through the gut of a microbe

All true soil has been through the gut of a microbe. This statement was made by Bob Schaffer, the soil scientist that works with Green String, during our first soil science lesson with him. We meet every Thursday afternoon to discuss what soil is, how healthy soil is created, and what lifeforms, dead things, and organic matter make up the humus and dirt below our feet. It's incredibly fascinating to learn about the soil in its entirety, and almost completely separate from the plant context. We don't really talk about the plant, only that healthy soil creates healthy plants. Instead of thinking about feeding plants, you can think about feeding the soil.

It begins to hold a lot more weight when you realize how much junk we inadvertently (or purposefully) 'feed' to the soil degrades, harms, and contaminates the very space we grow our food that nourishes our bodies. Things like pesticides, herbicides, the waste stream...countless chemicals we dump down our drains or litter on the ground. There's just no way poison can be good for the soil, which is full of life, or that poisoned soil can support healthy and strong plants (and animals) that feed us.

The microorganisms that live in and on top of the dirt are constantly in action - and they work in concert with each other. It's now impossible for me to think of dirt or earth as just dead material - it's teeming with crawling things as well as organisms that can only be seen with a microscope. They help create rich soil through eating and breaking down organic materials and decomposing matter. The environment in the soil is what matters, and what you feed it in turn will feed microbes that feed the roots of plants that you eat. The only way to really understand this connection is to just touch it - go look at the soil and really get up-close and personal. It's been an incredibly visceral experience learning about the soil while working here and actually help turn a compost pile and fill flats to plant seeds or seedlings. I'm able to see, smell, touch, and feel how healthy and rich soil really feels - and hopefully see healthy plants grow from it in the coming weeks.

Something about soil science that mystifies me is humus - and what it really is. Humus as I have understood throughout my life was just another layer in the dirt - it was a richer and more clay-like substance in soil. I didn't really know much about it, or how to actually describe it to someone. We had a discussion about it and I learned that it doesn't actually exist on its own - it is merged with clay and minerals like calcium and carbon that is stable. It has enzymes and hormones and amino acids; it has an incredibly high surface area. It's through decomposition that humus is formed, and aggregation in the soil is a characteristic of humus. When you take good soil in your hands and shake it lightly, what should stay in your hands and not fall out right away are small, tightly compacted balls that are aggregates of the soil and humus is a part of that. It's still hard for me to wrap my head around because once you break those little aggregates apart, it's no longer humus. It's an enigma. What it boils down to is that you know that good humus in your soil will make you healthy, and this hopefully will inspire you to do the right things to soil. Good soil is derived from life in the soil, and humus can be thought of as alive.

I think what has been the most interesting to me is how through this knowledge farmers can actually improve their soil quality an in turn their crop quality and success rates, and therefore increase profits for their farms. Bob Schaffer helps commercial growers understand what their crop management (ex. spraying pesticides and chemicals, and growing only mono-crops) does to the land, and explain reasons for compacted soil, plant deaths, and infertile earth. It's really a powerful thing and helps educate farmers on the benefits of natural process farming and organic agriculture. The best way to feed people is to feed the soil and allow that to feed the plant.

I'm still learning the basics of supporting healthy soil, but I've become a bit obsessed with maintaining the compost tea brewer that we have outside the intern house. I might have mentioned it previously, it's this aerobic digester of sorts for food scraps (or what would go to compost) that are easily dissolved in water and it "brews" a liquid called compost tea. The tea can be applied to plants and seed beds in order to give them the most nutrient-dense form of compost possible. It allows for food waste to become aerated and extracts the microbes as well as nutrients from the food so they are able to be readily absorbed by soil. It's pretty neat - and I've been trying to give the compost tea brewer a full-spectrum diet - random leftover soup, the last dregs of milk, forgotten beer, and old jelly and beet juice have been the main ingredients. People use the tea every day on the plants and seedlings in the greenhouses on the farm as well as plant starts that we sell in the farm store.

It's been incredible to be learning so much about soil, since my education thus far has taught me to value it - but not necessarily understand it.

