Classes 12 & 13

Class 12 was a trip to Bolinas. See photos from field trip to Warren Webber's Star Route Farm along Pine Gulch Creek at the west end of Bolinas Lagoon, and Mark's homestead on the Big Mesa.

Topics discussed were Salmonid restoration, use of irrigation ponds, Red Legged Frog habitat, agency cooperation (and red tape), market demand, transportation and delivery of produce, the use of distributors, crop rotation for market demand, flooding, soil, organic matter, compost, innoculum and cover crops, wax boxes vs. reusable crates, spinach, specialty lettuces, leek cultivation, and
washing process and equipment. Those of us who arrived early got a lesson from Henry in small frame tractors and digging equipment (something we haven't been exposed to a lot of in class).

Star Route Farms grows baby greens in at least one field. Five different varieties of lettuce, each in it's own row, ran the length of each raised mound. The spacing of the lettuce was very close, much closer than the spacing used at IVC. We speculated that it was probably due to the intended small size of the lettuce for market.

Class 13...........Prayer, pepper harvest and celebration.
We talked briefly about Integrated Pest Management, and broke into presentation groups. Next week  "Farming with Animals" and "Farming with the Wild" groups will present their reports to the class. In Farming with Animals, we are looking for people to cover the topics: Farming with Bees, and Farming with Rabbits, if you are interested. Also, Journals are due next week. Please bring them to class - they do not need to be re-written, as per Wendy.

On the farm, we said a prayer of thanks, with one mind, to all the directions, to the sun and moon and wind, and to all living plants and birds. It was beautiful. We harvested a LOT of beautiful peppers and cleared the field of them. They were not going to hold up on the vine with record cold temperatures in the region this week. Most of us joined in a pepper eating ceremony after class and tried some of the spiciest varieties in the garden (they were like beautiful gems of purple, orange, yellow, red and green). I think they are some kind of Thai pepper. We toasted to the spice of life and to intern Spencer, who is going on an adventure to Asia.

Here are my notes from class, including the date of presentation for each group and the individuals in each group.

Farming with Animals - 12/1
Laura F.
*Heidi-Bees? Rabbits? Other?
Dana
*Krista-Bees? Rabbits? Other?
Karina: Rules and Regulations
Devon

Farming with the Wild - 12/1
White Pearl
Jerry
Carla

Farm Planning - 12/8
Laura C.
Laura D.
Suzy
Katy
Delia
Rose
Dane
Sandy

Farm Public Programs -12/8
Leslie
Michelle
Rachel
Bilkis
Karen
Ocean
Thais
Britta
Connie
Dana

Farm with Affiliated Businesses - 12/15
Mark
Linda
Vanessa
Linda
De Ann
Veronica
C. Russell

IVC Farm Class Time Bank
If you want to be involved talk to Devon


Integrated Pest Management (Four Main Concerns):
1. Cutural
What is the LEAST I can do (least invasive) Check out the Integrated Pest Management chapter in the book by Richard Merrill The Gardener's Table, Richard Merrill also wrote Radical Agriculture.
What are vegetable crops that will build soil and human health? Study the cultural requirements and seek out resistant varieties to the problems you are likely to encounter in cultivation in your local area. Seeds of Change and other seed catalogs. Pay close attention to the soil health. Heavy, compact soil will cause rot and disease. Let ground rest. Too much compost may contribute to infestation by Symphylum worm which lives in undigested organic matter. In the greenhouse, if you get pests, lighten up the medium and the watering, let more air in. Rotation.

2. Physical
Use physical controls first. Fences under and above ground. Floating row cover is another helpful physical control. Wind screen. Shade screen. Sometimes this is your only option (like with Cucumber Beetles which don't have natural predators).
Trap crops: Sunflowers, Amaranth, Umbel Family plants (with extra floral nectaries) and Aster family plants.

3. Biological
How do we deter pests biologically? Increase insect predator populations or introduce them. Dragon Fly, Minute Pirate Bug, Soldier Bug, Assassin Bug, Damsel Fly...Book: The Fruitless Fall (see at the back of the book a list of beneficial insects and what they like). Pests, Predators and Parasitoids: Hover fly, Trichogama wasp: lay eggs into pest bodies (catipillars). Do not descriminate between rare butterflies and pest catepillars. Another great predator is Spiders. Use of trap crops and hedgerows and cover crops is a way of increasing predatory insect populations.

4. Chemical
Above all else, use this as a last resort, and KNOW what you are doing and why. How much to prepare and use, when and how much and how often to apply. One of the oldest chemicals is SULFUR, which has been used for thousands of years as a fungicide. Can come in form of soap. Nicotine flowers (tobacco) are botanical way to interact with pest population, however have non-descriminating natural compounds. Pestiferous and Predatory insects are drawn to them. Neem, Rotanone (sp?) Garlic, Cayanne, Pyrethrum, These chemicals are getting into the waterways. SOAP coats insect stomachs. OILS coat insects. Don't sufficate plants with oils. Industrial, Chemical Sprays. See: Common Sense Pest Management by Bill and Helga Okowsky (see syllabus). Forgotten Pollinators, Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs, and Pests of the Garden and Small Farm by Mary Louise Flint. Spray dormant oil (when leaves not on tree) to suffocate scale. If you spray during growth season the leaves will suffocate and disrupt growth and health of tree.

For more information:

Pesticide Action Network, P.A.N.
check out their website.
http://www.panna.org/