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Why Stay at Home Moms Should be Teaching Their kids How to Garden

We live in a culture dominated by materialism. Processed foods, industrial agriculture, television, video games, smart phones and the internet. It's a vastly different generation than those of the recent past, in many positive ways, but also with many negatives. As it is with anything in life, a balance is important. In this case the balance is important to  maintain both physical and mental resiliency. Having a strong knowledge of technology will be greatly important for our next generations. However also understanding your physical self and how to maintain health should be something not forgotten.

Our children should learn to care for their physical and mental state, and what better way is there than to garden? Not only is a garden capable of attaching us to the world that we are so mortally intertwined with, but it is also a teacher capable of ingraining patience, creativity, gratitude and humility into our personalities.

For thousands of years, since the dawn of civilization, cultures have been built around food and agriculture. People connect through our closest attachment to the land. It is a lesson from the past that should not be taken for granted. We can grow closer as families through this ancient practice. The patience is taught through the process of sowing the seed, nurturing, and watching it grow over the season. The humility is taught to us by nature itself, in it's unpredictability and our inability to have any control over it. Our creativity is exercised by figuring out how to overcome some of natures obstacles and solve problems, and by preparing the food in the kitchen. Gratitude is achieved by finally consuming or using what you have produced, and realizing the vast amount of energy it takes to provide the substances that give us life. This isn't an endeavor that only benefits our youth, but also the parents.

Remember though, technology is important. Do not try to separate the world of nature and the world of technology. Kids are intelligent, let them use the tools they have available to enhance their experience. Use the phones to document, research, and solve problems. This stuff is here to stay, and we don't want to teach our youth that these worlds must be separated, or the former will likely be forgotten in the smog and destruction of industrialization. I don't want my grandchildren growing up believing that tomatoes are made in a factory behind the shelves.

Being able to provide for and teach  your children in such a raw manner is a humbling process in itself. It feels natural to us, having been ingrained in our DNA since pre-history. So get in the soil and experience the satisfaction of growing your own food with the ones you love the most.

Season's End

Sitting outside enjoying the sunshine and 70 degree weather I feel a little confused and almost guilty for not being hands and knees, dirty in someone else’s garden.  Last Friday, the end of October, marked the final week of our garden-coaching and maintenance season.  We chose the end of October as our season bookend since typically a freeze has come and gone by now with only the winter-hardy plants still growing tucked into their low-tunnels or cold frames.  This season, however, I’m regretting yanking out tomato plants several weeks ago.  But so it is with Midwest weather; the only thing to expect is the unexpected.  

Winter Rye cover crop shooting up around a Cabbage

Friday, as I swept out the greenhouse at the last stop of the day my body sensed the season of physical rest beginning and welcomed it.  The rain began to patter lightly as i put to rest those items that wouldn’t be pulled out again until next spring and I felt much like I imagine a school teacher feels turning off their classroom light on the last day of school, except I’m really a student.  Much has been observed, much has been learned, and there are still some things you don’t quite grasp.  So often, the seed was planted, sprouted and grew into it’s potential, so that when the failures did come they felt harsh and tragic.  But of course not everything comes to fruition and some things do outright fail, but the moments of failure are often the greatest learning opportunities.  

Here’s some observations, good and bad recorded to keep me from having to rediscover and so you may be kept from learning the hard way:

A few varieties I was newly impressed with:

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce-  Mmmmm…. this delicate green stayed tender and didn’t get bitter in the summer heat (though “summer heat” was not as hot as we usually experience) and continued to produce after multiple cuttings.  

Napa Cabbage-  Held up against harlequin bugs decently well and was delicious even raw in a salad.  A lady that has grown it for years recommended next year using string to tie the plant closed after it gets large so that you get the white blanched leaves that are commonly found on napa in the grocery store.  

Japanese Long Beans-  I was impressed with the flavor and prolific production over an extended period.  These were my favorite grab and snack on the days where stopping for lunch was just not an option.

