What's Up Next for the Farm: Soil Health and Cultivation
The farming operations at River Bend Farm are full speed ahead as our farmer, Scott Courcelle of Alchemy Gardens AND a FOAMer (Ecology Educator from Spring/Fall ‘06 and Spring/Fall ‘07), digs into the health of our fields. The passion and drive Scott has for farming—especially farming at River Bend Farm—is obvious. We’re grateful to be sit down with him to hear more about the plans for our agroecology farm and learn about how fields are transformed into nutritious growing grounds for our food!
(Want to learn more about Scott? Click here to read River Bend Farm: Meet our Farmer!)
What is the schedule or timeline for The Ecology School’s farming operations?
Scott cultivating the fields.
The Ecology School has set the exciting goal that we will grow all of the produce that is served on site at River Bend Farm! Along with this ambitious goal, there are a number of other critical objectives that the farm operation must meet. The farm must be designed to maximize educational opportunities for The Ecology School’s program participants. It must also always manage with a focus towards producing the highest quality nutrient dense food and best ecological outcomes. To meet these goals and objectives we are taking a multi-year approach.
What are the steps you will be taking in 2020 on the farmland?
This year’s work will involve both getting started with preparing the farm fields as well as a significant amount of assessment and planning in order to begin to build out the necessary farm systems and infrastructure.
The on-the-ground work will include converting one of the hayfields that lies on the southwest of the property from sod to crop land. Conversion, as I am speaking of it, simply means that we will work to kill all of the existing perennial grasses through an initial plowing and subsequent cultivation. Through this process of killing the perennial weeds we will create garden conditions prime for growing crops.
We will also begin the process of balancing the soil nutrients and building fertility. This is one of the most critical and for me the most fascinating and exciting steps in this whole process to ensure success. When soil is properly balanced and tended to, soil life becomes vibrant, abundant, and diverse. When the soil food web is functioning at a high level of vitality and plants are properly cared for, truly amazing things begin to happen in the garden. Pests and diseases disappear and the quality of the produce exceeds all expectations. Not only does it taste better and store much longer, it is actually measurably more packed with nutrition.
Scott checks to make sure all is running smoothly behind him.
Did you know that when plants are at their peak potential of health they will feed as much as 70% of the sugars they manufacture through photosynthesis directly out of their roots and into the soil? Why would they do that you might ask, and it is a good question, but when we gain a better understanding of what is really at work when a plant grows in the soil, it makes perfect sense. Plants rely on the digestive nature of the soil food web to live and especially to thrive. Plants have a very sophisticated relationship with the soil life, which ultimately make the nutrients they need available to them through all the different stages of their development. Plants manufacture and release specific formulations of sugars through their roots that favor the specific microbes that specialize in making available the nutrients that they are most in need of at any given moment.
Soil health in relation to growing crops is a subject I could go on and on about, perhaps we should save that for an upcoming blog post! I’ll cut myself short here and simply explain that to begin this process we will apply a mixture of regionally sourced rock dust, inoculated biochar, humates, biological stimulants and inoculates and low solubility macro and micro nutrients, more on all of this next time.
When the garden is ready at some point this summer, we will plant a multi species cover crop (also referred to as green manure crop) in order to build soil and capture carbon. We will also prepare a small plot on which we will plant vegetables for a late fall harvest.
In 2021, food production will be stepped up. We will also continue to convert and improve land and continue building the critical infrastructure necessary to run the farm operation.
Will anything (perhaps some delicious vegetables) be planted in 2020? If so, what?
Yes. Most significantly, cover crops will be planted to build fertility and improve the soil. We will plant a crop of Sorghum Sudan Grass with a handful of other plant species added in for truly impressive biomass production and soil improvement.
We will also plant a variety of late season vegetable crops, things like cabbage, kale, rutabaga, and daikon radish, all of which prefer the cooler growing conditions of the fall.
What do you think will be the biggest obstacle?
A very happy Rich O’Brien, our Operations Manager and Chef, shows off the freshly plowed fields.
The biggest obstacle will likely be the effective removal of all the perennial grasses. To achieve this, we will need to time cultivation activities strategically to take advantage of both favorable weather conditions (let’s hope for some nice early stretches of good drying weather) and knowing when the grasses are most vulnerable to damage. Rhizomatous grasses will often expend their stored energy until they have produced 3-4 leaves at which point they again begin capturing the sun’s energy and storing it.
As a Farmer and a fOAmer, what are you most looking forward to for River Bend Farm?
River Bend Farm is such a beautiful site and is so full of productive potential! I feel so lucky to be able to be involved in seeing it transition into a fully functioning vibrant and productive farm! I am also just really excited to be spending time farming at The Ecology School on the Saco River!
You’ve seen a lot of farms, what is unique about River Bend Farm?
River Bend Farm is especially unique in that it finds itself in the fortunate situation to be owned and stewarded by The Ecology School. With the organization’s wise vision and attention to the highest standards of ecological responsibility it is bound for greatness. It will create endless educational opportunities to teach about plant and soil biology, farming, food systems, and resilient communities and our ability to feed ourselves. It will produce food of the very highest quality for the benefit of all those lucky enough to dine in The Ecology School’s facilities. It will also serve as a working laboratory to push the boundaries of the best regenerative farming practices. My hope is that 50 years from now River Bend Farm will stand in all of its productive glory as a truly stunning example of how a landscape can be thoughtfully transformed for the benefit of the larger ecological community while also meeting the needs of our human communities!
The Ecology School at River Bend Farm aspires to be a model of a resilient and sustainable community building in so many ways. In addition to the construction of physical structures (Dining Commons & Dormitory) that take on the Living Building Challenge and our recognition as the first-in-the-world Living Community Challenge Master Plan, our fertile farm fields that line the Saco River will soon be home to a working, full-scale agroecology farm. Learn more about the project by clicking here.
In essence, agroecology farming is farming that centers on food production that makes the best use of natural systems and ecosystem services while not damaging nature and the land. This addition to our River Bend Farm "education ecosystem" will enable our Program Team to integrate ecological agricultural practices into the programs and curriculum while providing experiential opportunities for youth and community members to learn about farming, food security, climate resilience, and local food systems.