Internship at Steep Creek Ranch – Nicco Mantone, Spring 2024, Food & Ag Projects with Martha Rosemeyer

Week 10

Native plant ID:

Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa

The Ponderosa Pine is a towering evergreen that can reach up to 200 feet in height. This beautiful tree is a home to many, offering habitat to native insects and birds. Its long needles are often in bunches of three and its bark resembles puzzle pieces.

Ponderosa Pines are wind pollinated and prefer sun to part shade. The tree tolerates poor soils well and is drought tolerant once established. Ponderosas are important for native wildlife and provide “forage, cover, nesting sites, and nesting materials” (1).

The habitat for these pines is typically “dry, open areas, open forests, and mountain slopes” from British Columbia to Mexico and east to the Dakotas.

At Steep Creek Ranch, Pinus ponderosa (pictured above) can be found everywhere on the property and in the surrounding landscape.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, I started the day off with our regular Monday chore of turning the compost pile. After this, I spent time weeding the staff garden and planting the new starts (Japanese and Italian eggplants, Persian cucumbers, Malabar spinach, scarlet runner pole beans, an heirloom tomato, more strawberries, rhubarb, a black currant, culinary sage, oregano, thyme, and rosemary).

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, I checked the soil moisture meters, many of which had higher numbers, but some lower due to a recent rain. Some of the Syrah showed signs of tip burn and the soils there felt much drier than the lower blocks of the Syncline estate. After checking the soil moisture meters I spent time cleaning up any debris in the staff garden from previous weeding.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, I had a short meeting with our field supervisor Dr. Michael Beug about our progress, achievements, and overall satisfaction at the end of the quarter.

Sunday:

On Sunday, my peer and I spent the fist half of the day with our field supervisor on Mt. Adams and the surrounding area. We ventured out into the forest with the goal of finding some edible mushrooms (or any mushrooms). At our first stop, Dr. Beug showed us an incredible example of Indigenous agriculture: a cranberry bog nestled beneath the beautiful mountain. The biodiversity was stunning and we were in awe of the beauty of this very special place. After appreciating the beautiful bog, we moved on to the disappearing lake close by to hunt for morels but sadly did not find any mushrooms of interest other than the fungal plant pathogen: Taphrina alni (Alder tongues). After this we explored the ice caves an surrounding area observing the gorgeous ice formations and hoping to find morels around the caves. Then, heading lower in elevation towards Troutlake, we stopped and found some tulip cup mushrooms and some spring king boletes. For our final stop, we took a short hike at troutlake, where there was a beautiful trail with a lovely view of the mountain as well as sleeping beauty mountains.

Link to instagram video of our day posted by Dr. Michael Beug

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery

In chapter eleven, “Farming Carbon,” David Montgomery addressed carbon sequestration, the power of mulch, conventional environmental issues, and no-till farming. Montgomery explores how no-till practices combined with cover cropping can sequester carbon in soils while conventional and tillage methods actually release carbon into the atmosphere due to the acceleration of decomposition caused by tillage. The argument that no-till is less environmentally impactful also includes the fact that less equipment passes are required to farm a field while at the same time soil carbon is not being released. Heavy machinery also burning more fossil fuels during tillage because of the intense drag caused by breaking the soil with plows. “…since the dawn of agriculture, most cultivated soils have lost between a third and two-thirds of their original soil carbon” (p.209-210). Montgomery mentions that carbon sequestration is possible short term solution that can be impleemented immediately to “buy us time” to develop truly green energy alternatives to fossil fuels.

In chapter twelve “Closing the Loop,” David Montgomery discussed closed loop systems with a focus on humanure. This chapter addresses historical uses of humanure and the fact that the United States losses too much of our soil nutrients through waste disposal, both human waste and food waste, and the exporting of nutrients off the farm without replacing them with organic matter. Montgomery talks about the successive return of nutrients in natural cycles, such as weeds drawing nutrients from the subsoil and returning them in plant available forms to the topsoil upon decay. It is in this way that he views humanure as critical for returning nutrients to our fields. An example of a more modern way human wastes can be reapplied to our soils comes from Tacoma, Washington’s sewage treatment plant. The product TAGRO, is a microbially digested fertilizer made from a mix of biosolids, sawdust, and sand, and has become popular in the city.

In chapter thirteen, “The Fifth Revolution,” David Montgomery concludes his learnings of soil building and regenerative farming practices, reflecting on the ways in which conventional agriculture does mostly harm rather than good. Montgomery notes that although soil building practices, enhancing fertility, and causing less environmental damage are relatively simple practices that are easy to adopt, politics must change to allow this and strategies must be tailored to each place. Bolstering agricultural and community resilience in the face of climate change is a daunting task, but one that can be accomplished if farmers stray from the sways of agribusiness corporations. Ideally, conventional farmers could realize that lower input practices will save their land and their wallets. This is how we need to move towards a post-oil world.

Bibliography:

Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 11, 12, 13.

Week 9

Native plant ID:

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

The California Poppy is long blooming, drought tolerant, and loved by many pollinators. These plants can grow to be about 20 inches tall and are incredibly common around the western United States.

California Poppys range from southern British Columbia to Mexico and east to Idaho. The flower is a specialist bee and butterfly host and is deer resistant. It prefers sun to light shade and can be an annual or perennial.

At Steep Creek Ranch, Eschscholzia californica (pictured above) can be found in ditches and low points on the property and the surrounding area.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, I focused on the weekly chores: turning the compost, checking the soil moisture meters, weeding the staff garden and pruning tomato and pepper plants. This week, the thick pieces of sod in the compost pile had mostly decomposed and the water meters were reading even higher numbers than the week before. The tomatoes and peppers in the staff garden also have shot up in height and spread, and needed another pruning.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, I focused on repairing the direct root zone (DRZ) irrigation tubes for the DRZ trial at the homestead vineyard site. Repairing these tubes has proven to be a much more lengthy process than expected as many of the tubes are completed shattered or snapped off at the soil’s surface or above by the previous mower and require removal and re-drilling. Many of the tubes are difficult to remove and leave their previous hole filled with soil upon removal which required them to be re-drilled. To do this I used a hand held soil sampling spiral auger because its dimensions were about the size of the holes needed for the new tubes. After replacing many of these tubes, I had run out of caps and adapters and needed to find more of the parts before continuing.

Thursday:

On Thursday, I spent time working on our final presentation and waited at the ranch for a large shipment of wood shavings to be delivered. After their delivery I was tasked with picking up the new fencing and an assortment of sprays and soil amendments from Orchard Vineyard Supply in The Dalles, Oregon about 25 minutes away from the farm. The employees of the store helped us load the fencing onto our truck, but because of the way that it was packaged (in an upright position) the employees were not able to push it up against the back of the truck cab and it proved difficult to strap down securely so we spent a while strapping the heavy fencing down. The fencing is a short horse fence that will be tacked on above the existing identical horse fence to form an eight foot fence for deer.

Friday:

On Friday, I went to a new local nursery in Lyle, Washington called French’s Farm where I picked up many new plant starts for the staff garden. The starts included: Japanese and Italian eggplants, Persian cucumbers, Malabar spinach, scarlet runner pole beans, an heirloom tomato, more strawberries, rhubarb, a black currant, and some kitchen herbs (sage, oregano, thyme, and rosemary). After bringing them back to the ranch and giving them a healthy watering, we left the starts outside to harden off before planting them next week.