Amaranth- This was my first time growing amaranth.  The plants were absolutely gorgeous even after taking a beating from cucumber beetles, for which it served as an accidental trap-crop.  Though the amount of effort necessary to harvest the actual grain may or may not prove to be worth it, I will continue to plant Amaranth for the striking flowers and edible shoots.  

Tomato Observation

A very rainy spring and early summer gave gardeners in the area a late start this year and for most their tomato plants never did fully recover.  At one of our gardens it was fun to observe three “volunteer” tomato plants that sprang up in places where their presence was welcomed in comparison with the other tomatoes that were started in a greenhouse with all the right conditions and later transplanted to an ideal location in the garden.  The three volunteer tomatoes were worlds more prolific and/or healthy looking than the transplanted tomatoes and even more surprising is that one of the volunteer tomatoes was growing under the shade of a peach tree…. just a foot or so from the base of the tree with only a few hours of full afternoon sunlight.  Yes, it was more lanky and did not produce quite as heavily as the other cherry tomato but its production was by no means meager.  

Potato Boxes

I had heard that when growing potatoes in a potato box you must be diligent about covering the new shoots almost as soon as they appear above the soil so as to keep the shoot putting on more and more roots and not turning into a stem, but this year I learned it the hard way.  On one site potato boxes were stacked four high with an abundant amount of healthy looking plants sticking out the top.  Then the rain came and the rich soil that filled the potato boxes soaked it up and had a hard time drying out between the weekly rains, causing the stems of the plants to rot and a complete crop failure.  I will give potato boxes another go in the future but will be sure to use a sandier soil mix.  

I am excited for the winter to plan and dream and even more so for the next planting season.  Isn’t that just one of the best parts of gardening?!  There is always another opportunity to try again and each season will bring new lessons and successes.  

Cheers!

-Alyssa

Permaculture Principle 2: Catch and Store Energy

Catch and Store Energy

Energy, the life sustain-er of the universe. It comes in many forms and by many avenues. Sometimes comforting us with its warmth, and other times bugging us with its blinding shine or blistering motion. However we can't escape its presence if we are to live and enjoy life, and it is an absolute necessity of our survival. Unfortunately, most of society is very poor at managing the energy around them. Designing their populated areas to divert it, only to have it brought back with artificial avenues. By simply changing our designer mind's perception of energy, we might work with it much more effectively and efficiently.

We have only to look to nature for a shining example of how this can work.

By its existence, the natural world must harness the energy it is provided with in order to survive.  

The sun ought to be our example. Not only is it's existence necessary for life on our planet but it also has the largest diversity of uses, and conversions. We can catch the solar energy from the sun organically. Every tree we plant turns into a solar catching powerhouse, converting the suns energy into it's own and using it to produce biomass, lots and lots of biomass.

One tree can produce over 3,600 pounds of leaves over the course of a 60 year lifespan (source), and a mature oak can weigh anywhere from 2 - 3 tons (source). That is a lot of biomass! now imagine acres of trees! 

Of course biomass isn't the only thing a tree can produce for us. we can harvest nuts, fruits, firewood, and lumber from trees as well. There is so much that we can do with the energy from the sun simply by planting trees. And we haven't even gotten into all of the other possibilities yet. Thermal masses, solar heaters, solar panels, solar ovens, and many more.

If we take all of the possible energy sources into account when designing a system, what excuses do we really have for letting them pass by us, only to have to bring them back again using lots of other energy to do so? Catching and storing energy is a crucial part of any whole system design. Overlooking it can lead to unnecessary work, time, and energy used that could be put towards other productive tasks.

For centuries, the energy provided to us by gravity was used in the form of waterwheels. Traditionally these were used to grind grains and spin fibers. Today however we can use the same methods to convert the flowing water into electricity and store it in batteries.

