is erosion. It is not clear how much water will run across this ground in the upcoming winter, but, based on the lay of the land, a natural southwestern slope, chances are, it will host a fair amount of water in what is predicted to be a heavy rain year. Steve Quirt has asked us to come up with a plan for cover cropping this area, and to share our reasoning.

Our priority will be erosion control for this terraced area, but there are so many additional reasons to plant a cover crop. I often turn to The Rodale Institute for detailed and reliable farming and gardening information. Here is a list of why they suggest cover crops (this list can be found on the website link above):

They produce a lot of biomass, at least 3 tons above-ground dry matter per acre.
They are readily killed by mowing, rolling or other mechanical means, forming a mulch or
they are reliably winter-killed, leaving a mulch for spring no-till planting, or
they die down naturally in time to plant summer vegetables.
Their residues are sufficient to provide effective weed control in the subsequent vegetable crop.
They provide habitat for natural enemies of vegetable crop pests.
They have favorable (or at least neutral) effect on levels of available soil N, P and K.
They do not suppress the vegetable through chemical (allelopathic) or microbial effects.
They do not present serious weed, pest, disease or other management problems.

Based on some results tables on the Rodale and UC Davis websites, I determined that Oats would be a great winter cover crop for fast erosion control, weed control and loosening topsoil. Oats also fare well in low-fertility soil, which probably describes this un-amended area, and they are able to tolerate drought and flood. They establish quickly and provide large amounts of biomass to the soil when cut. That means lots of "green manure." The drawback is that Oats contain allelopathic compounds in their roots which can hinder weed growth for a few weeks. Sounds great...right? Only problem is that there are a few other crops, such as lettuce, watercress, wheat, and peas that are are susceptible, so it is recommended we wait three weeks after incorporating the oats if we will seed any of those crops. With all of the hardy traits, and their rapid growth, I felt Oats might be a good start.

Oats

Next I looked at complimentary crops and found that Purple Vetch looks good. It also grows rapidly, which means we can get our crop going early in the spring if we so desire. Purple Vetch establishes deep roots, so it will be good for erosion control and loosening soil, and it grows happily up around the oats. It also attracts beneficials and fixes Nitrogen in the soil. Finally, I have seen a fair amount of Purple vetch growing in the garden and thriving, so i feel confident it will do well.

Purple Vetch (otherwise known as Cow Pea)

Crops from the pea family (legumes) which are especially good at fixing Nitrogen in the soil (translation: gathering and holding Nitrogen in the soil so future crops may use it). A Rhizobia Bacteria lives in the roots of legumes. This bacteria gets nitrogen gas from the air in the soil and change it into a nitrate form which the plants can use. We pulled up some bell beans today in a row at the Farm and found a healthy colony of little white root nodules that indicate the gathering of Nitrogen.

Nitrogen fixation on Bell Bean roots

The way to find out if the bacteria are doing their job and Nitrogen fixation is happening is to cut or break open the nodules and look for a pink interior. A pink shade indicates Nitrogen fixation.

Finally, I thought, why don't we add Bush Peas to our Oats and Vetch cover crop experiment. More Nitrogen fixation and it's always nice to have something good to munch on in the mix.

Biomimicry: To "Sit At The Foot of Nature"

2009-09-27T22:09:00.001-07:00

Henry, the Indian Valley Organic Farm Supervisor. Those of us who enjoy the Farm owe a great deal of thanks to Henry and the conservation corps folks who work with him every day.

One of the benefits of my illustrious “compost waterer” job is that I visit the Indian Valley Organic Farm in the evening. Hikers are out late, enjoying these last days of Indian Summer. They stop and lean into the wire fence like children longing to join a playground game. “How has it grown up so fast?” some wonder out loud. Others murmur and nod to each other. Some just stare. If I am within earshot, they’ll ask me about how the farm has done so well, so quickly. Which brings me back to our ongoing conversation about food production.

A very small percentage of people in this country, somewhere between 2 and 5%, buy only organic food and approx 30% buy organic food occasionally . Most of us who do eat organic food still rely on conventional farmers for about 90% of what we eat (btw: there is a lot to discuss about the label "organic' which I will do in another blog). The point is, we are a country that has set ourselves up to depend deeply on large scale conventional fertilizer and pesticide-fueled sustenance. It is extremely difficult, nearly impossible really, for a small farm to prosper. It is extremely difficult for a small farm to get organic certification.

Why then, would we be so starry-eyed and hopeful out at Indian Valley Organic Farm? Aren't we just a boutique garden? Does the work we do even relate to the future of food production in this country?

Scientist and author Janine Benyus wrote a book called Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired By Nature. In an interview in the September issue of The Sun magazine she says this:

"Ecologists often speak of different stages of ecosystems. Say you take a field and plow it up completely. The first species to come in – called “type one” – are weeds. Our economy is what you might call a “weed field.” These small annual plants put all their energy into seeds and very little energy into roots, because next year those seeds are going to blow away and seed another field. Type-one species are pioneers, and we humans have been a pioneer species, going from open field to open field instead of learning how to live in one place, recycle everything, and develop symbiotic relationships…What comes in after those pioneers are perennials such as berry bushes. These Type-two plants put down roots and hook up with other plants. A Type-three ecosystem is a mature forest that will last for hundreds of years, or until the next big fire…the strategies of an organism in a mature forest are very different from the strategies of pioneering Type-One organisms…Now things have changed. We (humans) are a large population in a crowded world with limited resources. Our strategies have to shift. We have nowhere else to go.”

