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to develop a system that harnesses the solar energy

through existing natural systems such as photosynthesis and the planetary water cycle.
Our daily dose of solar energy is stored by
photosynthesis in plant tissue. The plant tissue can
then be fed to animals, enlivening their metabolism and producing manure. Manure is then used
to make compost that fertilizes the soil that we use
to grow crops, powered, once again, by the sun.
The cyclic process relocates and stores the solar
energy allotment that we are supplied each day.
The capacity for storage and mobility of energetic
potential creates opportunities to maximize yields
of vegetation throughout the farm system. This
vegetative potential is what feeds the farm system.
Our role as farm stewards is to glean from that
perpetuating abundance.

Potting Soil
Annual plants require an early start to bear fruit
in the short growing season of New England. The
planting medium, daylight length, and temperature
conditions are crucial factors for a healthy nursery
of seedlings. In an attempt to localize our annual
production we start seedlings on-site. This production requires specific timing and appropriate conditions for each species of annual.
Our indoor seedling nursery is a compromise
between our attempts to provide a food system
that is expansive and one that is acceptable for the
conventional consumers palate. We grow many
vegetables, such as eggplants and tomatoes, that
are not native to this climate and require a longer
season to bear fruit. We also invest in indoor operations to extend the growing season and maximize
the production of our operations. This investment is
substantial in terms of time, energy, and effort.
There are many choices regarding how to grow
nursery starts. We have resorted to the standard
plastic trays that are common in the nursery industry. The trays provide individual cells so seedlings
can be easily transferred for transplanting without

A kale transplant, ready for the ground, has been nurtured

through the entire process of seeding in the basement,
potting up, and hardening off in the Big Cold Frame. The
fine root hairs have expanded throughout the soil.

root damage. These containers provide a shape into

which the soil and root fibers can mold and resist
erosion from watering. As an alternative to plastic
we have also made newspaper pots by rolling the
paper into an origami-shape container. These pots
are laborious to construct, though fully functional
for seedling production. We also have used large
quantities of recycled containers that were originally
purposed for yogurt or soy milk. These containers can
be functional, though they require substantial drainage holes to be drilled to allow aeration and bottom
watering capacity, which encourages healthy plant
growth. Round pots can also increase the complexity of the spatial relations in the nursery whereas
square pots can stack together in higher volumes.
We have also considered purchasing gadgetry to
make soil blocks, which would eliminate our need
for plastic trays and containers; however, we have
resisted this course of action because peat moss or
coconut fibers are typically used to retain moisture

The Farm Ec ology 267

Resident workers start seeds in the Big Cold Frame. We

use the cold frame when spring temperatures are warm
and we can raise starts in full sun.

and the blocks structure in this system. We have

been reluctant to add another layer of dependence
in sourcing this ingredient material as a component
in the process of food system. That said, we will
continue to experiment in choosing alternatives
incentivized by circumstance and ethical inquiry.
To build our soil medium we start by considering
the needs of the plant roots. The medium must have
the capacity to retain moisture while also being
porous and well drained. The medium should have
structure to allow the roots to grasp the material
and prevent damage during the transplanting phase.
This medium also provides a nutrient and energetic
boost for the initial growth of the plant.
To create this medium we have developed an
all-purpose potting soil recipe. The recipe we are
currently using consists of 5 parts loam, 5 parts
compost, 1.5 parts vermiculite, 1.5 parts perlite, one
cup humates, and a quart of Paul Sachss Pro-Start

The compost sifter is a homemade tool. The A-frame can be moved to a finished compost pile, and with a wheelbarrow placed
below the hanging frame, the sifted material can be wheeled easily to the Big Cold Frame or basement seeding stations.

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2-3-3. This mixture allows us to build up the existing

soil medium by incorporating portions of the limited
supplies of compost and imported soil amendments.
Loam is sourced on-site. The local loam is sandy
and well drained, providing a basic building block
for our soil fabrication. This material, however,
lacks sufficient nutrients, structure, and water retention capacity to maximize the health of seedlings.
Consequently, we mix in additional components to
improve the medium.
The compost that we reserve for our potting soil
is typically the highest quality that we can attain. It
is important to source compost that is nutrient rich
and free of weed seeds. The structure of superior
compost provides particulate material that helps
retain moisture and provide soil structure. We
generally sift the compost through a quarter-inch
screen so the large indigestible particles are eliminated from the mix that is to be returned to the
compost heap.
Sifting compost can be laborious. We use framed
screening to sift it through. To augment the process,
screens can be suspended by a structure: As the
compost swings in the screen, the motion encourages sifting. Other mechanized tumbler structures
can provide this filtration process, producing a fine,
soft, black, crumbly compost.
Vermiculite and perlite are soil amendments
that we currently source from the agri-industrial
complex. Vermiculite is organically certified and is
created from heating the mineral mica to absurd
temperatures. It is relatively inexpensive and
compensates for high proportions of loam by providing superior moisture retention and lightening soils
as a conditioner. Perlite comes from volcanic glass
and reduces compaction by offering high permeability and low water retention.
We also incorporate various soil amendments
in our potting soil medium. These amendments
are intended to provide energetic components and
nutrients that are readily available to plant roots
as well as long-term nourishment for the soil food
web. The amendments are generally rated by their

proportions of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK). While the NPK proportions provide
a measure of the amendments capacity, this oversimplification of the seedlings necessities does no
service to the reality that the plants require over
fifty elemental nutrients for health.

Cycle for Annuals

Future growing seasons begin with seed saving
and seed acquired during the short days of winter.
Threshing and sorting of beans and other seeds
is accomplished after the hectic harvest time has
subsided.
The difficulty of seed saving depends on the plant
and the conditions. Seed saving varies from orchestrated artificial pollinating intended to preserve
open-pollinated heirlooms to rudimentary collection
of bolted kale seeds and typically involves planning
and processing over the whole time continuum. New
Englands rainy weather can deter effective saving
of seed crops such as lettuce that are susceptible to
mold and mildew. Timing and fortune is crucial to
produce viable seeds before the wet weather of fall,
as are structures such as greenhouses to provide
artificial protection from the weather.
Because of the infancy of our seed-saving
program, we also order seeds to meet our annual
plant needs. We generally prioritize whom we order
from based on a preference for seeds grown locally
by smaller-scale operations. Our belief is that the
seeds will be more adaptable to this region and
will support the localized food production model.
The Fedco cooperative based in Maine is our ideal
choice for sourcing seeds. Their catalog provides
the opportunity to decide between options of locally
or industrially produced seeds. A second option is
the worker-owned distributor Johnnys Selected
Seeds, which offers an extensive collection of seeds
packaged in quantities suitable for northeastern
commercial growers.
Historically, our national seed-saving capacity has
been fostered by land grant state universities that