Permaculture Principle 1: Observe and Interact

Observe and Interact

"Good design depends on a free and harmonious relationship between nature and people, in which careful observation and thoughtful interaction provide the design inspiration." -David Holmgren

The first Permaculture principle is a foundation for all of the rest. In altering and adjusting the patterns of nature it is important to understand the patterns and attributes of the particular system you plan to work with. A Permaculture system is something that is always changing, therefore this principle is crucial because we must always take note of these changes and decide how to react to them. In doing this we can insure that we use any changes to benefit us, rather than work against us.

Using the Scientific method:

Because of this principle we can call Permaculture a design “science.” To observe and interact effectively it is helpful to remember the scientific method. The Scientific method is a long proven methodology for getting results from this concept.

• Ask a Question
• Do Background Research
• Construct a Hypothesis
• Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
• Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
• Communicate Your Results

When intending to create a Permaculture system we must first, above all else, make careful observations to decide what we should alter. In a piece of land we observe the soil, its consistance and make up in different sections of our property, the water, how it flows across the property, the watershed it is sourced from, how much the land holds it in. The wind speeds and directions, sunlight angles and hours, shady areas, vegetation types, forest stages, wildlife activity, and just about anything else you could possibly observe in a landscape.

Example: a scientific approach to design

I might make the observation that a lot of erosion is taking place in stream banks, and along other areas of water flow. Because this is something I want to prevent I ask myself what is creating that pattern. In heavy rainfall I notice that the stream fills up quickly runs swiftly through my property and resides rather quickly after the rain ceases, leaving maybe a trickle behind. I ask myself again what is causing that swift and destructive cycle to take place.

Ponds & Swales

After observing this cycle and its effects on the landscape I create a hypothesis. If I am able to slow down as much water as possible I could potentially ease the pressure on the stream banks and surrounding soil. So I create several ponds in the ravines that flow into the stream as well as some swales on contour to connect them.

Over the course of the next few months I begin to notice that during rainfall the water in the stream isn't rising as high and moving as swiftly, greatly reducing the erosion on the banks.

Continuing observations I see that the water level isn't dropping as drastically between rainfalls anymore. Now, not only do I know that slowing the water-flow down will decrease erosion, but I can also make a new hypothesis, that by slowing down the water I am also allowing it to infiltrate the water table. If this hypothesis is correct then I should theoretically be able to make dry springs start running again, or even create new ones.

The example of water breaks and infiltration above is something often used in permaculture designs, but it gives good insight to how observation and interaction plays a critical role in our developments of a landscape. The same method can be applied to any observation you make. It's important to remember that the Observation and Interaction is a continuous cycle, we must always observe our results and make new observations.

Patience is key:

taking note of observations for base map

Often times Permaculture people will become too anxious about the design process and forget to make very careful observations. This can result in placing certain systems in where another probably should have been resulting in a loss in potential and sometimes even destructive results. It is good practice to push all designing out of your mind during the observation process and the creation of base maps.

Every system should be considered in all of it's functions before anything is to be interacted with, usually each system effects another in some way. We must start looking at an ecology as a whole system made up of several different parts. That being said it is often the case where one might observe, analyze, theorize and plan so much that they never interact much at all. It should still be remembered that this is a two part principle and that each are equally important. Paralysis by analysis should be avoided.

What is Permaculture

Permaculture: the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system." - Bill Mollison

The term Permaculture was originally coined by David Holmgren a student of Bill Mollison in the 1970’s. The term was originally a combination of the words “permanent agriculture”  but has since been changed “permanent culture” in order to encompass more than just agriculture. It became apparent in the later years of Permaculture that this creative methodology can apply to many more systems including social structures and business. Geoff Lawton of the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia often deservingly refers to Permaculture as a “design science.” In designing we make observations of natural systems and use the conclusions of our observations to assist (or create new) the natural system in becoming more productive, regenerative, self-sufficient, and useful.