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery

In chapter ten, “Invisible Herds,” David Montgomery travels to from the Andes to the Amazon and then to Costa Rica to study how often the river floods deposit fresh sediment. In this chapter he observes the jungle forest soils which had very little organic matter and only a small amount of leaf litter on the surface due to the rapid nutrient cycles in those forests. Montgomery then compares the forest soils to soils in villages, noting the distinct differences in color, organic matter, and fertility due to the centuries of indigenous populations returning organic matter and wastes to the soil; he calls these soils: terra preta. The key ingredient in these soils is biochar, which can last for thousands of years in the soil, improving porosity, water holding capacity, and cation-exchange capacity, as well as providing habitat for microbial life, and increasing soil pH. Montgomery also visits a woman named Felicia Echeverría, who owns a small farm in San Pablo. Echeverría explained some of her methods of recycling wastes back to the land, such as her dry composting toilet which uses only a cup of water per flush and gives her rich compost once per year. Echeverría also showed her process for brewing bokashi leachate using MM (microorganismos de montaña). This microbial biofertilizer is made from humus collected from the surrounding forest, rice bran, and molasses. The brew is fermented and used as an inoculant and fertilizer rich in mycorrhyzal fungi for her seedlings and crops. Echeverría has a recipe for a homemade pesticide that includes MM garlic, hot chili, onions, ginger, molasses, vinegar, alcohol, and water which she uses as an all-purpose spray for insects nematodes, fungus, and other pests. Montgomery wonders why all farmers don’t use these methods and comes to understand that large scale farms cannot get funding for practices that have “no commercial backing” (194), so agrochemicals are systematically favored. To promote sustainable and local nutrient cycling and microbial communities, it is essential that wastes be returned to the land in responsible ways.

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to finishing the fencing project, completing maintenance and lots of new plantings for the staff garden, assessing the new nettle and equisetum teas, and touching base about future orchard plans as well as riparian area rehabilitation.

Bibliography:

Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 10.

Week 8

Native plant ID:

Oregon White Oak, Quercus garryana var. garryanna

The Oregon White oak is a gorgeous native tree that supports massive amounts of native insects and wildlife. The trees provide habitat, food, and shelter for sensitive species of plants, wildlife and insects. The leaves of oaks emerge later in the season than many other deciduous trees and provide much needed shade for species in the hot and dry summer months.

Oregon White Oaks prosper in “Oak woodlands and savannas, mixed forests, prairies, meadows, riparian areas, rocky slopes, and bluffs” (1). These trees mainly grow east of the Cascade Mountain Range and prefer sun to light shade and moist to seasonally dry soils. These trees are very slow growing and can reach heights of 25-100 feet and widths of 20-60 feet.

The trees flower in Spring and produce acorns in late Summer and Fall. The Oregon White Oak is wind pollinated and essential to many native species.

At Steep Creek Ranch, Quercus garryana var. garryanna (pictured above) can be found everywhere on the property and in the surrounding area.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, I began with the weekly chores: turning the compost, checking the soil moisture meters, and weeding the staff garden. This week, some of the tomato plants began sprouting new shoots and flowers so I gave them another round of pruning.

In the afternoon, I pounded more fence posts along the north and north west fence line at the homestead in preparation for the orchard and moved our irrigation line to the southwest fence line in order to soak the soil at each new post spot.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, I finished pounding the new posts on the southwest fence line at the homestead and moved the drip irrigation to the southeast fence line to begin soaking that ground in preparation for the new posts.

In the afternoon, I was tasked with fixing the direct root zone irrigation study tubes, emitters, and spaghetti lines at the homestead. Many of the tubes had been broken by the previous tractor weeder attachment which caused too much disturbance and sometimes harmed vines by breaking off limbs and young shoots. To fix these tubes, which are buried about three feet into the soil, they needed to either be removed and replaced or sawed and altered. After fixing about a third of the irrigation I went to Hood River, Oregon to find eggplant and pole bean starts for the staff garden but all the starts had terrible pest problems.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, I began with irrigation maintenance at the homestead vineyard site continuing to repair the direct root zone irrigation parts and ended the day by weeding the staff garden again.

Thursday:

On Thursday, I finished pounding the final posts for the fence at the homestead on the southeast fence line. This process took so long because, as previously discussed, the ground had become too hard and dry with the lack of rain and onset of heat so it became necessary to soak the ground enough to pound the new posts in. We purchased a 500 foot drip irrigation line and customized it with drip emitters at each 20 foot interval where we had previously marked where each new post would go and periodically moved it along the fence line each day.

In the afternoon, I researched possible varieties and implementations of fruiting, nitrogen fixing, and perennial plants for the future orchard and designed a rough draft map.

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery

In chapter nine, “Carbon Cowboys,” David Montgomery imagined that cattle were bad for building soils (in reference to overgrazing). Like many farmers, Montgomery was skeptical of cattle incorporation because he assumed that cattle on farmland led to soil degradation. However, he found the case to be that livestock grazing without frequent and proper rotation is what often leads to soil degradation and welcomed intensive grazing as a key aspect of soil building. There is a reason that many large scale American farms do not integrate animals. “The foundation of farm income shifted from diversity to specialization” (155). American consumerism and “bigger-is-better” philosophy encouraged large scale industrial monocultures and often removed animal integration from the equation. “‘The reason feedlots were started was to get rid of excess grain production.’ And as automation spurred the growth of centralized feeding operations, it saved the farmers who specialized in grain production the extra work involved with livestock. The loss of manure then helped push grain farmers into fertilizer dependence” (167).

Using all aspects of conservation agriculture plus intensive grazing builds soils fast. Incorporation of these practices must be intentional and calculated for a farmer’s future goals and predictions. For example, cover crop mixes can be customized to prepare for certain crops or livestock and fields may be rotationally grazed or planted with fallow and cropping periods in mind to build soils and achieve fertility. Turning farm wastes into profits/products is the most economic and sustainable option for current and future farmers and animal integration can be a huge part of this practice. “…using the cull of one thing as the input for another” (165).

Montgomery and his farmer interviewees from this chapter found that rotational grazing promotes exudate production. “The aboveground chewing, tearing, and trampling by livestock grazing creates wounds that the plant must heal” (164). This stimulates the companionship of microbial metabolites which feed on the plants’ carbon-rich exudates and in turn bring more micronutrients into plant available forms. In these situations, high density low frequency grazing gives the livestock more rotational and seasonal options as well as allows proper time for the plants to recover and begin this process. High density grazing also forces livestock behavior to shift from selective to absolute, meaning that when in high densities cattle will eat all vegetation present rather than pick and choose what they favor most; this will promote more diverse outcomes and encourages cattle to help the farmer manage invasives.

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to finishing the fencing project, completing maintenance for the staff garden, assessing the new nettle and equisetum teas, and touching base about future orchard plans as well as riparian area rehabilitation.

Bibliography:

Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.
HILL, LEWIS. Fruit Gardener’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruits and Nuts in the Home Garden. STOREY BOOKS, 2020.
“Home.” One Green World, 23 May 2024, onegreenworld.com/.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 9.

Week 7

Native plant ID:

Common Yarrow, Achillea millefolium

Common Yarrow is a long blooming fire resistant perennial that grows and helps to rehabilitate in disturbed areas. It flowers are most commonly white but sometimes a soft pink and blooming occurs from spring through summer (sometimes fall depending on the climate). The plant holds up well to mowing and is beloved by pollinators, specifically butterflies and moths to which it is a host plant for (is somewhat deer resistant).