Benyus says it is time for us to “sit at the foot of nature” and “become students of a teacher who’s been here much longer than we have. There’s no time for untested technologies that may not be a fit for the earth. We’ve got to use technologies that have already been tested by nature herself.” (Here she is, a speaker for the TED series Janine Benyus Shares Nature's Designs )

Everyone in the class would have their own reasons for taking the Indian Valley Organic Farm class. My answer is about quality of life. Our efforts to dominate nature are failing us. Our current systems, designed by a radical free market, have created too many environmental problems. Decisions about eating, one of our most vital activities, rests in the hands of We-Don’t-Know-Who. It has gotten to the point that when we purchase food from a grocery store and prepare a meal, we harbor doubt, wondering Will this produce harm us more than it will help us? We are anxious and insecure about our food and how it is grown. This is no way to live. (It turns out that a couple of Nobel Prize winning economists are coming to the same conclusions....Gross Domestic Product is not necessarily the best way to measure the health and well-being of a nation Emphasis on Growth Is Called Misguided -- NY Times.)

Indian Valley Organic Farm shows those disbelieving passers-by who lean, wide-eyed, into the fence that Yes, it is possible to “sit at the feet of nature” and use the essential energy of the earth carefully, to grow food that leaves us nourished, without fear and doubt.

Reaching skyward

A Letter From Steve Quirt

2009-09-26T20:10:00.001-07:00

Steve read our stories and our histories, our tales of our ancestors and our connection with the land, our reasons for wanting to farm and garden organically. And he wrote back to us in the form of an inspired letter:

Partners in the New AgriDharma

Partners! Welcome to the New AgriDharma. At last we are becoming clearer as to our purpose and our work-in-progress. Why is this so much fun? What makes this on-the-fly, under-funded, thrown together-at-the-last minute class so charismatic, so invigorating, so important to all of us? Let’s check it out.

Kat Marando, our partner in our class and my dear friend, said yesterday that what she misses in life is that mission impossible, that perhaps our forefathers felt as they built the farms and ranches moving west across America. (For a minute, lets lay aside the injustices and dark side of the mission, for which we will forever carry with us, and reawake to the mystical “purpose” of building a new life amidst the blessings and richness of the “dream” of a new land and a free life.) The challenge, the dangers, the heartache, the glory of being yourself and making your own life from the land, being sure of yourself and yours, amidst the power and apparent fickleness of Nature, becoming essentially one with your destiny.

Perhaps those years and circumstances are already written in the book of Time. But the now faint footprints of that energy and commitment still stir up dust in our memories. We all have it. Your heart stories of where you come from all echo this restlessness in our hearts. We all feel a silent but surrender-less (not really a word) pull to the land and her alluring possibilities of filling the gaps in our lives.

Partners! It could be that we are sitting on a fault line! With spades in hand and mountains of manure, with open land, open minds and open hearts, are we poised to actually do something?! Could our Indian Valley Farm be a rally cry to begin to reclaim America? Are we more than extra credit? Are we, AgriDharma?

AgriBusiness, is the art of making profit (more is better) from the earth. It involves skillful manipulation and short-term total control of nature, no matter what the long term horrific side-effects may be. Byzantine economic formulae underpin agribusiness, bleeding outward into all aspects of a material-valued belief system. Commodity futures, shareholder profits, strange, undecipherable networks of cloudy financing all drive food production for personal gain. But you guys know all this.

What about food for people? Our precious bodies are built with food. Our short lives are fueled with the fullness of the earth’s bounty. We forget so quickly, the cornerstones of physical life, taking too much for granted. We forget the true value of the food we eat in relation to us, our Earth and the “fullness thereof.” Is this really something that should be called a “commodity,” to fill peoples pockets with profits, to manipulate and control from remote boardrooms and faceless decision makers? Isn’t good food from the good Earth, essentially “holy?”

Let’s look at the new AgriDharma. Agri; farming or growing food. Dharma; the right way. Okay, these are loose literal translations. AgriDharma means the righteous, right way to grow food for all, in accordance with the values of the righteous human heart.

My spiritual teacher once told me that human souls work at their very best when they work from the heart, instead of the pocketbook, for a cause larger than ourselves, without harm to ourselves or the Earth, without selfish calculation or contracts. With joy and enthusiasm for the benefit of all. Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it. Maybe if we tried it, all else would be given to us as a side effect?

Maybe this is the new frontier that my dear sister Kat is longing for. It certainly feels like a frontier here at Indian Valley Farm, when we look at the two acres to be planted with no tractor, only the tools donated from St. Anthony Farm, through the channeling of our partner Liza. We have few precious hours per week to come together in AgriDharma on the fault line of change. What we do, and learn here together, is the cornerstone of this organic farming program. I am convinced (don’t ask me how) that it is also the cornerstone of something quite outside ourselves and significantly bigger than we can see. Perhaps we are balancing on the fault line of a new frontier.