This philosophy of design science is built on a foundation of these three core ethics:

1.  Care of the earth 
2. Care of people
3. Return of surplus

The first ethic “Care of the Earth” is ahead of the second simply because it is apparent that it is a requirement for the health and survival of people. The earth provides us with everything, and if it is unhealthy, so are we. The second is to be expected, we place it above surplus because ultimately surplus does us no good unless the people are here to manage it. And finally the third ethic refers to surplus. That is returning it to the system from which it came, in order to regenerate and grow that system.

It is not easy to say which of the ethics is most important. Ultimately two and three are not possible without the first, however  the third is required if the first is to be fulfilled , and one and three really don’t matter (to us) without the second. For what then would be our intent for caring for our planet if we were not likewise taken care of.  It is most pragmatic to say that each are of equal importance. These three principles are what mold the philosophy of Permaculture. In the future we will right another post in detail on each.

The design of a Permaculture system traditionally takes into account twelve principles set in place by David Holmgren. In many circles, wording has been changed and ideas have been altered. This is not necessarily a bad thing according to Holmgren’s last principle, but for the sake of a solid foundation of what permaculture design is we will stick with the original. These twelve principles are:

1. Observe and Interact
2. Catch and Store Energy
3. Obtain a Yield
4. Apply Self-Regulation
5. Use and Value Renewable Recourses
6. Produce No Waste
7. Pay Attention to Patterns and Detail
8. Integration over Segregation
9. Implement Small Slow Solutions
10. Use and Value Diversity
11. Use Edges
12. Creativity and Response to Change

Each of these Principles will be further explored in Future posts.

Permaculture has been a steadily growing practice since its fruition in the 1970’s. Geoff Lawton, a student of Mollison, has brought Permaculture to one of the most beaten down pieces of land in the world, Jordan, and helped spawn the greening the desert movement by creating a forest of food in a place that was considered to be completely dead due to overgrazing, poor agricultural practices, lack of water, and salted soil. Watch a video on this particular project here.

There are several other notable examples of Permaculture in practice. A couple of which include:

Beacon Food Forest: In Seattle Washington a community project is under way called “The Beacon Food Forest.” It is currently the most notable public food park in the continental U.S. at present time.

Miracle Farm: In Quebec there is an Orchard that recently converted from traditionally monocrop organic to Permaculture. They do not spray anything there, including organic products, and have an incredibly high harvest of a variety of fruits with a very very small pest population. You would have to spend several hours in this orchard in order to spot a fruit worm.

Designing with the ethics in mind and using zones and sectors(discussed in a later post) to implement principles. Permaculture is a promising solution to destructive agriculture as well as many other non-sustainable systems. Humanity is smart, and has lots of potential. Imagine what we could accomplish if we put that potential towards intelligent and well thought out  productive designing as opposed to systems that force the earth into a breaking point. We are meant to be stewards of Earth.

“All of the worlds problems can be solved in a garden.”  - Geoff Lawton

SBeeN

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” ― Albert Einstein

It is not genius but pure mathematical probability that correlates the extinction of bees to the extinction of man. Almond and apple orchards throughout the US have identified the link between bees and a bountiful crop and successful harvest. The hauling of mobile apiaries cross-country in the name of pollination has become the agricultural industry’s standard.

People all over the world are embracing the use of honey as a substitute for cane sugar, with a lower glycemic index and beneficial vitamins and antioxidants. Honey is also growing in popularity for the treatment of everything from seasonal allergies to wounds.

It would be a challenge to find anyone who isn’t aware of the honeybee crisis that has been taking over the world and most of our national news networks.  For the last 10 years Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is not only on the minds of our country’s beekeepers, but farmers and consumers alike.

What does all this mean for you? Sustainable living requires dependence on all of nature’s little helpers. We rely on microbes for compost to help nourish our gardens; attracting certain insects to your garden can provide organic chemical-free pest management; and it is said “bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat”

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Owning your own apiary can be fun, easy and relatively affordable. Be it to improve your garden, your health, or the world around you, there’s no denying the benefits of backyard beekeeping.
Contact SBN for more details if you are interested in getting a hive of your own!

-Rachel
 SBN bees