Copy
June 22, 2015
Week #3
View this email in your browser
Letter from a Farmer,
Rain is gently falling on the farm as I write this letter.  (The other crew members are suited up in rain gear to do the Sunday morning squash and zucchini harvest.  Demanding crops those cucurbits.  After that the crew can enjoy a well-deserved day of rest.)  Sunday rain is a gift.   It means we won’t need to irrigate during the week, it waters in the plants and seeds we put in the ground on Thursday and Friday,  it helps the pasture and hay fields re-grow after grazing and forage harvesting, and it gives us a chance to breathe in before another busy week. 

The weather the past couple of weeks has been worrisome.  We have had tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings.  Dark storm clouds came over the Catskills and continued to blow over the farm leaving a bit of rain here and there but no severe winds or hail.   Our soils absorbed the rain that did fall and we have been able to keep up with the farm work despite the rain. 

Which leads me to think about severe weather patterns from past seasons, when rain would fall day after day or come down multiple inches at a time.  These kinds of storms will most likely come more frequently as our climate patterns change.  At farm conferences there are now sessions and talks about how farmers in the northeast can deal with the effects of climate change.  How can agriculture not only mitigate the problems of heavy storms or long dry periods but how can it contribute to creating solutions? 

At Roxbury Farm we are doing a number of things to mitigate climate change.  We decided to purchase more land that is above the flood plain of the Kinderhook Creek.    We should close on the remaining 28 acres this summer.  Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee cemented in our minds the power of a flooded creek as it completely swallowed 50 acres of our lower fields.  When we came to the farm in 2000, all of the land along the creek was plowed up for corn.  That first season we planted wide swaths of permanent grass along the creek and in the low lying fields to prevent any erosion from happening during floods.   We farm in fields divided by strips of grass to catch soil that washes away during hard rains.  Another tool to reduce erosion in the vegetable fields is a thick cover of straw mulch over the bare soil.  Our cows and sheep graze on hilly land.  A permanent grass cover is the only responsible way to farm this land.   As the weather changes bring more diseases and other pests from warmer states, we experiment with new vegetable varieties that give us the ability to produce a great crop even under less than ideal conditions.  

Agriculture can also play an important role in sequestering carbon and dealing with excess water from hard rain or holding water during periods of drought.  The state of California is starting to recognize that farmers are an important source for climate change solutions.  The CA State Senate just passed a bill that would grant farmers funds to improve their farming practices in order to sequester carbon and to reduce water use and greenhouse gas emissions.  Californians realize that agriculture can not only feed us but can also help with climate change issues.  Farmers can provide a public service that will benefit everyone. The bill now needs to go to the California Assembly and things look favorable for it to be signed into law.  (http://calclimateag.org/sb-367/)

What does it mean to sequester carbon and to have a soil that can absorb water like a sponge anyway?  When plants photosynthesize they take carbon dioxide out of the air.  As the plants or plant parts die and decay they become part of a web of underground life that creates soil organic matter.  This organic matter is what can hold the carbon in the soil.  Unfortunately most of our farming practices that we use to grow food destroy soil organic matter.  Constant tillage to keep soil open burns up organic matter, feeding livestock grain instead of pasture keeps land in tillage and not in permanent grass cover, and  depending on chemicals to produce crops destroys microscopic soil organisms that can create organic matter. 

Alternatives to this system include a diversified farm with mixed perennial grasses and legumes grazed by livestock.  This system, if properly managed, creates a large sink for carbon.  Keeping the soil covered by green manures, cover crops, and straw mulch provides the right conditions for active soil life and the building of organic matter.  Using compost and animal manure as fertilizer instead of chemical inputs feeds soil organisms instead of destroying them (again if done properly).  We practice these systems at Roxbury Farm.  Since 2000, we have doubled the organic matter of our soil from 1.25% to 2.5%.   Which may not seem like much.  According to experts it takes 10 lbs of decomposed material (plants and manures) to create 1 lb of organic matter.  To increase the organic matter by 1% on one acre of land would require 100 tons of organic material (http://www.noble.org/ag/soils/organicmatter)    Multiply that by the 300 acres that are in production at Roxbury Farm and that is a lot of tons of organic material.  We hope to double our organic matter again in the next 10-12 years.

Each percent of organic matter in the top foot of soil can hold onto 21 tons of carbon per acre and can hold four times its weight in water (read rainfall).   Increasing organic matter increases the amount of carbon held in the soil and out of the atmosphere.  Healthy soil can also absorb more water during heavy rains.   The Hurricanes Sandy and Irene were so damaging in part because most of our land can no longer absorb water creating more flooding and erosion.  If our agricultural and forested land was better managed, these storms would not be as devastating.    And we could be part of the solution to climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gases in the air.

In the end, soils that are healthy; full of life, and have appropriately managed organic matter, also grow food higher in nutrients that can truly nourish us.  Human civilizations have long recognized the connection between our health and soil health.  The industrialization of agriculture took us on a detour and modern agricultural policy forgot about this connection along the way.  When customers and farmers create a partnership that allows the farmer to manage soil in a sustainable way we can honor this connection again.   A quote from FDR sums this up, “A nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself.”                    ~Jody

 
Our new cultivator from the Netherlands
Quinoa and Greens

1 cup quinoa
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 T. coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
1 bunch collard greens or kale, stem removed and diced*
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 T butter
 
Soak the quinoa in cold water overnight.  This isn't mandatory, however it is gives the quinoa a better texture and takes less time to cook.
 
Drain the quinoa and place in a medium saucepan.  Add 1 3/4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to the boil over medium heat, then cover and lower the heat to low.  Cook for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
 
Meanwhile, in a 12" frypan over medium heat, heat the coconut oil and add the onion.  Cook until transparent, about 5 minutes.  Add the greens and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes, stirring often.  Add the cumin seeds and salt.  Cook until the cumin seeds are fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
 
Add the cooked quinoa to the above and stir to combine.  Add the butter and cook until melted. Season.
 
This is great either hot or cold.
 
* This is wonderful with virtually any green.  Kohlrabi greens, beet greens, turnip greens, radish greens ...if it's green, it's good!


Tatsoi Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette
 
1 handful tatsoi, stems and leaves cut into pieces
5 red leaf lettuce leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup roasted pistacios
 
Place all ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss well with the vinaigrette (recipe below).
 
Garlic + Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 tsp summer savory, finely diced
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
large pinch freshly ground pepper
 
Place all ingredients in a small jar and shake vigorously.

 
Sweet corn that we just cultivated with the new machine.
COMING NEXT WEEK: broccoli, snow peas, chard or kale, broccoli rabe, cabbage, salad mix, head lettuce, basil, parsley, cilantro, scallions, cucumber, summer squash, and zucchini
 
GARLIC HARVEST PARTY: Join us on Saturday, July 18 for our garlic harvest and BBQ.  We will start the day at 10:00 am and share in a potluck lunch with our own BBQ grass-fed hamburgers at 1:00 pm.  Wear clothes that can get dirty and bring gloves, water bottle, sunscreen, and a dish to share at the potluck.  Please sign up at your CSA site so we know how many burgers to prepare.  Hope to see you at the farm!
CSA SHARES AVAILABLE:  We need 75 more members to reach our goal of 1100.  Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family to sign up.  (The share price will be pro-rated for the weeks they missed.)