I've been struggling with my ability to link this knowledge into my skills in actually seeding, planting and growing plants to eventually harvest food from. I feel like I am far from confident in my gardening abilities, as many of my peers in the program have some extensive experience gardening or working in agriculture. It takes a lot of patience and organization, and careful and well thought-out planning to successfully plant and grow vegetables or herbs. Today I was transplanting baby basil plants to a new flat and their roots were so little and delicate. I felt inept and clumsy when I first started, but I was told to take time to really focus on what I was doing and be mindful in my work. I appreciate and respect all of the careful and diligent gardeners that are out there, it's not easy and it takes work to care for plants and help them grow.

That being said, there are also some wonderful plants that grow wildly and are easily harvested and eaten freshly picked- like miner's lettuce. I'll post a picture of these dainty and tender leafy greens next time - I'm in love.

It's already been four weeks and that means I am choosing an internship project this week that I'll be working on for the next two months. I want to do something tangible that can be seen on the farm or sold at the farm store, that will leave behind some kind of legacy from my time here. Ideas I've thought of so far involve making soap, candles, or loose tea to be sold in the store. I also will be blogging for the Green String farm in addition to my own blog- and hope to build more community awareness to our internship program and the young farmer movement here in Northern CA. Another idea was to work with someone else and help write a book on natural process farming through the teachings of Bob Cannard. So many things!

As for now, it's time for bed. But one quick update - I'm making a decision on graduate school in the next couple weeks. I visited UC Davis this weekend and it was a great 13-hour epic day. I loved the campus and the work they are doing on sustainable agriculture. I need to figure out some financial things, but I'm seriously considering accepting for the Fall. The other two schools I'm deciding between are American University in DC and University of Washington in Seattle. I also got into Rutgers Camden and the Institute of Int'l Studies in Monterey - and haven't exactly thrown them away. But, I think Davis has more of a pull for me than Monterey, in respect to living in the state of CA. It's a lot to think about. I know I'll make the right decision though, and it's exciting. I'll update as I can!

Hope everyone is doing wonderful and I miss you dear reader, whoever you may be :) Lots of love!

Is this real life?

It's been two weeks since I arrived here at the String and I find myself asking "Is this real life?" My weekend consisted of delicious and sustainably produced Oregon and Sonoma wines, homemade pizzas cooked in the brick oven outside with toppings that included the broccolini that I helped harvest that morning and butternut squash (I can never get enough of butternut, it's just wonderful), an epic bike ride Saturday afternoon into downtown Petaluma with new friends, yummy polenta with leftover veggies for dinner, and a lazy Sunday of laundry and making oatmeal-pumpkin/flax seed-raisin cookies. Everything is so connected to the land and the produce that grows here on the farm - and it feels so good to eat food that I've picked myself. Even though I didn't plant it - I've been told how the plants were treated and grown since they were seedlings.

The people I'm meeting and living with are awesome, and it's been so much fun just hanging out with them here. It's an incredible place that has drawn individuals together who love good, clean food and natural process farming. We've come up with some pretty damn good meals since we've been here, and I promised I'd highlight some of the dishes we've cooked together.

This was an insane platter of freshly made hummus with sliced turnips and carrots from our garden to dip into. The chick peas were mashed by hand to make the hummus!
This meal I actually didn't eat because I was doing a cleanse for a full day and not eating food - just juice and the 'master cleanse' lemonade drink. I just felt like I needed to re-start my metabolism and give my digestive tract a break. It was good and actually gave me some perspective when I was just observing food and not obsessing on eating it as soon as possible. Anyway, Paula (my Irish roommate) is a chef and she made fresh pasta! It was amazing to help make and watch being put through the pasta maker. The night before we had made butternut squash ravioli by making the pasta fresh as well and stuffing raviolis. There were lentils and chick peas mixed in with the pasta and lots of good smelling spices. I think they had kale and kale florets with squash on the side. YUM.
This meal I definitely ate - it was incredible! There were two types of lasagna - one with meat (grass fed beef) and one veggie with three kinds of lentils and chick peas. Both had cheddar and different cheeses mixed in layers. The cheddar was made by the intern class last spring, and finally ready to be eaten! We got a massive block of it - and we've already had quite a bit of it in many meals.

