From field to table
Just had to share some exciting things we’ve seen as the farm starts to green up. First of all, have a look at this picture. See the nice green patch? That’s where we grazed our animals last year. It turns out that our fields have been seriously depleted of fertility over the years. We are able to remedy that in the market garden by adding compost. But in the pasture, we are counting on the animals to bring it back to life.
Have a closer look:
Ungrazed land
Result of rotational, multi-species grazing
The greening up of the fields is not only due to the manuring, it’s due to the fact that the action of animals on the soil can have the effect of increasing soil organic matter and sward diversity (said simply: the number of different types of grasses, legumes etc found in the pasture). On the ungrazed pasture, there is only the odd orchard grass plant, on the grazed field there are 2-3 different grasses, and clover as well. Both sections of the field were seeded and hayed in exactly the same way. This is an illustration of what ‘regenerative’ agriculture is all about…returning the soil to it’s natural, healthy state through smart and conscientious agricultural practices. For more on regenerative agriculture, click here to read an article from the Rodale Institute.
On another note entirely, I have to share what I had for dinner last night. Well, not share…it’s all gone. But it was so good I took a picture:
Carrots, parsnip, celeriac, onion and turkey, all Green Being Grown....
...simmered in thyme and home-made turkey gravy and snuggled in under a cheddar-biscuit crust! Turkey Pot Pie anyone?
Of course, the reason I share this with you is to entice you to join our Winter CSA! This too could be yours by signing up…the best winter vegetables you can conceive of, all grown locally using organic methods. We have added a second, smaller share size…click here for more info!