Good Stuff This Weekend 9/25 - 27

2009-09-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

Reminder from Classmate Lisa Chipkin

Hi Fellow Organic Farmers, Just a reminder about the rainwater tours this week if you are interested. Space is still available for both. Email me (Lisachipkin@gmail.com) if you want to join us, or just show up. Meeting places below. Bring suncreen and/or hats, water and snacks you might want. Tours run 10AM-1PM. Cheers, Lisa http://spawnusa.org

Also,

Farmtrails Tour this weekend

Join farmers and artisan producers from Petaluma to Healdsburg for a weekend of tours, artisan foods, hands-on activities, cooking demonstrations, pick-your-own, harvest activities and more at Weekend Along the Farm Trails from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 26 and 27. Some farms, such as Petaluma's McEvoy Ranch and Bounty Farm, are only open Sept. 26.
Admission is free to most farms; for tour information and maps, go to www.farmtrails.org or call 707-837-8896.

Daughters and Flowers

2009-09-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Here's what happens if you take your twelve year old daughter into the Indian Valley Organic Farm in the evening. She asks to borrow your camera and…

Kristi's Buttermilk Raspberry Muffin Recipe

2009-09-24T06:30:00.001-07:00

I tasted the most amazing little berry muffins this weekend (a la KT’s Kitchen) during a MALT event this Sunday). Later than day a friend dropped off four tubs of stunningly beautiful, ripe organic raspberries. I searched on line for a recipe that might work and tweaked it just a tad and used our class as the first tasters. I think the muffins were pretty good, certainly moist but would love feedback and ideas to make them even better. Here is the recipe:

Kristi’s Raspberry Buttermilk Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 400 – makes 18

2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

1 stick melted butter
1 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint buttermilk
1 ½ c fresh (not frozen) raspberries

blend all the ingredients gently (leave out the raspberries until the ingredients are fully integrated) combine the raspberries until they are blended.

Bake until just firm in the center 10-12 minutes

Compost Campfires

2009-09-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, as we approached the fall equinox and the new moon, the air was as warm as a midsummer day, but carried the faintest promise of winter. (Maybe it the smell of oak and bay leaves, finished with their sun-collecting labor, resting dry on the hillside trees above?). Busy with preparations, as we humans know we must be this time of year, we turned our attention back to the compost piles.

“Think of the compost pile as a campfire” Steve advised. "You want to keep it burning." And burn it must! Especially if you're hoping for Organic certification. A pile must reach 140 degrees and be turned three times before it may be used in the garden.

Look at the decomposition. The first shot is day one. The second was taken after a week.

After two weeks, the compost piles had shrunken significantly, which was a good sign that our “campfires” were burning a slow and steady burn. Now it was time to turn them inside out. The goal is to take the dry materials that served as framing the first time around (and therefore did not benefit from the interior heat), and move it to the inside. We turned our five piles into three, and took a good look at what was going on inside as we rebuilt.

Suddenly, we smelled The Stink…and saw an orange-ish, brown-ish, slimy gob of former something. "We’re going anaerobic!!!" Steve shouted. (he's admiring a bit of the goo in the photo below). With the right oxygen-free interior environment, you get all kinds of bacterial action. They're like microscopic oompa-loompas in there, working hard for the cause of Decomposition. They give off pretty nasty gases when they get going, so in this case, Bad Smells Are A Good Thing.

I've equated soil care to wildlife management in a previous blog. The fauna of our compost piles seemed disgruntled by the rearranging of their homeland today. So much so that one caterpillar tried to hitchhike out on a lizard ...then thought better of it (see below).

We all got in a lot of trouble from Wendy and Steve for not being “edgy’ enough (I think I lost that when I moved from the city years ago). It’s difficult to take the partially decomposed wet inner material and use it to make a solid well-edged 5’ x 5’ (which is the ideal size) wide based, broad based, wide-shouldered square pile.

Here Wendy decided to give our rambling pile a makeover.

Meanwhile, some had the pleasure of using the finished compost , prepping rows for new crops.

As is true with almost EVERYTHING while farming and gardening, you must determine what amount of Organic Matter (OM) works best for your rows. At the farm, we add 5 inches or so to our prepared rows.

A Link from Classmate Laura Brainard

2009-09-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

Hi Kirsten

I wanted to let the class know about this cool website: www.primaryperception.com It features the work of Cleve Backster, who has done pioneering work in bio-communication with plants. His work was mentioned in the book The Secret Life of Plants. I've ordered his DVD and will be happy to share it with anyone who wants to borrow it.

Blessings,

Laura Brainard

A Post From Our Classmate Ladd

2009-09-16T21:47:00.001-07:00

Dear Kirsten:

Please post this for our class.

Dr. Leonard Sharaskin, sharing his experiences re growing food in backyard gardens in Russia and also our personal biochemical/interactive relatioinship to plants,

http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com/members/lsharashkin.htm

Anastasia and the Ringing Cedars Series

The story began in 1994 on the bank of the River Ob amidst the endless expanses of the Siberian taiga. The well-known Siberian entrepreneur Vladimir Megre met with two elderly gentlemen who told him about the amazing properties of the Siberian cedar (also known in the West as the Siberian pine). At first he didn't pay much attention to what they told him, but as he continued to reflect on it, Vladimir began to discover, in the historical and scientific literature he examined, more and more evidence supporting their words. Finally he decided to organize an expedition with a fleet of river steamers. The expedition was ostensibly for commercial purposes, but in actual fact his overriding motivation was to find the elders again and learn more about the secrets of the cedar.

This incredible series of books has already been a massive seller in Russia and we interviewed the publisher of the English translations, Leonid Sharashkin, at the Science and Consciousness Conference in Santa Fe, where everyone was spell bound by the information.

Many people ask if Anastasia is "real". Leonid answers simply, that it doesn't really matter whether there is a human being called Anastasia somewhere in the Siberian Taiga, as long as the information connects with the part of all of us that is all-knowing. Once you read the books, you will "know".