I took some pictures of other meals that I helped make on my camera, but I haven't uploaded them onto my computer as of yet. One dish I made was stuffed butternut squash with brown and white rice, fresh leeks, garlic and lemon. It was deliciouss and probably the best rice I've ever made :)

So needless to say, the eating here has been fantastic. It's a challenge as well because you mainly are eating the same foods (if you haven't caught onto the butternut squash theme you're not paying attention hehe) and you have to get creative to cook and prepare certain foods that you eat all the time. The winter squash are in over-abundance and are piled in the large squash barn left-over from the winter harvest. Along with the winter squash are root vegetables like beets - there are TONS of beets! I think the picture of the beet bins I've already posted - if not I'll add it in. There are many ways to get creative with beets - they have such a fun color mixed with other foods.

I have been craving some foods that aren't available in season yet or aren't grown here - like fruit other than citrus and asparagus. There will be asparagus soon though! And I'll probably have to buy fruit like berries, apples or mango because they just aren't growing here. That's one thing I want more of - fruit. The citrus is fantastic though - the best lemons and mandarin oranges I've ever had. And Bob Cannard was told by many people that he'd never be able to grow citrus here in Sonoma Valley. He definitely proved them wrong.

Anyway, next post I'll write about some of the specific lessons I've had so far - especially dealing with soil. If you haven' seen the documentary "Dirt!" I'd recommend you do. It's a great film that really brings to life the problems we are seeing with modern industrial agriculture, and how degrading our lifestyles are to the soil and lifeforms that give us food, nutrition and oxygen.

I'll wrap it up with a quote that I found through my friend Leigh that really struck me: "When each day is the same as the next, it is because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives each day the sun rises."

Life here allows me to appreciate the beauty around me and the food that I am eating - and every day brings new challenges, fun, adventures, and knowledge. I am up with the sun rise almost every day, and it's incredible to be outdoors for most of the day. More soon! Lots of love.

get out of the box, and into the soil

I've been living and working at Green String for just over a week now, and it has already changed my perspective on observing nature, growing food, and eating well. There is so much going on at the farm, it's almost overwhelming to think of being in charge of it all. Bob Cannard (co-owner of Green String) who I receive lessons with every afternoon along with fourteen other new interns (or Sprinterns as we are called) has a lot on his plate and he is always in high demand. His outlook on farming and life in general is unique, and many people come here to find out just how he runs his operation and to get advice on their own farming ventures. His main advice to anyone who cares about where their food comes from or growing food is "Get out of the box, and into the soil." The box he was referring to while he was speaking today was packaged lettuce and salad greens, and how much of society imagines a bag or a box of greens instead of the plants coming straight from the ground.

The soil quality and the nutrient content of our food are inextricably linked, and the only way to grow healthy and nutritious food is to build and cultivate full-spectrum, nutrient-dense soil. Over the next few months we will be building on this, and learning extensively about soil science and what it takes to bring vitality and health back to the earth. Although my knowledge of plants and soil is fairly limited to high school science class and my intro to biology course in college, it's incredibly interesting and empowering to have the ability to learn now. I already am thinking of ways to improve my family's garden in NJ, and ways that I could start my own garden when/if I have my own place again wherever I end up over the next year. There is no excuse for why I can't grow much of my own produce after this experience, and teach others to do the same. I'd like to build confidence in gardening and growing plants, with the goal of being self-sufficient in providing good, healthy and sustainable food for myself and family.

Bob's saying "do little, get lots" is an important guideline for thinking about gardening and eating. The less you have to put into the soil that is not natural, the better it will be for the plants and your body. It's simple - yet most of the food you find in a conventional grocery store will be grown with loads of pesticides and toxins, all of which are harmful on so many levels. Even the 'certified organic' food products are questionable - there are so many loopholes that exist currently within the system. If it's possible and available - get to know your local farmers. When farmers markets are out there, go to them! It may sound silly and foreign, but there's so much value to it that I can't even begin to explain right now. There's a shift a comin' towards centralized small, local organic farms (many run by young people in their 20s and 30s) that allow people to contribute to their local economy and be assured their food is safe and healthy. There's a NY Times article about this that a friend shared with me the other day that is worth a read: New Generation of Farmers Emerges.