Common Yarrow prefers sun to part shade, is drought tolerant, and spreads vigorously from seeds and rhizomes. This native perennial thrives on both sides of the Cascade mountains is its range is from “Alaska to California and east to the Atlantic Coast.” (1)

At Steep Creek Ranch, Achillea millefolium (pictured above) can be found everywhere on the property.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, I began with the weekly chores of turning the compost and checking each water meter at the three vineyard sites. This week’s water numbers were significantly higher, indicating it may be time to irrigate soon. After finishing up these chores I set to work weeding the staff garden which is prey to grass invasion without a weed barrier yet.

In the afternoon, I spent time placing the new irrigation line along the homestead fence line to wet and soften the ground enough for us to pound posts in and marked each place where the new posts should go.

Thursday:

On Thursday, I began with a check in on the new nettle teas which have been left uncovered and both have formed a thick mold on the surface of the water. After this I set out to attach drip emitters to the drip line along the homestead fence line and turned on the water. Once the irrigation was running I went back to the winery to begin banding compost on a new planting of young head trained grape vines. This took some time as it was my first time learning how to drive the tractor on sloped and precarious ground.

In the afternoon, I finished banding compost around the first block of young vines, and weeded around the base of each young vine in the second block.

Head training vs cordon training:

The ranch is comparing head training vs. cordon training. For head training the spacing of the vines is closer so mechanizing maintenance is more difficult in general and not possible with the farm’s current equipment. The head trained vines also require a t-post each, which means more money spent on posts for large scale plantings. The head trained vines also have a smaller yield than cordon trained vines, with about 2 clusters per shoot equaling approximately 16 clusters per head trained vine and 20 to 24 clusters for cordon trained vines.

Applying compost to the first block of young head trained vines

Second block of young head trained vines before weeding

Friday:

On Friday, I began with banding compost around the second block of young vines.

I finished the day by harvesting equisetum (rough horsetail) to be dried for making tea. I was tasked with finding young equisetum without laterals and was very confused because the equisetum I am familiar with is ‘field horsetail,’ which has laterals even in its first stages of growth. After discovering a patch of rough horsetail in Lyle, WA, I realized it was only a species difference.

Compost and mulch applications are crucial for these vines, as the farm’s goal is to dry farm them once they have become established. A typical irrigation schedule on the farm looks like irrigating for about 6 hours per vine once a week for young vines in harsh heat. However, established vines will usually receive about 6 hours of irrigation and no more for around a month to encourage their roots to chase the water downward instead of up toward the surface (as is common with cordon trained frequently surface drip irrigated vines). Often replants (young vines that take the place of a dead or removed vine) will struggle to establish because older vines will often outcompete them for water and nutrients.

Second block of young head trained vines weeded and with compost

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery

In chapter eight, “The Organic Dilemma,” David Montgomery discusses the comparison of organic and conventional practices, specifically at the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania. Montgomery addresses the issues of conventional reliance on chemicals, tillage, and crop insurance, and parallels it with organic reliance on microbial life, soil organic matter, and no-till. The author struggles with the USDA’s campaign and support of agrochemicals and environmentally degrading farming practices that prioritize high yield monocultures and the agrochemical companies that have monopolized the market. The issues with chemical fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides are endless for soil life, the farmer’s wallet, and the structure of their soils. These chemicals, that are only partly taken up by crops, leach into waterways and aquifers, destroy microbial and fungal communities that build up SOM, hold and cycle nutrients, stabilize soils, and form symbiotic relationships with crops, and finally eat away at farmers’ money and time. Instead, Montgomery looks to no-till, especially mulching and cover cropping, as ways to negate chemical use altogether and/or partially. By utilizing cover crops, a farmer can fix nitrogen, build SOM and carbon in soils, suppress weeds, stabilize soils by keeping them covered while the crop is growing or when it is cut, and feed microbial life which will in turn benefit the following crop(s). Through trials at the Rodale Institute, as well as other comparison experimental farms/plots across the country, farmers and researchers found that farming organically/with conservation methods is more profitable for the farmer as well as their soils. With farmers spending significantly less on agrochemicals, fuel for tractor passes, and/or crop insurance they can save a significant amount of money in expenses. This is all without mentioning that the marketable prices for organic goods are higher than conventional, and organic methods when pursued for multiple seasons can help farmers achieve more reliable yields year after year. “Organic farming and organic-matter input increase soil carbon and nitrogen content as well as microbial biomass and activity” (p 139). Organic practices when combined with no-till will improve aggregate stability, porosity, water and carbon holding capacity, and degrease runoff and erosion. Mycorrhizal fungi are also essential in organics and conservation agriculture and help to bind soil aggregates together using glomalin as well as form beneficial relationships with plants in which they exchange nutrients. Conventional farmers often do not see the merit in applying not readily available forms of nutrients such as compost, but “the biology makes nutrients available” (p 146).

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to finishing the fencing project, completing maintenance for the staff garden, and purchasing and planting eggplant starts for the staff, as well as assessing the new nettle and equisetum teas.

Bibliography:

Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.
HILL, LEWIS. Fruit Gardener’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruits and Nuts in the Home Garden. STOREY BOOKS, 2020.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 8.

Week 6

Native plant ID:

Ookow, Dichelostemma congestum

This native drought tolerant perennial bulb has tight clusters of purple flowers atop a tall leafless stem with grasslike basal leaves. The plant prefers sun to light shade and well-draining soils. The plant increases slowly by seeds and corm offsets and goes dormant after setting seed. Ookow is a lovely choice for butterflies and other pollinators.

Ookow is most often found in meadows, grasslands, oak woodlands, and rocky prairies from the Salish Sea to California and east of the Cascade mountains in the Columbia River Gorge.

At Steep Creek Ranch, Dichelostemma congestum (pictured above) can be found everywhere on the property.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, I began with the weekly chores of checking numbers on the water meters at all three vineyard sites and turning the compost with the tractor. The numbers relayed on the water meter reader signified that the soils had begun to dry. After finishing up these chores I prepared and hung yellow jacket traps at the lower syncline estate, and the raven. The traps consisted of a plastic bag with a funnel and a bottom filled with water to activate a small dissolvable pouch of wasp pheromone.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, I began by placing and setting the remaining 10 foot wooden fence posts on the north and west sides of the homestead in preparation for the orchard. I also removed the old electrobraid wire from the entire perimeter while my internship partner Kseniya removed the old t-posts in their place, and finally we pinned all the posts to the fence using fencing staples.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, I finished placing the yellow jacket traps at the upper syncline estate and the homestead. In the afternoon, I finished placing and setting the final 10 foot wooden fence posts on the east side of the homestead and weeded a large asparagus bed, applied about 2-3 inches of compost, and harvested much asparagus.

Thursday:

On Thursday, we built and braced “Hs” (shown below) for the gates and fence corners. We attempted to pound new 10 foot t posts, but the ground was too hard and dry so we considered using drip tape along the fenceline to moisten the soil enough to pound the posts. After spending the majority of the day rebuilding the fence braces, we took the auger off the tractor and re-attached the sprayer.

Research:

Boron and sulfur applications on the ranch:

Boron is applied three times per year at 20% (1lb per acre) to relieve short shoot syndrome which causes a zigzagging pattern of growth and stunted internodes in the shoots (often caused by boron deficiency and/or bud-mites). Sulfur is also applied at the ranch for bud-mites and mildew. On hot years the shoots of the grape vines elongate fast enough fot the bud-mites to not be an issue and sulfur is not needed as much. However, if temperatures reach above 85°F, the sulfur application will cause the leaves to burn. Common symptoms of bud-mites are as follows: “deformation of the primordial clusters, distortion of the basal leaves, stunting of the main growing point of the buds, and death of the overwintered buds” (2).