For more on The Ringing Cedars Series, go to www.ringingcedars.com
For more About the author, Vladimir Megre, go to www.vladimirmegre.com

P.S http://www.consciousmedianetwork.com has many interviews with visionaries that are free to on members once they are over 30 days old.

Click on interviews and scroll down to Leonard Sharaskin..

Fascinating!

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Ladd

Dancing With Weeds

2009-09-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Beloved Dandelion

Why do we put up with some people, and others drive us crazy? Why do we find some characteristics charming, while others drive us insane? Why can't I take the advice I dole out so readily to my children...If someone is bothering you, try to have empathy for them...and do your best to find something you admire about them.

Disdained Bermuda Grass

Well, I've tried, and I just can't do. I hate Bermuda Grass!!! There. I said it. I just do. I have been grappling with this weed for years in the Novato Charter School garden, and as much as I try to have empathy and find one good thing about it, I can't. I guess I could admire the way it has both underground stems (rhizomes) and above-ground traveling stems (runners) to spread its seed... Well, that's a stretch for me. If my life depended on finding one good thing about Bermuda grass, I would say that I have gotten to know a lot of wonderful people, working alongside them for hours, pulling up the long, stubborn, pernicious and relentless web of Bermuda Grass that thrives in our students' garden.

On the other hand, above are some of the beloved weeds that thrive in my home garden (plantain, blackberry, mint). Weeds are simply plants - roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds - which can sometimes add lovely tastes, smells, sights and healing qualities to our lives.

In the Indian Valley Organic Farm class last Wednesday, Steve Quirt shared the story of his personal journey with weeds. He described a year on his own farm when he was just plain angry, struggling against "the invader," Persian Speedwell (Veronica Persica), which appeared in his farm. It sounds like his rows became a battleground, and he says "you could see it in the way the farm looked."

In great battles, often both parties are destroyed...but, sometimes, we find grace, and make peace. Steve made peace with the Persian Speedwell, and says he has come to rely on it. Weeds are "indicators and providers of fertility," he said. Now he leaves beds open for this plant and its delicate purple flower.

Persian Speedwell

We all have experienced the intelligence and agility of weeds - their disguises and mimicry of parent plants. We know that if left unattended, weeds will suffocate, and, in some cases, poison, intended crops. But if we can manage our frustration and remain observant over time, weeds will tell us about our soil: Purslane and Thistle indicate a fertile soil; Curly Doc does well in a wet soil; Shepherds Purse likes a saline soil; if a thistle is happy someplace, chances are, its artichoke cousin will be also.

Weeds are great ground-breakers, with hearty roots to navigate compacted soil that most crops cannot handle. As Vivien Weise's book, Cooking Weeds, demonstrates beautifully, we can harvest many weeds and partake of their high nutrition. In late spring my youngest grazes on the Miner's Lettuce that grows on the slope beneath our house. "I already ate a lot of salad today," he tells me at dinnertime. A relative of Purslane, Miner's Lettuce is succulent and delicious.

Miner's Lettuce

If you learn to pull up weeds before they seed, they might guide you without creating an extraordinary amount of work. Wendy told the story of Doug Gosling from Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, who baptized the newly broken ground in the Food For Thought AIDS Hospice Garden with a sprinkling of Good King Henry, Amaranth and other "weed" seeds. "They will show us the way to go," Gosling said. Before they planted the hospice garden they would learn what they could about the soil from the "mother weeds." The weeds broke ground, increased fertility and indicated the nature of the soil, and he was careful to harvest before the grown plants could re-seed.

A slat of fall starts wait to go into a bed at Novato Charter School. We work religiously to keep beds free of Bermuda Grass

We can learn to dance with our weeds, a waltz of observance and timing. At the Novato Charter School Garden our dance with Bermuda Grass is a little rough. We lead, and keep our partner at arms length...And, we always hope he doesn't come back to the ball quite so eager next year.

Good Stuff Coming Up

2009-09-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

So many good things are going on in the Northbay this week and in the near future. Here are a few good links:

"We Are What We Eat" - Sustainable Film festival Film TONIGHT, Thusday 9/10 at Drake High School

Rainwater Harvesting Tour and Workshop: sponsored by SPAWN

Locavore, Locavolt, and Localand - offered by Marin Agricultural Land trust on Sunday 9/13

Wendy Johnson teaches farming at Green Gulch Sunday, 9/13

Anyone have anything else to add?

Also, here is something very interesting:

Ecuador Approves New Constitution: Voters Approve Rights of Nature ... a talisman for the future?

Checking In on Mainstream Media

2009-09-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

John James Audubon spent his life in humble observation of the natural world. His ornithological work was revered by scientists such as Charles Darwin and his legacy is a book of drawings that reveal the exquisite complexities of evolution as evidenced in the physiology of birds. I can't help but wonder what he would have thought of the full-page Monsanto ad (above) which appears smack in the middle of his namesake periodical.

Apparently the idea is to froth us up and fuel our ever-present anxieties about food shortages in the year 2050. NOW WHAT? the ad screams, then reassures us that we're in good hands, that the corporation will be there with all sorts of miracle solutions: "That's sustainable agriculture. And that's what Monsanto is all about."

The good news is that on the same newsstand this week's Time magazine ran a summary of why we have got to take things back into our own hands, why we cannot trust corporations with the future of our food production. This piece clearly and concisely describes how we have allowed corporate agriculture to abuse our land and our bodies in pursuit of cheap food and big money. This is a scathing review of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and a call to support small farms.

