053 A Yard Farming Engineer from Spokane, brilliant young man!

Soil Chromatograms…What?!  Buckle up for the amazing journey of a very thoughtful young man! What he is accomplishing and the questions he’s been asking has led him down a fascinating road!  Have you ever heard of Korean Farming? Well, if you are curious, you won’t want to miss this intriguing episode! I learned things in this episode that I definitely want to apply!  Yard farmers are the most interesting people!!

 

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Check out these Links from Ryan

 

Music credit: “Insomnia” by John Sheehan.  Used with permission.

A Nation of Farmers- We Need Millions-You Are the Evolutionary Force!

Farm-A-Yard is a movement to be part of the solution in bringing the practical vision of people like Sharon Astyk and Aaron Newton into reality.

Linda Borghi has in-depth experience as a biodynamic farmer and yard farming trainer and she is bringing the knowledge and steps  to creating successful yard farms that heal our soil and grow the most nutrient dense plants to heal the land and the people.

The most powerful influence to make this a reality is to make the food movement EVERYBODY’S Business!  Obviously, we all have to eat and our eating choices are what drive what is available to us.

There is a healing process underway inviting us to become its agent.  We are at the emergence of healing and regeneration and YOU are the evolutionary force.

“Astyk and Newton have written the important book, “A Nation of Farmers-Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil”, with an unusual message: We need millions of new farmers…as soon as possible.”

“Once we could fill our grocery carts with cheap and plentiful food, but not anymore…  Climate change is already reducing crop yields worldwide… The cost of flying in food from far away and shipping it across the country in refrigerated trucks is rapidly becoming nonviable.  More Americans than ever before require food stamps and food pantries just to get by, and a worldwide food crisis is unfolding, overseas and in our kitchens.We can keep hunger from stalking our families, but doing so will require a fundamental shift in our approach to field and table.”

Whether you are already on board this movement or want to get started, check out Farm-A-Yard  on the Mighty Network.

https://seed.farm-a-yard.com

Want to grow some food? Just START!

When you partner with nature, she is the best teacher!

https://www.facebook.com/letsfarmyouryard/

 

To Till or Not to Till?

“A new idea: If we revive the tiny creatures that make dirt healthy, we can
bring back the great American topsoil. But farming culture — and government— aren’t making it easy.”
Folks, we have a soil crisis and our future depends on shifting from the practices that have destroyed it’s fertility.  This need is at the heart of the Farm-A-Yard revival to equip folks to ditch the grass and grow food using organic/biodynamic practices that can heal the soil, the food and the people!
Here are some excerpts from an excellent article by Jenny Hopkinson…
“*AMERICA USED TO* be famed for its rich and fertile topsoil. Prairie and
forests were virtually untouched when settlers first started dividing land
into fields across the Southeast and Midwest, making for rich dark soil in
which to grow food and fiber.

Since the invention of the plow, farming has focused on disrupting the soil to make it productive. Most farming methods, whether conventional or organic, are based on “tillage” – the premise that to plant crops and
control weeds and other pests, the soil must be broken up and turned over, then amended with chemical fertilizers or organic compost to boost
fertility. And it worked for a long time.

But tilling, it turns out, kills off many of the microorganisms that build
the soil. It churns up their habitat and exposes them to air; it also makes
it easier for soil to be washed off the land by rain and wind. Over time,
the damage has built up: More than 50 percent America’s topsoil has eroded away. In areas of the Southeast, the country’s original breadbasket, it’s almost all gone.”

Read more of this article here:

What is Biodynamic Gardening? Part 1

Biodynamics is “beyond organic” because of its complete, whole system approach. It offers a simple way to heal and nourish your growing environment.  It connects you to the cycles of the moon, seasons and natural rhythms of nature’s ways.  It is a sustainable way to grow nutrient dense foods because it puts more back into the soil more than it takes out.

Some of the practices are very different from conventional way, but when you begin to practice and apply the principles, the results are undeniable and they are already proven to produce high quality, nutritious food by working with nature, not against it.

The use of preparations, based on plants and minerals, brings vitality to soils and can take your growing experience to another level.

The preparations and the Stella Natura planting calendar really help to organize and simplify your gardening experience.

A major perk to growing biodynamically is that the costs of implimenting these practices are minimal. Biodynamic methods build soil value exponentially with less and less effort over time.

One thing that makes biodynamic gardening different is the preparations. There are nine of them that act as remedies to vitalize any soil.

The first step in having a yard farm is to set your intention.  Why do you want to be a yard farmer? Write it down.

Next it’s important to observe your plot area and assess if it is suitable for growing what you would like to grow, or learn what already grows well in your area in order to minimize your labor and make your project more likely to be successful.

Get a soil test.  We LOVE soil and helping people heal their soil so that they can grow and enjoy nutrient dense food!  The soil is indispensible to sustaining life on earth. We will talk more about soil in the next blog.

Stay tune for more first steps for growing biodynamically!

Be sure to download our podcasts https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-farm-a-yard-podcast/id1276181255?mt=2

Return to read more blogs to learn how to implement biodynamic methods in your yard.

 

How To Spend Less Than An Hour A Day Growing a Garden

Of course this statement depends also on the size as well as the kind of garden you are growing.  But for most yard gardens, you can manage your garden, once it’s set up, in as little as 3-5 hours a week.

Once your garden is all set up, you can save time managing it by an efficient watering system.  You will find that your garden will grow much more efficiently once you determine how much water it really needs.  Random, over watering or under watering can be detrimental to your outcome.

There are several watering methods and tips to consider before you decide what’s best for your size and kind of garden.  One method that can be used in a part or all of your garden is soaker hoses with a timer.

According to the article in Rodale’s Organic Life, “Studies show that well-designed drip irrigation systems use at least 30 percent, and in some cases 50 percent, less water than other methods of watering such as sprinkling.”

Rain water from a rain barrel provides less chemicals that are in city water, like chlorine, fluoride and other water contaminates. 
If you are using biodynamic methods and teas, it is best to mix those preparations with rainwater also.  Setting up a rain barrel is easy and low cost.Covering the soaker hoses with a good layer of mulch will also hold more moisture and you will have to water less.You’ll also want a pressure regulator, quick connect hardward and Y valves which will save you oodles of time!

 Read entire article here with fantastic tips:

http://spr.ly/61888Yt6y

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/top-10-ways-conserve-water

https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-install-rain-barrel

010 – The Biodynamic Summer: The Rhythm of the Garden

010 – The Biodynamic Summer: The Rhythm of the Garden

with host Linda Borghi and guest Stewart Lundy

Farm-A-Yard Podcast logo: orange sun with sunbeams rising over a mound of black dirt with 2 sprouts and a microphone in green coming up out of the soil.
Farm-A-Yard Podcast — It’s a movement… have ya heard?

If you are curious about homeopathic practices in Biodynamic farming, you will be fascinated by this interview.  These two seasoned biodynamic farmers share their experiences of  gardening and farming in harmony with the rhythm of the seasons, and how they practice a culture of sharing and spreading nature’s abundance. Learn about the earth breathing, planting by the biodynamic Stella Natura calendar, and “planting intention” in the stirring and applying of the biodynamic preparations. Also learn how your intention affects living systems and water when Stewart shares his own shocking experiment! To apply biodynamics practices and benefits to your yard doesn’t require understanding the science behind it all, only your desire and will to take action!

This podcast is made possible by funding by our Patreon supporters.  For extra free content or to become a patron please see us at https://www.patreon.com/FarmAYard

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Music credit: “Insomnia” by John Sheehan.  Used with permission.