Cluster formation, buds, and pollination:

Wine grape vines have three distinct buds serving different purposes. The primary bud produces two clusters per shoot and the secondary bud produces one cluster per shoot and comes out about 10 days after the primary bud. The survival bud is the third, and produces no crop. Many commercial grape vine species are monoecious, and self pollinate. “At flowering time, the cap is shed to expose the anthers and pistil” (4). Pollen is then released after the cap falls and pollination happens when pollen grains reach a stigma.

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery

In chapter seven, “Developing Solutions,” David Montgomery discusses a prominent “No-till Center” in Ghana created and maintained by Dr. Kofi Boa. Montgomery addresses many of the topics previously discussed but this time in context of a degraded tropical environment and a Ghanian farm using traditional methods to combat common issues in the region. Dr. Kofi Boa uses his farm to offer no-cost education and opportunities to local subsistence farmers and students through continual comparison field trials and natural demonstrations. Boa hopes to share his knowledge and experiences of farming using conservation practices with others to show ways of farming that save the farmer money and time as well as tend to the land and produce plentiful yields without becoming caught up in agribusiness or conventional methods of production. Boa will advise others to simply farm in this method: “1. Open up the soil only enough to plant a seed—minimally disturb the soil. 2. Make sure the ground is covered with prior crop residue at planting, and use cover crops to build biomass and soil organic matter. 3. Introduce diversity to the fields through rotations and intercropping” (118, Montgomery). Montgomery notes that Boa practices conservation agriculture in these ways and how important these practices are in a tropical region where soils cannot hold onto nutrients for very long. because of the nature of the soils in Boa’s region the most impactful practice mentioned was keeping the soil covered at all times with the goals of reducing weed pressure, conserving moisture, lowering temperature, holding nutrients in organic matter, reducing use of chemicals, halting erosion, and feeding the microbiome.

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to finishing the fencing project, researching fruit and nut tree varieties for the proposed orchard, completing maintenance for the staff garden, and foraging for wild Equisetum arvense to make into tea, reassessing the new nettle teas.

Bibliography:

Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.
Kido, H, and E Stafford. “The Biology of the Grape Bud Mite Eriophyes Vitis (PGST.).” Hilgardia, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, hilgardia.ucanr.edu/Abstract/?a=hilg.v24n06p119#:~:text=Typical%20symptoms%20of%20bud%2Dmite,diseases%20and%20other%20grape%20pests. Accessed 14 May 2024.
Breeding Grapes – Grape Flowers, www.hort.cornell.edu/reisch/grapegenetics/breeding/crossing1.html. Accessed 14 May 2024.
Flowering and Pollination, www.awri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/3_phenology_flowering_and_pollination.pdf. Accessed 15 May 2024.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 7.

Week 5

Native plant ID:

Large-flowered triteleia, Triteleia grandiflora

This native drought tolerant perennial bulb has beautiful clusters of light purple, white, and blue tubular flowers atop tall leafless stems with basal leaves. The plant prefers sun to light shade and well-draining soils.

Triteleia is most often found in grasslands, oak savannas, shrub-steppe, prairies, coastal bluffs, and open woodlands.

At Steep Creek Ranch, Triteleia grandiflora (pictured above) can be found everywhere on the property.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, I began with learning basic tractor safety and operation. Then practiced operating the tractor and the bucket control by turning the compost pile and aiming for the most aeration of the compost as possible.

Practicing driving the tractor by turning the compost pile

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, I began by checking the soil moisture meters at the syncline estate, the raven, and the homestead. To do this, I attached a reading device to a 16 inch deep ceramic tube buried in the rooting zone of the vines. The Watermark soil moisture meter device sends an electronic current through the tube to measure the soil water tension in centibars (cb) or kilopascals (kPa). The value that is read on the device “represents the energy a plant’s root system uses to draw water from the soil” (2). A higher reading indicates dry soil and a low reading, wet soil.

Each week on Monday we will repeat this process to get an idea of our soil moisture trends and an indication of when to begin irrigating the vines.

A reading on the soil moisture meter at ‘The Raven’

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, I began by harvesting more wild stinging nettles for a second batch of nettle tea. This time there was an abundance of nettles at the cape horn coordinates, but most had just begun to flower. My internship partner and I harvested enough nettles for two more barrels of tea and headed to the ranch to begin brewing them and preparing to deer fence the homestead property in anticipation of a fruit and nut orchard with possible animal integration.

In the afternoon, we went back around to each site to mark the vineyard rows with water meters before heading to Brooks Memorial State Park to connect with Sarah Williams’ “Land Based Learning: Foodways” program. I briefly spoke about my history, experiences, and intentions with ILCs I have completed while at Evergreen and connected with students about their individual interests, plans for independent work, and thoughts about their current program. My internship partner, Kseniya put on a short bread workshop/demonstration, shared recipes with interested students, and offered fresh baked bread to the class.

Thursday:

On Thursday, I began by brewing two more barrels of nettle tea. For this batch, we are experimenting with leaving the barrels uncovered.

After starting the new batch of tea, we moved on to planning for a new deer fence at the homestead property down the street. We planned to fence a degraded pasture field in preparation for the planning and planting of a fruit and nut orchard or food forest.

After measuring the existing fenced perimeter, we marked each place where the new 10 foot posts would be placed and began removing the old posts with the tractor. This was also a new learning opportunity for operating the tractor: driving it on slopes while hauling equipment rather than flat ground and using attachments with the PTO. After removing the existing and rotted posts, we then used the auger to drill out space for the new posts, placed them, and packed them in with sand, rocks, and dirt using a pry-bar.

Removing old fence posts with the tractor in preparation for 10ft fence post replacements

Research:

Low boron on the ranch:

The ranch shows low levels of boron in soils (<0.1ppm to 0.1ppm). This can cause issues with boron deficiency in the grape vines; resulting in abnormal pollen tube formation, pollen germination, and death of shoot tips as well as stunted vine growth and fruit set. Boron in its available form is held in organic matter, in borosilicate mineral form, or in clay. However, the ranch has 2.2% to 4.4% organic matter and sandy soils, which are not ideal conditions for preventing boron leaching. (3)

Coulure or “shatter” is a tern to explain the “excessive shedding of ovaries and young berries, leading to clusters with few berries” (4). It is a condition caused by boron deficiency.

“Chicks and hens” or millerandage is when grape clusters produce small seedless berries, some fully ripened and some unripe. The unripe berries without seeds do not have the potential to ripen because the plant will not expend energy on ripening them. Millerandage is often caused by boron deficiency and cold and wet spells during flowering. (5)

Direct root-zone irrigation study:

Most wine grapes are irrigated by surface drip irrigation, which is considered to be an efficient means of watering; but much of the water applied is lost to evaporation or surrounding weeds and causes issues with root growth in the upper irrigated area. Steep Creek Ranch is participating in a study in coordination with the WSU Viticulture and Enology Extension to understand the effects of direct root-zone irrigation. The study uses plastic tubes buried vertically in the soil about 1 to 4 feet below the soil surface to deliver water directly to the rooting zone.

The study aims to reduce water loss due to evaporation and uptake by weeds as well as encourage roots to grow deeper rather than up towards the surface decreasing their chances of drying out in the top layers of soil. (6)

So far, the study has found that grape vines irrigated with this method used approximately 60% less water than surface drip irrigated vines and those grapes had significantly higher percentage brix (sugar content), higher total anthocyanins, and reduced levels of acidity. (7)

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery

In chapter six, “Green Manure,” David Montgomery addresses the concepts of conservation agriculture again. Montgomery states that no-till will significantly reduce water, chemical, and fossil fuel usage in the fields while simultaneously saving the farmer money on these reduced inputs. Another theme of the chapter is crop diversity and keeping the ground covered at all times. The farmers sited in this chapter share their experiences combining no-till practices with cover crops and natural mulching, explaining that when crop residues are left on the soil’s surface to decompose, weeds, disease, and pests are suppressed, soils can hold more water, nutrients, and life in the form of micro and macro-organisms. Finally, Montgomery touches on the third theme of crop rotations. Combined with these other practices of conservation agriculture, crop rotations will help protect against pests and diseases as well as cycle soil nutrients more efficiently than long-term monocrops. (8)

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to setting out yellow jacket traps, foraging wild Equisetum arvense to make into tea, testing the staff garden soils and implementing a grass barrier, furthering my experience on the tractor as well as researching riparian area restoration and deciding on goals if the weather permits.

Bibliography:

Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.
Watermark Digital Meter, www.irrometer.com/pdf/407.pdf. Accessed 5 May 2024.
Boron Deficiency in Grapes, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, ucanr.edu/sites/CentralSierraAg/files/331995.pdf. Accessed 6 May 2024.
“Grape Fruit Set and Shatter (Coulure).” University of Maryland Extension, extension.umd.edu/resource/grape-fruit-set-and-shatter-coulure/. Accessed 5 May 2024.
Dry, P. R., and B. G. Coombe. Viticulture. Volume 2 Practices, Winetitles, 1988.
Jacoby, PW 2016. Direct Root-Zone Irrigation in … – WSU Labs, labs.wsu.edu/jacoby/wp-content/uploads/sites/1521/2016/12/VEEN-Spring-2016-Jacoby.pdf. Accessed 6 May 2024.
Pete W. Jacoby, and Xiaochi Ma. Direct Root-Zone Delivery to Enhance Deficit Irrigation Application, www.irrigation.org//IA/FileUploads/IA/Resources/TechnicalPapers/2018/DRZ_Drip-Irrigation_JACOBY.pdf. Accessed 6 May 2024.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 6.

Week 4

Native plant ID:

Big-head Clover, Trifolium macrocephalum

This lovely native perennial clover is drought-tolerant. It has palmately compound leaves and a dense head of light pink and white inflorescence. The big-head clover grows east of the Cascade mountain range and is a resource for many native pollinators.

The big-head clover grows at low to mid elevations in rocky and dry sites, grasslands, shrub-steppe, and open pine woodlands. The perennial prefers sun to light shade and well draining soils. (6)

At Steep Creek Ranch, Trifolium macrocephalum (pictured above) can be found in the lower fields in zone 2 and in the upper syncline estate in the rocky basalt terrain.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, we began the day by meeting our field supervisor, Dr. Michael Beug, at his farm and home. Dr. Beug gave us a tour of his vegetable garden where he grows all of his wife’s favorite berries and vegetables. Dr. Beug then showed us his diverse orchard that dates back to the early 1900s with many nut an fruit trees (american chestnuts, walnuts, pears, apples, hybrids, plums, american persimmons, autumn olives, pecan, and almonds).

Dr. Beug stated “this is an example of how not to plant an orchard,” as he explained that the trees are too close in proximity, lacked organization, and many trees were too close to the bordering forest which cause production issues. Michael does not mow his fields until July to allow all the wildflowers and native plants to flower and seed before laying them to rest for the season.

After our tour, Michael so graciously gave us his extra tomato starts (orange banana, black prince, and paul robeson) as well as broccoli, cabbage, basil, and peppers for the staff garden.

In the afternoon, we went to the nursery Good News Gardening in Hood River, OR, where we bought the rest of our plant starts for the staff garden (peppers, summer squash, cucumbers, Thai basil, onions, garlic, chives, coriander, parsley, tomatoes, tomatillos, scallions, raspberries, and strawberries). We went to work planting about half the starts: tomatoes, peppers, basil, cucumbers, tomatillos, scallions, and onions.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, we finished planting the starts we had collected: summer squash, garlic, chives, raspberries, strawberries, peas, and flower seeds. We then reassessed the pine/duff tea and decided our best course of action to avoid any potential armillaria infection was to dump the teas which had started to give off a foul odor.

In the afternoon, we then moved on to re-burry the irrigation valve boxes that we had previously dug up to fix the broken mainlines. To do this we replaced the metal mesh beneath and around the edges of the boxes, cut holes using a sawzall in each side of the box to fit around the new pipes, and reburied them.

Reburying irrigation valve boxes in the upper syncline estate

Thursday:

On Thursday, I spent a large portion of the day researching potential weed barrier options for the staff garden and availability of garden soil testing in our area, hunting for nettles, reading Agroecology by Stephen Gliessman, and having seminar with Kseniya.

In place of plastic weed barrier, cedar boards can be used as a more permanent and plastic-free solution. We plan to dig small trenches around the perimeter of the staff garden and pound in the cedar boards to keep the grass from encroaching into the beds.

I found that a local company called Grow Organic, based in Hood River, OR offers soil analysis at a home gardener rate. They offer a standard soil test which includes: total exchange capacity (M.E.), pH, organic matter percentage, sulfur, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, boron, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, and aluminum.

Kseniya and I drove to the previous coordinates at which we harvested stinging nettles for tea making, and found that all the nettles were flowering. Because we were told not to bother harvesting any flowering nettles, we searched around the area but could not find any that did not have buds and headed home.

Research:

Skeletonweed management

Skeletonweed can be controlled in a variety of ways, but is best managed through a combination of strategies. The weed can be physically managed by means of hand pulling or mechanical methods such as mowing only before flowering. However, mechanical management such as tillage or cultivation often causes the weed to spread because of its extensive a resilient root systems’ ability to sprout from main roots, laterals, and fragments (3, 5). Controlled burns have been ruled out for the same reasons as tillage. Skeletonweed growth and density can be suppressed by the planting of native perennials and vigorous legumes to outcompete the weed. Grazing can also be semi-effective, but only before seed set or flowering. Chemical control can be used to suppress the weeds when in the rosette stage, but herbicides must be used aggressively for a successful outcome (3).

The most successful agents for control of skeleton weed have been found to be biological (often used in combination with an herbicide). These agents include: the gall mite (Eriophyes chondrillae), the gall midge (Cytiphora chmidti), and the rust fungus (Puccinia chondrillina). The root moth (Bradyrrhoa gilveolella) is also used. (3, 4, 5). “It is recommended that the rust be released in the spring or fall; the mites in the summer; and the midge in the spring” (3). This biological approach will not kill the weeds, but will significantly reduce vigor and seed production.

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery:

In chapter five, “Ditching the Plow,” David Montgomery addresses the general disagreements between organic and conventional farmers, but notes that mostly, farmers agree that tillage degrades soil structure and fertility. Montgomery goes on to discuss conservation agriculture and its three pillars: “(1) minimum disturbance of the soil; (2) growing cover crops and retaining crop residue so that the soil is always covered; and (3) use of diverse crop rotations” (p. 58). Conservation agriculture can have many benefits that mainly stem from building soil organic matter through natural mulches made of crop residues such as reducing or stoping erosion, reviving microbial communities, improving soil structure and topsoils, natural weed suppression, an increase in aboveground biomass and biodiversity, higher resistance to pests and pathogens in a farm ecosystem, the reduced need for chemical inputs as well as labor and equipment passes. Montgomery talks about his many meetings with farmers of varying experiences and their strong feelings of “ditching the plow” for the long-term health and fertility of their soils.