Reporter Bryan Walsh outlines the "downside of cheap food":

- Unhealthy and fattening grain-based foods are subsidized and therefore cheap compared to fruits and vegetables..."It costs too much to be thin," he writes.
- The use of chemical fertilizers that kill our soil and send toxicity down river and out into the oceans..."When runoff from the fields of the Midwest reaches the Gulf of Mexico, it contributes to what is known as a dead zone, a seasonal, approx. 6,000 sq. mile area that has almost no sea life."... meaning it destroys the fishing industry and "one of our leanest, healthiest sources of protein,"
- Degradation and mistreatment of animals. When you have to pre-cut pigs tails so they don't bite them off each other, you know something is not right.
- Contamination of the local environment by animal wastes
- Loss of farm jobs and demoralizing work for farmers and hands on industrialized farms
- Use of pharmaceuticals which creates resistant strains of bacteria..."70% of antimicrobial drugs used in America are given not to people but to animals, which means we're breeding more of those deadly organisms every day."

What comes through is that this isn't just nostalgia for the good old-fashioned farm days, folks. We're in big trouble the way things are going. Walsh talks about how, yes, we will definitely need more food in the future, and, maybe, in this time of high unemployment, we could employ more actual live people to make that happen, rather than just pouring more damaging chemicals and reckless engineering on the problem.

He goes on to use the local Niman Ranch, where cattle are grass-fed and cared for, as an example of a small farm "getting it right," at least as far as meat production goes. He finishes with this: "The industrial food system fills us up but leaves us empty - it's based on selective forgetting. But what we eat - how it's raised and how it gets to us - has consequences that can't be ignored any longer."

I like to see this type of fed-up coverage in an American staple like Time, but, in the end, the fundamental question Walsh raises can only be answered by individuals. Can we change the way we think? Are we capable of thinking small? Are we capable of supporting those who are truly sustainable? We've got the power - incredible consumer power - but we have to be willing forgo those big mouthfuls of cheap calories, and commit to support small local farmers. Meaning, we must buy their slightly more expensive produce, every single chance we get.

Soil: An Incredible Journey

2009-09-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today in the Indian valley farm class Wendy Johnson told us the story of an emigrant farmer who arrived at Ellis Island with nothing but a handful of soil from his Sicilian homeland in his pocket. We are made of the earth on which we dwell. We are nothing without the ground that sustains us, and, like the Sicilian farmer, we feel that somewhere deep in our hearts. The soil offers us hope.

Yet, so often, we trudge across the ground and think nothing of it. We take earth for granted, assuming it has always and will always provide for us. We manipulate the land as if nothing we do matters. We might call attention to the oil shortage, or polluted water, but we do not look out for the soil upon which everything depends. There is an expression to "treat someone like dirt." Imagine if that idiom someday became a compliment.

Out the Indian Valley Organic Farm we gave our soil some of the attention it deserves. First, we stood back and considered our dirt in geologic time. Steve Quirt reminded us of the incredible journey - at one time all dirt was rock at the top of a mountain,. Soil is ancient, millions and millions of years old, by the time it reaches our feet. Eventually, through a long process of compression, it will make its way back to the form of rock again.

We were blessed by balmy cloud cover and an unusual September sprinkling of rain as we got down to the "nitty-gritty," studying soil samples close up. Most of us in the Bay Area find clay in our backyards. Those near the ocean find sand. The ideal garden soil is "loam," which is 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay. Clay is wonderful, powerful stuff, of course. That's because of it's fine block-like structure and surface area or "large reactive surface area" which allows the most nutrients to adhere and become part of the soil composition...but, as we who garden or farm in the area know, it can become very hard and compacted, allowing in little water or air. So, the trick is to mix in enough of the sand, which has the opposite texture, and silt, to get a balanced composition. Then you amend with organic matter to keep that microbial action up and running, and you begin to have a very healthy growing environment. Wendy advised us to aim for soil that can be made into a ball, but "pings" apart easily.

Here, she set up a simple soil test in the Farm "lab" (see above). She wanted to compare the permeability of lovely soil from Green Gulch Farm, to the Indian Valley "parent" soil, to the new Indian Valley Organic Farm soil, which has been heartily amended over the past year. The results were not surprising, but were fun to watch. The Green Gulch soil held the most water, of course, but the IVOF soil did pretty darn well for a beginner. One key concept we discussed was the difference between soil Texture, which is what soil is (this you cannot change) and soil Structure, which is the way soil behaves.

Don't forget to listen to your soil. Rub a little sample between your fingers and "listen for the gritch, gritch, gritch, of Mr. McGregor's hoe," Wendy advises. That sound means things are going pretty well.

She also poured Hydrogen Peroxide on the various soil samples to test the bacterial activity level. See the fizzy, bubbly areas? That's Hydrogen Peroxide reacting with the microbes. Fizz is good.

Next it was time to make some cakes for our soil. Great big beautiful Rudbekia and Sunflower-decorated towering compost cakes. We started with some corn stalk at the bottom, providing a foundational structure and aeration. Then add layers of freshly harvested green material (you'll see we pulled up a whole melon field), then manure, dry leaf mulch, more green material, more manure, some straw...and more of the same several times over. The goal is to maintain a nice "broad-backed" prism shape (in one photo below you can see that we used stalks and stems and vines to make a "frame" for the growing shape) . Keep the piles damp, and there you have it. In two hours we were able to build five fancy multi-tiered compost cakes which will eventually be fed to our cherished farmland soil.

One of my favorite things about this "Compost Party" was working alongside fellow gardeners and hearing about where they came from, where they first formed an attachment to the land. New Mexico, Brazil, New England...I have a feeling this farm will overhear many stories from our homelands.

A lot of harvesting and clearing organic material.

A lovely sunflower "frame"

Keep the piles damp.

Will the pile have shrunk by next Wednesday?

There are always party favors at a garden party

Wildlife Management

2009-09-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Taking Care of Your Soil Inhabitants

Last week Wendy Johnson asked the Indian Valley Organic Farm class to read Chapter 8 of Pam Pierce's Bay Area gardening bible, Golden Gate Gardening . The chapter is entitled Down To Earth, and in it Pam Pierce writes "Soil care is basically a kind of wildlife management." How fun. I'm going to tighten my hat under my chin think of myself as a small game warden now each time I go out to check the status of the wildlife in my garden soil.

Pam Pierce is talking about the need to make your soil a hospitable environment for creatures of all sizes - everything from microscopic bacteria to big fat worms. If you provide a nice home for these creatures, they will work to break down your organic matter until the chemical nutrients are released. They will also produce antibiotics and prey on pests that will damage your roots. I'd say we gardeners get a pretty good deal, but we do need to be good landlords.

Basics of "Wildlife Management" in Your Soil as outlined by Pam Pierce in Golden Gate Gardening are:

- Provide moisture. That means, keep your soil damp, even before you start planting in the Spring.

- Not too much moisture. Water-logged soil allows for disease organisms to thrive.

- The helpful creatures thrive in warm soil...and will die if the soil dries completely or freezes.

- Provide air. The creatures that survive without oxygen happen to also be the ones that get your roots.

How do you do all of the above? It's pretty straightforward, according to Pierce:

- Dig and turn your soil. This is most important if you have clay soil. You want to let in air so the soil creatures will prosper.

- Add organic matter. Dig organic matter into the top 6-10 inches of your soil, ideally twice a year.

- Avoid toxic chemicals - they kill the helpful wildlife. (Pam Pierce has a section on pg.135 of her book that describes how to use pesticides in the least harmful way in the case that you have to use them.)

"Old Time"

2009-09-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

My life, like most everybody's, has become very busy. I live by the wall calendar and the digital clock, respond, all day long, to alarm beeps and ring tones. This type of organization has never come easily, but as a mother of three young children, I've been a good modern-day soldier and learned to salute the minute clock.

At the Indian Valley Organic Farm, I leave my phone/clock off, tucked in my bag, and lose track of time. I know that the fog lifts as the sun rises into the blue sheet sky above. I know that I am growing warm as I work, and that the ground is dry in most places. I know that tomatoes weigh down their vines, hundreds of them, nearing crimson and looking as if they will burst with their own flavor.

What a treat this is to become responsive to the environment, to sense the season based on the clues - what smells does the wind carry, who is flying overhead, what ripens on the vine.

Today in class Wendy Johnson spoke to us of "time told through the plants." This is the way a farmer begins to think, developing a sense of "old time", told through the seasons. This means that, at least for periods of our daily life, we must "give in" and drop our highly refined ring-tone, twenty-four hour clock-based sense of time.

Today, before rushing home, I stopped on the hill above the farm to sit in the dry grasses and take in the wide lens perspective, to feel the larger sense of time. This land, the whole area, has been inhabited for 4000 years. (The IVOF is one year old and I've been working on it for only two weeks!) As I sat I could almost see women and their daughters carrying their baskets across the meadow below, looking for a cool place to sit and collect wild seeds. I thought of the passage Wendy read from The Ohlone Way (a beautiful and important book for anyone living in California). It described the packs of wolves, the cougar, the grizzly bear, coyote and fox and rabbit, and the flocks of birds so dense they sounded "like a hurricane" when they were startled and rose from the fields.. and I lost myself in the landscape.

Soon enough, I realized I was late!! I needed to rush home, hop in my car and get down the freeway to pick up my children and their friends. How then, do we carry both notions of time with us as we live, earn, respond to our way through modern life?

Today, as Wendy Johnson spoke, I jotted down "You will carry that awareness and sense of Old Time with you wherever you go." Make space in time, develop a relationship with the biological world, and that sense becomes part of who you are, wherever you are.

The other thing Wendy said today was this: "Be alive to what is happening in the present moment." (this, to my mind, is truly wonderful and critical). Allow ourselves to "step into the richness" of all that this land we now farm has been, cherish and respect the 4000 years of culture and millions of years of biologic complexity that came before us, and also, be here, now, alive and working, in the present moment. We are not nostalgic, simply longing for the the olden days, but farming and learning in a way that honors the ancient body of knowledge.

Notes: Wendy mentioned an interview on NPR with Gary Paul Nabhan, who speaks about native seed saving, and the earth as the best seed bank of all (Gary Paul Nebhan - Intvw. on Marketplace).

Also, The Regenerative Design Institute will present a Carbon Farming Series - Building Resiliency: Managing Land to Conserve Soil, Water and Energy starting Sept. 23, 2009.

