Micro Eco-Farming

Wild-grazing dairy goats in USA

Chris Chmiel is documenting a fascinating study of grazing dairy goats amidst his small farm’s stands of wild Ohio pawpaw and black walnut trees. Both of these trees provide niche crops, and both grow well in other locations. He harvests the pawpaw fruits for sale as fresh fruit and as preserves, gathers nuts from his own forest and shells them for sale along with his neighbors' walnuts, and is planning to produce artisan cheese from the goats. The pawpaw trees and black walnuts are particularly good with goats, as the goats don’t eat or harm either of them, but the goats fertilize and eat down other weeds and wild brambles to help the pawpaws and black walnut trees flourish. Read more at www.integrationacres.com

www.MicroEcoFarming.com

Creating “wild” pasture and edible forests for alpacas

On 2 of their 6 acres, the owners of Lazy M Permaculture Oasis in Idaho, USA, are creating a new type of pasture and extending their ability to grow food for their 4 llamas and 37 alpacas. It includes browsing islands, savanna-like tree plantings, and an edible forest garden where leaves, fruits and twigs drop or can be nibbled on by their livestock. Hedgerows will provide further wildlife habitat and browsing material, fenced off at first and browse-able by reaching over the fence, then grown without the fence once sturdy enough. Visit them at http://alpacapermaculture.blogspot.com/

www.MicroEcoFarming.com

Herbal & natural treatments for honeybees

A gleaning of natural treatments to help save honeybees includes:

Reshaping their hives, sacred geometry has put bees in rounder shapes rather than squares, for good reasons. No books yet, Google for more information.

Read “Natural Beekeeping” to discover essential oils that may help keep bees healthy but remove varroa mites.

Check out www.WeedsnBees.com for natural remedies including herb teas to steep into a “Bee Tea” that helps with immunization.

www.MicroEcoFarming.com

Learn Organic Farming in Texas

The 8^th annual Texas Conference On Organic Production Systems is to be held at the Hilton Conference Center in College Station, TX February 1-3, 2008

The largest sustainable AG conference in Texas will be facilitated by the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA), bringing together the farmers, ranchers, consultants, organizers, chefs and national leaders that are making a difference in the local food revolution.

Attend this annual event and learn the latest in organic growing and sustainable agriculture, tour local farms, eat local food, enjoy a movie screening, trade show and return home inspired by others on how to successfully bring local food to your community and school system.

Featured speakers include Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, the world's best-selling book critical of genetically engineered foods. Sally Fallon, author, journalist, chef, nutrition researcher, and founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation. Howard Garrett, "the Dirt Doctor", celebrated author and host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show The Natural Way. Jim Hightower, twice elected Texas Agriculture Commissioner, national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author along with 25 other presenters from around the country.

More information about the conference and the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assoc. can be viewed online at www.tofga.org or by calling 979-836-3135. Those who register before December 31^st will save up to $50 dollars.

Come be a part of true food security!

Contact Information:

Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assoc. (TOFGA)

979-836-3135

Website: www.tofga.org

Markets for micro eco-farmers growing

The USDA reports that the number of farmers' markets has grown by 150% over the last dozen years. These markets are great outlets for many local micro eco-farmers.

www.MicroEcoFarming.com

Rare breed farm animals: good news

This report just came in about rare breed farm animals, which numerous micro eco-farmers are involved with:

Changes to the 2007 Conservation Priority List Bring Positive News for RareBreeds in the U.S.

ALBC is pleased to announce that the annual review of the Conservation
Priority List has led to several positive changes for the 2007 version.
Belted Galloway cattle moved from Watch to Recovering based on a living
population of registered animals in the US of over 10,000, according to the
Belted Galloway Society. Heritage turkeys continue their upward trends.
Based on the 2006 census of heritage turkeys both Black and Royal Palm
turkeys have moved from Threatened to Watch. White Holland turkeys have
moved from Critical to Threatened, and Slate turkeys have made a significant move from Critical to Watch. Two non-standard turkey varieties, Chocolate and Lavender/Lilac, have been added to the CPL based on their breeding population numbers. Lavender and Lilac have been linked because the color genetics are closely related. Additionally, these names have been used interchangeably.

Other changes to the CPL are based on ALBC’s ongoing research.
Determinations for two Study category breeds have been made, and a name change has been deemed appropriate for a Critical category breed. Small populations of the Choctaw pig have been identified, though these remain very difficult to access. Choctaw pigs meet ALBC’s criteria for
feral/landrace populations, being both uniform and isolated enough to
warrant inclusion, so have been moved from Study to Critical. The American
Sable rabbit has been removed from the list, where it had been in the Study
category. The breed has had genetic infusions of many other breeds during
the past few decades and based on its history it was determined to be a
color phase of the American Chinchilla. The CPL will begin listing the
California Variegated Mutant/Romeldale sheep as the Romeldale/California
Variegated Mutant (CVM). The CVM is only one color variety of the Romeldale breed, so Romeldale is the more inclusive name. Recent discussions between the associations seem to be allying the groups more closely.