The history of plows becoming mainstream in the United States and across the global north is horrifying. First with simple cultivation tools being use from 5000 to 3000 B.C. to the invention of the iron plow by Romans, then to Thomas Jefferson’s invention of a new plow that kicked of mass production by the company John Deere. “Deere’s plow opened the Midwest to homesteaders, becoming affectionately known as the Prairie Breaker” (p. 62). With these advancements in destructive technologies came the mass movement toward the plow for every American farmer. Specifically talked about, this brought devastation to the Great Plains, where the Dust Bowl was created and top soils, their microbial populations, and soil fertility literally flew and washed away. This intense mechanization also forced on-farm forage and pasture to become obsolete, which caused a decline in the integration of animals, thus increasing off-farm inputs without the previous animal wastes.

Now, just as then, we can see that “commercial interests pushed to develop solutions that could be commodified; they wanted agrochemical products, not practices that anyone could adopt for free” (p. 71). Just as Montgomery likens seed companies to drug companies, conventional agriculture is built upon consumerism and the desires of corporations to expand and exploit the commodity market for personal gain.

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to setting out yellow jacket traps, foraging wild Equisetum arvense to make into tea, testing the staff garden soils and implementing a grass barrier, as well as researching and creating a base map for riparian area restoration with goals.

Bibliography:

1) Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.

2) “Customized Soil Analysis & Recommendations.” Grow Organic, www.groworganics.org/soil_testing/.

3) United States Department of Agriculture. Field Guide for Managing Rush Skeletonweed in the Southwest, www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5410124.pdf.

4) Rush Skeletonweed: Options for Control, www.nwcb.wa.gov/images/weeds/Rush-Skeletonweed_Franklin.pdf. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

5) “Rush Skeletonweed.” Wheat & Small Grains, WSU, smallgrains.wsu.edu/weed-resources/common-weed-list/rush-skeletonweed/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

6) Slichter, Paul. “Big-Head Clover, Big-Headed Clover, Large-Head Clover.” Big-Head Clover, Big-Headed Clover, Large-Head Clover: Trifolium Macrocephalum (Synonyms: Lupinaster Macrocephalus, Trifolium Macrocephalum Var. Caeruleomontanum), science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/pea/trifolium/bighead.htm. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

7) Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 5.

Week 3

Native plant ID:

Small-flowered Prairie Star, Lithophragma parviflorum

This dainty perennial has three parted petals which can be white to light pink and begin at the top of the stem and grow into a raceme. The middle lobe of each petal is longest with two shorter petals on either side. Although it propagates from both seeds and bulblets, its leaf axels lack bulblets (2, 3).

The small-flowered prairie star can be found in “grassy to sagebrush covered slopes, and in open, low altitude forests” and “from British Columbia south along both sides of the Cascades to northern California”…as well as “eastward to Alberta, South Dakota, and Colorado” (1).

At Steep Creek Ranch, this native species (pictured above) can be found almost everywhere.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, I began the day by drawing up a crop plan that includes more detail such as in row spacing, bed feet per crop, companion groupings, pollinator needs, diversity, and crops requested by the staff members. Requested crops from most to least included: tomatoes, peppers, herbs, berries, beans, cucumbers, and eggplant; staff members were hopeful for varieties they could not find in grocery stores in the area. After drawing the draft map, I began building trellising with hog panel and t-posts, and constructing a raspberry cage which consists of a simple perimeter of strong tensile wire strung along t-posts to form a rectangle.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, we began by bottling 2023 apple cider made for local wild foraged apples and a variety of species of crab apples from Dr. Michael Beug’s personal farm. We bottled 50 cases (600 bottles) and planned to resume bottling to finish the other 50 cases the next day.

Bottling cider with Kseniya and assistant winemaker Emily

In the afternoon, we finished trellising the last two rows of the staff garden using a roll of 8ft tall hog panel. The panel had to be altered to only stand 4ft tall and stretch 25ft long. On Wednesday, because the panel was cut to be only 4ft tall, we had to mend and tension the panels together using fencing parts called gripples to keep the wire in place.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, we began by bottling the 50 remaining cases of cider and when finished, began setting up the irrigation for the staff garden. First we had to locate the exact parts needed (mainline, drip tape, timer, pressure regulator, as well as fitting, valves, and hose caps), which were scattered around the farm. We then began building our structure and testing our parts.

To finish the day, we mended the final trellis with a grippler to keep it taught. We also removed re-sprouted grass clods/sod and large stones stirred up from the single pass with the rotovator. The stones were use to line the paths.

Using the grippler and gripples to mend the two halves of hog panel trellis

Thursday:

On Thursday, we began by pinning down our irrigation lines with landscaping pins, removing the last bits of sod, an lining the paths with more stones from the beds.

Finished trellising, irrigation, and paths in the staff garden

In the afternoon we had a meeting with our field supervisor Dr. Michael Beug to discuss our accomplishments thus far, our plans for the rest of the quarter, and to do a quick walk around the farm to discuss projects. We talked about our plans for the staff garden and he graciously offered for us to visit his farm on Monday and take some of his extra plant starts for the garden. We talked through our ideas for riparian restoration, biodynamic preparations and practices, goals for soil testing, and touched on native plants of the area.

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery:

In chapter four, “The Oldest Problem,” David Montgomery addresses American and European farmers’ reliance on industrially produced fertilizers in the modern age and the devastation that will come from it if soils are not fed organic matter. The resilience of undisturbed landscapes relies on the below ground actions of soil microbes in combination an partnership with plant roots which “hold soil in place an “provide a reservoir of energy” (47). Montgomery touches no-till farming versus industrial farming and the drastic loss of topsoils and thus carbon in heavily farmed areas due to the use of the plow and the widespread employment of synthetic fertilizers. “As I rubbed some (soil) between my thumb and fingers, I could see a bleak future in which the end of cheap oil would mean the end of modern harvests dependent upon industrially produced fertilizers” (p. 44). Globally around a millimeter a year of topsoil is lost, equating to an average of an inch of topsoil every few decades. Montgomery sites the stories of many ancient civilizations’ struggles with erosion brought about by tillage and relates the fall of these civilizations’ directly to this issue.

To compliment this reading, I referenced Stephen Gliessman’s Agroecology fourth edition. In part one, Gliessman touches on the consequences of industrial agriculture stating how dependence on mass amounts of external inputs, specifically fossil fuels in forms from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers to product transport, drag agriculture down with the energy economy as well as destroy resources, environments, communities, and soils as well as stored and above ground water supplies. “The practices of industrial agriculture all tend to compromise future productivity in favor of high productivity in the present” (p. 9). On soil degradation, Gliessman talks of the obvious and direct relationships between tillage, monocultures, short crop rotations, and synthetic fertilizers and the loss of fertile and organic matter rich soils. These practices leave the soil exposed to surface erosion and salinization by many forces such as wind, rain or irrigation, and the accelerated decomposition of organic matter due to tillage.

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to getting and planting starts and seeds for the staff garden. I am also looking forward to re-burying the irrigation boxes we repaired, setting out yellow jacket traps, foraging wild Equisetum arvense to make into tea, deciding on the best possible grass barrier for the staff garden, researching beneficial insects for skeleton weed and knapweed management through the Hood River, OR OSU extension, and hopefully conducting a soil test for the staff garden.