The Art of Planting and Watering Fall Starts

2009-08-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Do not be deceived by the sturdy nature of Brassica . As babies, they are as needy and deserving of attention as any other plant. Today at the Indian Valley Organic Farm, we harvested, cleared, pruned, seed-saved, winnowed, and learned exactly how to plant lettuce and Brassica starts.

Above is a photo of a properly planted cauliflower start. The reason it is a properly planted cauliflower start is this:

- First, we pinched off all of the leaves along the stem except the top two.

- Then, we held up the baby plant to gauge its length from the bottom of the roots to the small crown (where the plant stem meets the roots) at the base of the leaves.

- Next, we dug a hole plenty deep to lay out the root system gently, all the way to the bottom of the hole, making sure that the roots are not bunched up. "You don't want them to have to do all that work to reconfigure themselves," Steve said.

- Finally, (and this is the step that is "super, super, super," important, according to Steve) we filled in the hole and look to see that "the crown is on the ground".

As we planted we kept in mind the harrowing sight of a poor young broccoli Steve pointed out to us. It had been planted just a few days earlier with too much stem exposed, and it was weak and wilted. We were careful to tuck that soil way up around the collar of the small plants.

Now we can move on to watering in the starts. In the photo above a classmate demonstrates the best water technique on a row of lettuce she has planted:

- Use a twist in the hose to control water pressure, and make sure that water pressure is not too strong to displace soil or harm the start.

- Water in a small circle around each start until the ground is well-soaked.

Those of us who grew up in the Bay Area know that fall comes with a breath of hot air, just when its time to go back to school...as in now. When the days are still extremely warm, it is best to plant Brassica in the evening. If you cannot plant in the evening, you must make sure to water immediately after putting the starts in the ground.

Babies are babies are babies, and they are tender and delicate and deserving of our most refined attention, no matter the species. If you care for the young with heartfelt attention in the early days, they will grow sturdy and live bountiful lives...as evidenced by the produce stand at IVOF.

Bethallyn Black, Indian Valley Organic Farm Site Manager

More action shots from the day...

Today we're collecting "Indian Valley Red" Lettuce seeds

Using the wind to winnow

Sorting

And sifting

And looking forward to this.

Gardening in The Spirit of My Father

2009-08-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

My father, Arden Jones, taught me to love the land. Above is a photo of him, not long before he died in 2001. He is with my two oldest daughters in the garden he helped us to build and cultivate here in Novato. Although my father was not well when this photo was taken, I love it, because that was him, to the very end, crouching down in a garden to investigate, smell, taste, cherish and honor everything about the living world. While most obituaries list professional achievement, the main paragraph of my father's read: "He was especially fond of spiders, ticks, bats and other tiny beings who he felt might be misunderstood or under-appreciated," ... and, "His ability to find magic under every stone made him a friend, in particular, to young children." We all loved to be with him in nature. You can see in my younger daughter's face what he was able to inspire ...pure wonder.

One of the reasons I am so enjoying the Indian Valley Organic Farm is because Steve Quirt and Wendy Johnson are bringing me home to a lot of what my father understood and tried to share with me about gardening. As an adult child working beside him I remained semi-rebellious, and would often purposefully focus on something like arrow-straight rows, wanting to know that we were following the plan. I was fastidious when he was open-hearted and experimental. I was sometimes impatient with the way he loved to tuck things in here and there, encouraging me to watch and see which plants liked each other, and how they would do in a particular soil. I couldn't understand why he insisted on hand-watering so many plants when the entire modern world was using irrigation tubing.. I often doubted his relaxed, trusting approach to the wildness of growing environments.

My father was patient with gardens, so they thrived and grew magnificent and productive in his care. His gardens drew insects, and, of course, all sorts of critters. He created spaces that brought children looking for mystery or adventure or solace. His gardens also brought adults, looking for peace, or the comfort of a sweet tomato. Or, sometimes, just looking for their children.

When my siblings and I were young, my father drove our family across country in the summer so we could spend time in the woods of Nova Scotia, Canada. These were the same woods where he and his mother spent time, where she had shared with him all she had learned from her father. My father came from a line of people who believed nature carried all of the wisdom we humans might need. The danger for this type is a tendency toward misanthropy or isolation in the modern world, some of which we boast in our family lineage. My father was not particularly adept at managing in the modern world, but he seemed to truly enjoy being with others in a garden or in the wilderness. He was a guide and a fellow explorer. He was a large man, but he always crouched down, as if to make himself smaller in the face of nature.

One of my earliest memories of solitude was lying down within one of my father's gardens, the one that grew beneath my childhood home. When things felt too complex in the house, there was just enough space for me to settle in between his towering rows of corn, beans, and squash. From that perspective, the yellow squash blossoms looked like delicate fans, and seemed to carry the whole sun in their translucence. Scarlett Runners tangled around the corn stalks, their beans dangling like fanciful earrings. A wayward Morning Glory vine, jeweled with blue blossoms, reached across the divide between the rows to create a shade canopy. Resting there I felt small and unknown to the world, like a snail, or a beetle. And I felt safe.

My children often wander down to what we call "Grandpa's Garden" here at our home. It is overgrown and wild, depending on the extent to which I tame it. They disappear there on summer evenings, and I know they are munching on grapes or blackberries, maybe trying to keep a straight face when they taste sour sorrel leaves, a game he taught them. One evening a few years after my father died, when one of my daughters was seven, she stayed in the garden for hours. Finally I called her for dinner and when I asked what she had been up to all that time she said matter-of-factly, "Oh, I was just down there talking to Grandpa."

