Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Some of the material from the latest ATTRA newsletter
http://attra.ncat.org/

paul tradingpost@lobo.net
-----------------------------------------

New Inspiration from Old Farm Implements: Historical Books and Digital 
Archives
by Steve Diver, NCAT Agriculture Specialist

It's often possible to retool old farmyard implements into modern-day 
machinery. To find inspiration for small farm agriculture equipment and 
techniques, try looking in historical agricultural literature. These 
sources can be helpful for the basics of farm equipment and soil 
preparation. Even the photos and illustrations in these old books can 
provide ideas for innovative tools that can be crafted on the farm.

Some libraries are now providing full electronic copies of books on their 
websites. I highly recommend the Core Historical Literature of 
Agriculture, hosted by Cornell University online at 
<http://chla.library.cornell.eduhttp://chla.library.cornell.edu. It 
features more than 1,800 digitized books.

Here are a few excellent titles from this Cornell collection. They provide 
illustrations and descriptive uses of tillage, cultivation, and soil 
preparation equipment.
    * Equipment for the Farm and the Farmstead by Harry Clifford Ramsower, 
 1917
    * Farm Equipment for Mechanical Power by Frank N.G. Kranich, 1923
    * Farm Machinery by Archie A. Stone, 1928
    * Farm Knowledge: Complete Manual of Successful Farming, Vol. 1 by E. 
 L. D. Seymour, 1918
The illustrations, photos, and descriptions in these historical guides 
will help you develop a system of equipment appropriately matched to your 
farm. These books will also provide equipment terminology. They can even 
help you put together makeshift equipment collected from pieces obtained 
at old equipment yards and farm auctions, based on the information 
contained in these books.


Useful Websites and Online Discussion Groups



To find more key documents and Internet collections about historical farms 
and equipment, see this posting on the very worthwhile Market-Farming 
<https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/marketfarming/2002-October/000060.htmlon
line 
mailing list. This was originally posted to another good online discussion 
group about sustainable agriculture, 
<http://lists.sare.org/archives/sanet-mg.htmlSANET. Sponsored by the 
USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Network, SANET has been operating since
1991.

Farm Forums: Many internet websites host Farm Forums where producers 
exchange ingenious suggestions for how to modify and improve farm 
machinery. This shared intelligence can be a modern marvel, with a much 
wider reach than the traditional coffee shop conversations. To find some 
of the websites that provide information about agricultural equipment, 
search Google for "farmer forums,""used farm equipment," or a specific 
implement.

Yesterday's Tractor Company has a website with active forums, photos, and 
extensive information about pre-1985 equipment: 
<http://www.ytmag.comwww.ytmag.com.

Tools for Small Farms

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by Lee Rinehart, NCAT Agriculture Specialist

Hand-held and non-motorized farm equipment is a great choice for small 
farms. Low-input, appropriate technology such as human-powered seeders, 
subsoiling forks, cultivators, hoes, and good old shovels exercise the 
muscles as well as the soil (and the soul, too). These human-powered tools 
are quiet, don't produce fossil fuel emissions that hurt the environment, 
and allow people to make a more solid connection with the land. The 
following suppliers offer an assortment of tools especially well-suited to 
small farms:

Earth Tools: Heavy, well-made, substantial hand tools for the serious 
farmer. Owenton, Kentucky; 502-484-3988; 
<http://www.earthtoolsbcs.comwww.earthtoolsbcs.com

Hida Tools: Specializing in Japanese handcrafted weeders, hoes, sickles, 
and cutting implements. Berkeley, California; 800-443-5512; 
<http://www.hidatool.comwww.hidatool.com

Johnny's Selected Seeds: Complete line of tools for the gardener or 
commercial grower, including flame weeders, Glaser wheel hoes, row covers, 
and more. Winslow, Maine; 877-564-6697; 
<http://www.johnnyseeds.comwww.johnnyseeds.com

Lee Valley Tools: Extensive inventory of gardening tools and implements. 
Ogdensburg, New York; 800-267-8735; www.leevalley.com

Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply: Full line of hand tools, orchard 
supplies, bare root stock, cover crop seed, and bulbs. Grass Valley, 
California; 888-784-1722; 
<http://www.groworganic.com/default.htmlwww.groworganic.com/default.html