I am really connecting with my food here at Green String, and it's way more than I ever expected. Today, I literally saw a hen lay an egg right in front of me, and then I collected it to sell in the farm store. When we're talking farm fresh, you CAN'T get fresher than that. The chickens are a bit much for me though- and probably my least favorite activity on the farm. I'd much rather be our harvesting turnips or fixing up a barn then being pecked at by ornery hens who don't want to give up their eggs. Even though some hens are pretty mean about letting you collect eggs - the eggs are AMAZING. There are four different chicken coops or areas on the farm - two or sometimes three of which we collect from for the farm store, and one of which has free range chickens that sleep in 'chicken trailers' overnight. The productive hens lay between 20-60 eggs in the morning and again in the afternoon, and the eggs range in color depending on the color and type of chicken (as you can see above). The coop closest to the intern house where I live has maybe two dozen or less chickens and they only lay 4 or 5 eggs in a day and those go directly into our kitchen. The smallest coop is really just a fenced in area of about 10 chickens and a rooster who are "Silkies" - or the 'special' chicken. Think about the most ridiculously pampered dog at a dog show, and you have the Silkies - just in the chicken version. They lay tiny little eggs but are prized on the farm - they are kept under lock and key! They are fluffy and pretty colors, and have ornamental feathers on their feet - it's kind of cute. But really, I've had it this week with chickens.

I have to close up the trailer chickens for the night, so it's time to end this post. I am so ready for another delicious dinner, I can already smell some amazing aromas from where I'm sitting in the living room. I'll post next time with some food photos of the amazing meals I've been having...it's like a dinner party every night :) Hope everyone is doing well!

strawberry fields forever

The first two days of this three month venture has been an absolutely mind blowing experience. I feel like I haven't even processed what I've done or learned already. The internship program that Green String has established has been operating for four years now, and it's really incredible the work that they have done and the legacy that past interns have left behind. Some have started a bike shop, spun wool and made yarn, built a composting toilet and a brick oven, and more. This experience is equally balanced between doing actual hard farm work (like scraping chicken shit, harvesting produce rain or shine for the farm store and restaurants, bottle feeding baby sheep and goats, planting seeds, making beet juice...etc etc) and then learning as much as possible about soil science, plant health, the agricultural industry, the business aspect of farming...there are around 70 or 80 lesson topics planned for each semester. You also get to take the knowledge you gain and apply that to a project that you want to do for the farm and leave behind your own legacy. There is time to explore and figure out what you want to get better at, and learn more about on your own time.

Yesterday our internship coordinator Misja gave a lesson on holistic nutrition, and it was like everything just fell in place for me. The current approaches in our industrialized and modern society to health and nutrition are failing us in so many ways. We are living in a nutrient deficient world where the soil and our bodies are lacking essential minerals, vitamins and nutrients. A lifestyle that centered around bringing health to your body and the earth is the only way to go in my mind. Green String is a manifestation of this in so many ways. Everything that they do on the farm is with the mindset: 50% for nature, and 50% for human consumption. If something you are planting is not giving back the same amount of goodness and nutrition to the soil and the environment as it is to you, it is unbalanced. It's a critical mindset change that is needed to actually create a more sustainable planet. The earth and the soil and the things we eat and walk on everyday are made up of the same things that make up our bodies. We should treat the natural environment in a fashion that allows it to flourish and become whole - not chemically treated, degraded, polluted, and destroyed.

All of the chores and tasks and harvesting that occurs on the farm as part of our workday as interns are mindful activities, keeping in mind the larger picture of treating the land and resources with respect. There's also a satisfaction in what you are doing and being part of something bigger. I was hoeing a strawberry patch yesterday (which feels like days ago now because of how long the days are) and just was in awe of the beauty around me and how my actions clearing the patch would help produce amazing strawberries for the next harvest. Then when I've been actually harvesting vegetables it's almost intoxicating to breathe in the freshness and taste fresh picked goodness. We're encouraged to just eat any edible plant that is growing in the fields and it's just...awesome.

More soon...I'm exhausted and am waking up early to wash all of the dirty produce boxes from today. Yay!