I do feel sometimes, when I am digging my hands in, turning the soil, that my father is speaking to me. I hear him, asking me if I don't see how wonderful it is, all the life that dwells there in that one handful of soil? He encourages me to stop, to take a moment, to relish those fine thread-like tendrils, to see what it is, after all this time, finally, miraculously, sprouting from seed.

Organic Matter Matters

2009-08-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

The word ecology is tossed around a lot these days, so I went back to the dictionary and found this: The branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment, including other organisms. It's just a great word, ecology. It represents living things interacting, truly being together to create an environment... something that isn’t always easy to come by in this Age of High Technology.

Ecology, and a whole lot of it, that is what is going on at the Indian Valley Organic Farm (IVOF), a new teaching farm on the Novato campus of the College of Marin. The idea for the farm, a collaboration between the College of Marin, The North Bay Conservation Corps and the U.C. Cooperative Extension, became a reality about a year ago and has grown almost magically over the past six months.

Imagine a broad swath of wild land, a visionary college dean (Nanda Schorske, College of Marin Dean of Workforce Development), two teachers whose life’s work is cultivation and inspiration (Wendy Johnson and Steve Quirt), then add some ordinary people looking to work hard, connect and grow. Cue the insects, the bacteria, and the fungi… now the fog, the sun and the rain. And, finally, toss in an economy that’s got people ready to take food production into their own hands and a pinch of Obama’s stimulus package. Now we’re talking Ecology.

Today was the first day of the fall class at Indian Valley Organic Farm. Instructor Steve Quirt calls the Farm a “bubble of fertility” and I was lucky enough to be one of the big-hatted, dirty finger nailed humans wandering through the rows and rows of crops, ogling the soil, sniffing the compost and sampling from the fruits in their various stages of growth. The farm looks like it has been around a good long while, but I can guarantee, it hasn’t. I have walked the path above the area for years, have let my eyes graze the rugged slope, a tangle of brush and grasses. It was not until last January that the symphony of cultivation began.

Sewing Hybrid Lettuce Seeds

For years I have taught Gardening at an elementary and middle school called the Novato Charter School. We have a wonderful program at our little school, and so far my main role has been to share my love of the natural world with young people. But this year, I will work with middle school students, and I wanted to take my understanding of how things grow to the next level. I knew enough about Steve Quirt and Wendy Johnson to know I’d learn a lot in this class, but it wasn’t until I followed them though the garden today that I understood how powerful it is to be live with great teachers, smelling and touching and pondering. They both share their wisdom as they work, and my only problem was that I couldn't be with both of them at once; I didn’t want to miss a word.

Wendy Johnson demonstrates the perfect hand-watering arc.

Water until the soil "shines," she says.

I have already begun a list of topics to explore this semester:
- “second spring” planting - the art of timing crops so they are ready for the winter “freezer”
- drip tape - who will figure out how to recycle this stuff?
- hand watering - “Don’t clog the little stomata mouths on their leaves!” says Wendy as she shows us the art of the perfect water arc
- carbon farming v. nitrogen farming
- precycling - now there's a great notion
- hybrid vigor;
- gardening vs. farming - for instance, those potatoes in the photo below were planted shallow,for a quick harvest.

Those are just a few that came up during the first class. I can tell this is going to be a good long list.

A fellow gardener harvests potatoes

For now, I’ll just focus on the ground. If there was one lesson I took away from this first class, it was to consider the earth. Yes, our beloved planet Earth, but also, on a microcosmic level, the earth that is beneath our feet, the matter into which we put our seeds and starts, the soil that nourishes us. We must put our patient attention toward caring for our soil, and if we can do that, then anything and everything will grow. Rob, a graduate of last semester’s class, said, “There are a lot of things growing out here that shouldn’t be out here.”

“It’s all about cover crops and compost.” That was Steve’s mantra today. “Organic matter matters!”

A close-up look at the compost heaps (make that mountains).

Good Dirt!

There are no short cuts, but if you amend and amend, land will be transformed, as the Indian Valley land has been transformed, amazingly quickly. Today I overheard a fellow students. She was gathering lettuce seeds, shaking them into a small bucket, when she stopped to take in the number of visitors stopping by and the rows of people raking, planting and reaping. “Everyone comes here because so much is growing,” she said. “ And because it’s SO beautiful.”

Beneficials have arrived

Happy Red Lettuce

Thank you, buckwheat, a favorite cover crop that also does a tremendous job attracting bees and other beloved insects.

Later that same day....

The seeds from the IVOF are floating out across the California landscape, spreading far and wide. In the evening I rode my bike by the farm just as Steve Quirt and Bethallyn Black, the Farm Manager, were finishing up their work for the day. The sun had settled low in the sky, blanketing the land and the crops in a warm light. I mentioned to Steve that I would be planting with students at Novato Charter School the next day, and he bestowed great gifts from the garden.

All sorts of hybrid seeds and some winter starts.

Perfect timing! We hope to be cooking in the Novato Charter School garden by October. Steve also helped me to harvest some Calendula to dry and we spoke about making Calendula Salve. He mentioned that the sun and the moon work even better than the stovetop method, which I will say can be kind of crazy in a 40 minute class with 25 kids.. After drying the harvested blooms for a few weeks, pour olive oil over the petals in a jar. Leave the mixture outside to soak up the sun’s rays and cool down with the moon over the course of three or four days. Puree the mixture and there you have it: Moon and Sun Salve.

Calendula