Seeds of Change: Seeds, digging and cultivating tools, hand tools, rakes 
and hoes, and seed-saving supplies. Santa Fe, New Mexico; 888-762-7333; 
<http://www.seedsofchange.comwww.seedsofchange.com

ATTRA Publications about Equipment for Sustainable Agriculture
1104c8f9.jpg

Many of ATTRA's publications contain specific information about equipment 
used to produce crops or raise livestock more sustainably. Topics include 
postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables, livestock watering systems 
powered by solar energy, pump maintenance and irrigation designs, and 
equipment ideas for range poultry housing, to name just a few examples. 
All ATTRA publications can be downloaded for free from the ATTRA website, 
<http://www.attra.ncat.orgwww.attra.ncat.org. Or call 800- 346-9140 for a 
printed copy.

A sampling of ATTRA titles that provide practical details about 
agricultural equipment:
    * Paddock Design, Fencing, and Water Systems for Controlled Grazing 
 (IP152)
    * Bug Vacuums for Organic Crop Protection (IP194)
    * Flame Weeding for Agronomic Crops (CT157)
    * Flame Weeding for Vegetable Crops (CT165)
    * Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners(IP035)
    * ATTRAnews Weed Management issue, September 2006: available online at 
 <http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.htmlhttp://attra.ncat.org/newsle
tter/archives.html 

Finding Specialty Equipment for Market Farms

In the 1980s Ferrari tractors became popular with kiwifruit growers in 
California's Sacramento Valley. The low-profile machines could pass under 
the trellises and handle hilly terrain. Eugene Canales, the local Ferrari 
dealer, saw that these low-impact tractors would also work well for 
vineyards and small market farms. "I went looking for implements to match 
the tractors," he recalls. In Italy he found numerous manufacturers of 
small-sized specialty farm equipment adapted to regional needs.
1104c938.jpg
Small powerful Italian tractors were developed for work in hilly terrain.

Canales started importing implements such as spading machines, which were 
a big breakthrough because they loosen the soil without inverting or 
compacting it. At first only a few forward-thinking viticulturists used 
the spaders, but the machines are finally becoming popular with market 
farmers all over the country.

Walk-behind tractors are gaining market share, too. These small tractors 
look like rototillers, but are much more powerful. They can utilize a wide 
range of implements including spaders, potato diggers, grain drills, 
transplanters, mowers, hay balers, windrowers, and powered trailers.

Greens harvesters are another new machine for modern market farms. Some 
are powered and others use battery-run cutter blades and are designed to 
be pushed along a wide bed of mesclun lettuce or other greens. According 
to Canales, the most exciting new development is an implement that buries 
rocks while preparing a fine seedbed over them. "In Europe, stone buriers 
are as common as grass," he said. "But here they are not easily found."

Several American companies are now importing various small-sized European 
tractors and implements that are extremely well suited to market farms. 
Asian tractors are also in wide distribution for both small and large 
operations. The following dealers specialize in machinery for small and 
medium-sized market farms.

Earth Tools: Walk-behind tractors & compatible implements. Owenton, 
Kentucky; 502-484-3988; <http://www.earthtoolsbcs.comwww.earthtoolsbcs.com

Ferrari Tractor CIE: Eugene Canales' company has a wide range of equipment 
and an information-packed website. Gridley, California; 530-846-6401; 
<http://www.ferrari-tractors.comwww.ferrari-tractors.com

Market Farm Implement: Vegetable crop machinery of all kinds. Friedens, 
Penn.; 814-443-1931; <http://www.marketfarm.comwww.marketfarm.com

Plans and Designs by and for Inventive Producers

I-Tech Designs Appropriate Technology for Small and Subsistence Farms: The 
designers of these elegantly simple tools gave a gift to humanity by 
placing the designs in the public domain. Their website includes clearly 
drawn plans for implements such as propane weed burners, a grain huller, 
and a vacuum packing system for seed storage all constructed with readily 
available parts. Allen Dong, PO Box 413, Veneta, OR 97487; 
<http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/LTRAS/itechwww.plantsciences.ucdavis.e
du/LTRAS/itech.

Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project
The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers substantial tips & inventions 
(with plans and photos) to increase efficiency & safety for dairies, 
nurseries, and vegetable and berry farms. 
<http://bse.wisc.edu/HFHP/http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhpa.