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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] FYI workshop Minnesota
  • Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 13:00:20 -0600


RE: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11951725
Folks: As I understand it, some of the original research on carbon loss by
plowing was done by Don Reicosky at USGS Morris, MN. If you read his
information and you want to preserve organic matter in the soil, you will
never plow again. He helped develop the data for the press release pasted
below on a field tour co-sponsored by COACT Education Foundation in 2004 on
recapturing carbon. June

August 7th Biodynamic Workshop

On Saturday, August 7, the COACT Education Foundation will co-sponsor a
Biodynamic farm and garden workshop at Dewane and Anne Morgan's Midheaven
Farm southwest of Park Rapids, Minnesota. This tour is an opportunity for
farmers, gardeners or lawn keepers to learn how to increase organic matter
in our soil.

The day's activities will begin at 10:00 AM and wrap-up by 4:00 PM. There
will be concurrent morning sessions devoted to farming and gardening. A
buffet lunch will be provided followed by a networking break. Afternoon
sessions will repeat or continue the morning's information, depending on
the wishes of the participants. Cost for the workshop is $12.00 and
includes lunch; pre-registration is required. Tax deductible checks may be
made out to COACT Education Foundation and sent to 123 ½ East Broadway
Little Falls, MN 56345. Pre-registration and payment may be made by credit
card by calling June Varner at home at 320-584-5165. Car-pool is available
from Little Falls.

Biodynamics is an advanced form of agricultural practice that addresses the
crisis of soil depletion and poor quality food crops. It goes beyond
organic methods, seeing farms and gardens as living, breathing organisms
and endeavoring to restore soil quality and productivity.

The goal of the day's workshop is to demonstrate ways that growers can
create, sustain, and increase the biological and mineral health of the soil
while intensively producing crops with superior nutritional value.
Participants will have the opportunity to see how to apply improvements in
their management practices that will increase organic matter and re-capture
carbon in the soil while increasing profitability. Increasing carbon in
the soil may help stabilize the atmospheric effects of using fossil fuels.

Morgan, a long-time Biodynamic farmer, will take guests on an educational
tour of his 460-acre whole farm system, which integrates cattle in the
farm's rotation of hay, small grains, corn and warm season prairie grass
pastures. Emphasis will be placed on how to use a crop rotation and the
biodynamic spray preparations to increase humus levels in the soil by
stimulating plant root mass and microorganism activity. Morgan has
developed proven techniques to build new topsoil with low inputs, minimal
use of compost, subsoiling and proper timing of farming practices.

Morgan's wife, Anne, will lead gardeners through the farm's 50 member Lakes
and Valley Consumer Supported Agriculture [CSA] organic garden. Her
gardening team raises over 70 varieties of vegetables and 4 varieties of
raspberries. Methods of planting, cultivating, mulching, insect and disease
control, harvesting, share boxing and delivery will be demonstrated. She
will explain Biodynamic techniques, such as planting by the moon, companion
planting, incorporating compost in potting soil and raising Brix levels
with the BD 501 spray. She will also demonstrate the use of a Brix
refractometer to measure the quality of the garden plants.

Information about CSA start-up and management, including memberships,
budgeting, garden planning, site preparation, ordering and starting seeds,
essential tools, newsletters and intern training will be offered. The farm
has begun raising chickens and turkeys for its CSA members. Plans are
underway to add a perennial flower share and a fresh herb share

Evidence of the effectiveness of biodynamic practices can be seen because
Morgan has increased the depth of his sandy, northern topsoil to over 14
inches, the organic matter from 1.2-1.5% to 2.5-3%, and his crop yields
meet or exceed county averages for chemical farmers. Because of their
dense root structure, grasses and grassy crops that are part of his
rotation produce 80% of their carbon below the ground unlike trees and row
crops like corn that produce 80% of their carbon above the ground. With
Biodynamic practices, this below ground carbon is re-captured or
sequestered in the soil. With the organic matter currently on his 460 acre
farm, after 15 years of the Morgan's management, the total soil carbon is
an estimated 28,014,000 pounds.

Improving soil management, in the United States is important because we
farm about 349,000,000 acres. In theory, if we changed tillage practices,
for every inch of increased top soil depth at 1% organic matter per acre we
could capture the carbon from 316 gallons of gas. For each 1% we increased
the organic matter, each acre would also capture the carbon from 316
gallons of gas. If lawn keepers and gardeners increase top soil depth by
one inch per year on a quarter acre or 100' X 100' lawn or garden, with a
30mpg car, could mean each year recapturing the carbon emitted from driving
2370 miles.*

Taking a slice of soil on the Morgan farm will show how worms, rodents,
other visible and not so visible life forms convert debris from the soil
surface to carbon-storing organic matter below ground. The biodynamic
preparations the Morgan's use act as a catalyst to enhance this biologic
activity. Because earthworms thrive on their farm where there is limited
tillage, their castings can triple the carbon density in the soil.

Morgan asks the question, "Do we have the moral courage to honestly
recognize and admit that we are directly responsible by our collective past
actions for the dramatic decline in the productivity of our soils?"

It is highly recommended that participants read "How I Transitioned to
Biodynamic Agriculture" by Dewane Morgan before the workshop. Copies are
available electronically or by mail. For more information and
pre-registration contact Anne Morgan sgmorg@wcta.net or June Varner at
320-584-5165 or just@fallsnet.com. A printable map with directions is on
the COACT website at www.coact.org.

*These theoretical calculations were made with input from Mr. Don Reicosky
at the USDA - ARS in Morris, MN.






  • [Livingontheland] FYI workshop Minnesota, TradingPostPaul, 07/15/2007

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