Many of the American breeds received the distinction of being listed on the
Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste, noted by a symbol of a knife and fork. These
breeds have all been through an evaluation process, which includes a formal tasting. The Ark listing draws attention to the culinary aspects of these uniquely American breeds and the food traditions they foster. It also
encourages markets for food products from these breeds. Ark listings have
been very helpful in supporting conservation, as demonstrated by the success of the heritage turkeys. Breeds which have recently gained Ark of Taste recognition are: Rhode Island Red chickens; Hereford, Red Wattle, and Guinea Hogs; and, Gulf Coast and Tunis sheep.

Through the hard work of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and the many breed stewards, 2007 brings good news for rare breeds. ALBC could not have asked for a better 30th birthday present!

*************************************
Established in 1977, The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a
national, non-profit, membership organization based in Pittsboro, North
Carolina, dedicated to the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds
of livestock and poultry. ALBC's conservation efforts include research on
breed status and characteristics; developing breed specific strategies for
conservation; maintaining a gene bank of rare breeds; strengthening the
stewardship skills
of breeders through various educational venues; and educating the public
through workshops, conferences and publications. ALBC is the only
organization in the United States that does this important work.

If you are not already a member, but would like to help save rare,
endangered breeds of livestock and poultry, consider joining! Membership is
only $30. To become a member, for information about breed conservation, or to contribute to ALBC's efforts,contact us at: PO Box 477, Pittsboro, NC


27312, (919) 542-5704 or on the web at www.albc-usa.org.

Workshops for micro eco-farms around the world

As reported by Ken Hargesheimer, who teaches no-till or 0-till mini-farming and mini-ranching across the world. www.minifarms.com

When Soil is Tilled

Dr. Elaine Ingham, describes an undisturbed grassland—where a wide diversity of plants grow, their roots mingling with a wide diversity of soil organisms—and how it changes when it is plowed.

A typical teaspoon of native grassland soil contains between 600 million and 800 million individual bacteria that are members of perhaps 10,000 species. Several miles of fungi are in that teaspoon of soil, as well as 10,000 individual protozoa. There are 20 to 30 beneficial nematodes from as many as 100 species. Root-feeding nematodes are quite scarce in truly healthy soils. They are present, but in numbers so low that it is rare to find them.

After only one tilling, a few species of bacteria and fungi disappear because the food they need is no longer put back in the system. But for the most part, all the suppressive organisms, all the nutrient cyclers, all the decomposers, all the soil organisms that rebuild good soil structure are still present and trying to do their jobs.

But tillage continues to deplete soil organic matter and kill fungi . The larger predators are crushed, their homes destroyed. The bacteria go through a bloom and blow off huge amounts of that savings-account organic matter. With continued tillage, the "police-men" (organisms) that compete with and inhibit disease are lost. The "architects" that build soil aggregates are lost. So are the "engineers"—the larger organisms that design and form the larger pores in soil. The predators that keep bacteria, fungi, and root-feeding organisms in check are lost. Disease suppression declines, soil structure erodes, and water infiltration decreases because mineral crusts form. Dr. Elaine Ingham, BioCycle, December 1998. (From ATTRA News, July 06

www.MicroEcoFarming.com

Demand grows for your locally grown food

The New York Times lists “Food Miles.” Food miles are the distance food travels from where it was grown to where it’s purchased. The lower… the better. In fact, the Leopold Center quotes experts as saying that “carbon ratings” may someday be on packaged foods, describing how much carbon was emitted to grow, transport and package the item, just like calories are listed on some packaged items. Business Review Online states that local foods are among the top 10 food trends to watch for this year.

Micro eco-farms are needed more than ever when combining the local food renaissance with the new push for bio-diesel. The latter calls for massive monocultures of single crops that supply biomass. The remaining nooks, small acreages, backyards, urban lots and schoolyards must supply the food.

The Center for the Micro Eco-Farming Movement

www.MicroEcoFarming.com

The promise future of eco-farms

From France to USA’s nutraceutical specialists, eco-farmers are called the wisdom keepers, nature preservers, and healers of the future.

“There’s a tremendous ingenuity involved in being a farmer. Farmers have an incredible array of skills: attentive observation of nature, mechanical know-how, business and marketing savvy, (intense understanding of geology and natural science) and community skills. They also have wisdom that comes from working the land. They have a chance to think during the day when they’re in the fields.”

-- Carolyn Mugar, executive director, Farm Aid

-- (Addition, Barbara Adams, CMEFM)

The Center for the Micro Eco-Farming Movement

www.MicroEcoFarming.com

Farms on campus

Once the realm of private alternative schools, more colleges and universities are bringing sustainable studies, and micro and small eco-farms right onto their campuses. California State University has added an organic dairy as part of their farm campus program.

The Center for the Micro Eco-Farming Movement