Bibliography:

Slichter, Paul. “Prairie Stars, Woodland Stars.” Prairie Stars and Woodland Stars in the Columbia River Gorge, science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/saxi/lithophragma/lithophragma.htm. Accessed 21 Apr. 2024.
Turner, Mark. “Lithophragma Parviflorum: Prairie Star: Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest.” Turner Photographics, www.pnwflowers.com/flower/lithophragma-parviflorum. Accessed 21 Apr. 2024.
Plant Propagation Protocol for Lithophragma Parviflorum,
Carney, Patricia A, et al. “Impact of a Community Gardening Project on Vegetable Intake, Food Security and Family Relationships: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study.” Journal of Community Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661291/#:~:text=A%20community%20gardening%20program%20can,intake%20and%20strengthen%20family%20relationships.courses.washington.edu/esrm412/protocols/2010/POAM5.pdf. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 4.
Gliessman, Stephen R. “The Case for Fundamental Change in Agriculture.” Agroecology: Leading the Transformation to a Just an Sustainable Food System, CRC Press.
Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.

Week 2

Native plant ID:

Columbia Gorge Broadleaf Lupine, Lupinus latifolius X sericeus

This nitrogen fixing perennial has a papilionaceous inflorescence consisting of many clusters and thin pedicels. The flowers can range from light purple to light blue and have a hairy calyx and stem. The plant has 7-9 obovate leaflets and lower leaves persist through the flowering season. (1)

These plants thrive in low-mid elevation in grasslands and open oak and ponderosa pine forests. The Columbia Gorge broadleaf Lupine is endemic to the Columbia River Gorge, however genus Lupinus may be found from southern Alaska to California and throughout the Cascade Mountains. (1)

At Steep Creek Ranch, this native species (pictured above) can be found on the south slopes of the upper and lower syncline estate.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Monday:

On Monday, I began the with applying on-farm compost (consisting of grape residues and leaf litter) to the staff garden and left it to dry a bit before moving on to irrigation repairs.

At the Raven vineyard site, we started by running the centrifugal pump/compressor system which feeds from an underground cistern that is supplied with water from a nearby spring. The pump operates at 150 psi, which is enough to irrigate all four blocks of the almost five acre vineyard. There are four main valves for each block of the vineyard with air relief valves to manage water hammering (the pressure surges caused by changes in flow velocity). The main valve for the third block, was severely broken and needed repairs before we could run the drip lines for that block.

Centrifugal pump, filter, control panel, and underground cistern

I then moved on to remove small spaghetti lines that delivered water directly to the base of each grapevine with two cordons as their root systems at that point were strong enough to no longer need the direct irrigation. I also repaired leaks and breaks in the raised drip line using couplers and replaced drip emitters along the three functioning blocks by walking up and down each row. Many of the leaks were due to animals chewing the lines to get to the water as well as weather, age, and equipment damage. A solution to the chewed lines was to put out buckets full of water for the thirsty animals.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, I repaired the main line water hammer air valve PVC structure for the third block at the Raven and finished removing spaghetti lines as well as repairing drip line leaks and breaks in the final block after the repair.

After completing repairs at the Raven vineyard, I moved on to repair the irrigation main line valve in the upper syncline estate and repaired drip line breaks and leaks along the first block of the vineyard.

Repairing the cracked pipe and damaged valve for the main line in the upper syncline estate

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, I repaired a main line drain/relief valve and box in the upper syncline estate with severe cracks due to its proximity to the road and stress from heavy equipment. After this repair I again walked each row of the remaining five blocks of the upper syncline estate and the entire lower estate fixing breaks and leaks in the raised drip line.

Broken valve box and drainage/relief valve before being dug out

After spending the morning in the vineyard, I returned to the staff garden. My internship peer, our supervisor, and I applied 18 lbs of organic dried and pelleted poultry waste to the field in order to achieve approximately 50lbs of nitrogen to the soil and rotovated. We estimated based on our soil test results that there was already around 16 lbs of nitrogen in the soil and from there calculated the proper amount of chicken waste (which was 4% nitrogen) to apply.

Thursday:

On Thursday, I finished repairing drip line breaks and leaks in the upper syncline estate in the morning and began preparing the staff garden in the afternoon. I formed beds and created paths with a layer of cardboard and mulch.

Cutting and laying cardboard before mulching paths

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery:

In chapter 2, “Myths of Modern Agriculture,” David Montgomery talks about the dangers of climate change and the use of fossil fuels in relation to global food production and the degradation of soil health and fertility. Montgomery dispels modern myths of conventional and organic agricultural practices, noting that large industrial, conventional, and monocropped farms produce significantly less food per hectare than diversified small scale farms. Montgomery dismisses claims that agrochemicals prove more efficient to food production and higher yields and explains that these large scale operations only produce cheaper crops, not more food overall, while still requiring more inputs than what is actualized in yields. The complex battle between agribusiness and the greed of corporations vs. the long-term needs of both the world’s population and the land on which we subside is often brought up in this chapter. Montgomery gives suggestions for positive change, but most are reliant on the choices of farmers and civilians; and these healthier choices often contradict the desires of agribusiness and have more to do with “the capital requirements of modern commodity farming than how much food could be produced per acre” (Montgomery p.28). Montgomery also touches on the expanded usage of GMOs and their failure to deliver on promises of reduced need for agrochemicals.

How can farmers and civilians be tasked with overturning corporate greed that simultaneously and quite literally plagues us with its chemical and profit driven objectives? In what ways can we use our individual, familial, and identity based privileges to uplift others who desire these healthier changes but cannot access them themselves; in other words, how can we support each other against ‘the man’ for the benefit of everyone? What are ways that we can live in reciprocity with the land and our communities to end our dependence on corporate products and defend our livelihoods?

In chapter 3, “Roots of the Underground Economy,” David Montgomery highlights and explains the crucial role of soil microbes in soil fertility and plant health. Montgomery touches on the history of chemical nitrogen fertilizers and their devastating effects on soil microorganisms only furthering the degradation of soils and reliance on such chemicals. Montgomery explains the importance of building organic matter, or humus, to feed and sustain populations of naturally occurring soil microbes which recycle, produce, and store elements from organic matter and minerals into plant available forms. The author also talks about the beneficial relationship between plants and soil microorganisms, stating that the microbes aid in pest and pathogen management, bring essential nutrients to plants in available forms, recycle old life into new, and in turn directly benefit from the protein and carbohydrate rich exudates of plant roots which they colonize around. “The key to maintaining soil health lies in the world of soil life, in the microbial cycling and recycling of nutrients from mineral and organic matter” (Montgomery p.42).

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to preparing trellising and drip irrigation for the staff garden, as well as creating a final crop plan, and completing various other farm tasks.

Bibliography:

Slichter, Paul. “Columbia Gorge Broad-Leaf Lupine, Suksdorf’s Lupine, Thompson’s Broad-Leaved Lupine.” Columbia Gorge Broad-Leaf Lupine, Suksdorf’s Lupine, Thompson’s Broad-Leaved Lupine: Lupinus Latifolius x Sericeus Var. Latifolius (Synonyms: Lupinus Latifolius Ssp. Thompsonianus, Lupinus Latifolius Var. Thompsonianus, Lupinus Sericeus Ssp. Sericeus Var. Thompsonianus, Lupinus Sericeus Var. Thompsonianus, Lupinus Suksdorfii), science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/pea/lupinus/thompsonianus.htm. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
Turner, Mark. “Lupinus Latifolius: Broadleaf Lupine: Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest.” Turner Photographics, www.pnwflowers.com/flower/lupinus-latifolius. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.
Currin, Kristin, and Andrew Merritt. Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden. Timber Press, 2023.
Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 2, 3.

Week 1

Native plant ID:

Meadow Death Camas, Toxicoscordion venenosum

This lily is deadly for both humans and animals to ingest and has similar bulbs to the other native but edible camas. It has one stem and basal leaves with parallel venation. The inflorescences are in small clusters (or raceme) with their pedicels elevated, and each flower has six short petals.

Meadow death camas is often found in prairies ranging from coastal to arid. Its native range is “from southern British Columbia to Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan in the north, south along both sides of the Cascades to Baja California, and east to the Great Plains of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado” (7).

At Steep Creek Ranch, this native bulb (pictured above) can be found on the south slopes of the upper vineyard.

Practicum and Learnings Summary:

Tuesday:

Tuesday began with a meeting to discuss on-farm projects, independent research requests, and current practices. After our meeting, I left on a mission to harvest materials for teas and ferments.

On-farm projects:

Teas and ferments for fertilizer and foliar feeds.
Digging and repairing irrigation breaks and some boxes that need replacing.
Weeding around baby vines on hillside/nursery as well as hand pulling milk thistles.
Designing and preparing staff garden.
Riparian rehab must wait for the creek to dry before beginning, for now I will be working on the plan only.

Current practices:

Cover crops always include at least five species (grass, forbs, perennials, and roots). Goals of cover crop usage and selection include: fast and high biomass production before frost and ability to crowd out skeleton weed and knapweed. Self seeding perennials are prized.
Chemical soil analyses and tissue tests are regularly conducted and sent to ANL Laboratories in Tigard, OR. This year’s soil test result were returned a few weeks ago.
“Band-Aid” nitrogen solutions include spreading organic chicken waste from Stutzman in Salem, OR under grape vines and soy protein foliar feeds.

Research needs:

Invasive pests, Asian ladybird beetle (new invasive in the area that makes the wine taste like peanut butter).
Contacting the WA State Department of Agriculture for parasitizing solutions to deal with skelton weed and knapweed.
Contacting OSU Hood River, OR extension about their capacity to conduct microbiological assays. Finding the best locations within the vineyards to pull samples.
Contacting local mills and farms for sources of hardwood mulch as well as wood shavings, sawdust, or wastes.

Staff garden:

Three sites were suggested, one at the property owner’s home garden down the street, one on the hill near the winery where the grape vine nursery is planted, and one directly adjacent to the winery in place of the current lawn. The garden is intended to provide the staff with easily accessible no-cost fruits and vegetables for their personal consumption.

Wednesday:

I began with a meeting to decide the garden site and process. Then worked on drawing a rough draft map and crop plan, drove to Hood River, OR to pick up a sod cutter, and began cutting and removing grass in the planned area.

The final garden site was determined to be adjacent to the winery in zone 1 for its accessibility to the staff and equipment, all-day full sun, shelter from the wind, flat ground, and reduction of water usage for the lawn that was previously in place.

After removing the sod, I assessed the area with my ILC peer and we noticed that the sod cutter as well as years of foot traffic, had caused somewhat of a hardpan to form. We then decided the next best course of action will be to rotovate the area to loosen up the topsoil layer before applying cardboard and mulch to paths and compost to beds. Although tillage does not align with the farm’s goals or practices, we feel that an initial runthrough with the rotovator will help allow the new starts, once planted, to have a deeper root zone.

Staff members requested the following crops:

Pole beans
Peas
Multiple varieties of peppers (hot and sweet)
Understory herbs (basil, fennel, cilantro, parsley, and dill)
Tomatoes (grilling tomatoes and heirlooms)
Squash
Eggplant
Cucumbers
Berries (raspberry and strawberry)
Ornamental and edible flowers (sunflowers, borage, violets, and calendula)

Map:

Thursday:

I began with finishing up sod removal for the staff garden, repairing and capping irrigation in the surrounding area, and then moved on to making teas.

Leaf mold/duff tea

Similar to compost teas, I was tasked to create a leaf mold or duff tea which was intended to be sprayed on the degraded pasture land to boost native microbial activity as well as used for new dormant vines which will be have their root stalks dipped in the tea before being planting. However, after more thorough research I found that the needles of ponderosa pines have an inhibiting effect on nitrifying microbes and ponderosas may also be infected by armillaria (a root rot disease) (3).

Using a 5 gallon bucket I collected ponderosa pine duff from the base of a few trees. The duff was then separated in half, placed in cheesecloth with a stone, and tied to create a teabag. These teabags were then suspended in an oak barrel full with water, fed with cooked and then smashed potatoes, and left to ‘steep.’ This tea must be stirred twice daily because no aeration system such as a pump will be used and is being stored in a dark room temperature barn.

I am interested in redoing this experiment using the farm’s compost to avoid possible effects of allelopathy, inhibition of nitrifying bacteria, and armillaria contamination (3).

Nettle tea

Stinging nettles are nutrient dense and often used in organic agricultural applications as foliar feeds and fertilizers. Nettles contain high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron (5).

I was instructed to forage about two contractor trash bags of wild nettles from the Cape Horn, WA area, collecting stems and all. Once harvested, I submerged the nettles in an oak barrel full of water, covered them, and left to sit outside under a covered area. The tea must be stirred twice daily, and is used as a “probiotic and nutrient foliar feed.”

Equisetum tea

Equisetum arvense is high in silica and the preparation of this tea encourages root growth, strengthens plant cell walls protecting against water loss, frost damage, and lodging, as well as some fungal pathogens and pests (4).

I was instructed to harvest the equisetum when it is small and without laterals (approximately two 5 gallon buckets worth). Once harvested I would leave the stalks to dry before making the preparation to be used as a foliar feed. If the preparation is sprayed during the dry season it can create water stress and fruit burn, so it is best used during damp/wet spring and during bloom for even flowering.

This week I was unable to find any patches of Equisetum arvense at the locations suggested by my field supervisor and will continue the search next week.

Research:

Armillaria is an opportunistic saprophytic fungus on many tree hosts. It ranges from British Columbia, CA to the northwestern US. The pathogen is found in hardwood and coniferous roots as well as understory detritus. The fungus is common on many of the trees native to the farm’s surrounding area and can infect the grape vines (6).

To better understand why a leaf mold/pine duff tea may not be the best option for bolstering microbial activity in the soils, I researched ponderosa pine needle allelopathy and the chemical components of ponderosa pine wastes that may chemically inhibit nitrifying bacteria. In my reading I found that some plant chemicals (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and condensed tannins) from ponderosa pines are toxic to Nitrosomonas (3). A good alternative to using a leaf mold/duff tea could be brewing a compost tea instead.

Seminar: Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery:

In chapter one, “Fertile Ruins,” author David Montgomery talks about his experiences of traveling the world, noticing patterns of disary in both land and communities when soils lose their fertility and structure. Montgomery reflects on his conversations with “farmers of all stripes,” noting that many farmers have noticed the decline of their soils and have a desire to repair their health and fertility. Montgomery explains the issues resulting from tillage and explores an optimistic mindset for solving those issues, stating that humans have the ability to regenerate healthy topsoil faster than the Earth creates it.

A quote I enjoyed from this chapter:

“Where she can, nature clothes herself in plants because
ground stripped of plant cover—like a just-tilled field—erodes faster
than soil forms” (p.13).

Looking forward to next week:

Next week I am looking forward to finishing site preparations for the staff garden including, doing a one time rotovation of the area, laying down cardboard, mulch, and compost, as well as creating a final crop plan, reassessing the leaf mold tea, and completing various other farm tasks.

Bibliography:

(1) Montgomery, David R. Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018, Ch. 1.

(2) Baghdadi, Alexis. “Nettle Tea – Brew Your Own Liquid Natural Fertilizer.” SOILS Permaculture Association Lebanon, www.soils-permaculture-lebanon.com/our-blog-articles-diy/nettle-tea-brew-your-own-liquid-natural-fertilizer. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.

(3) Lodhi, M.A.K. and Killingbeck, K.T. (1980), ALLELOPATHIC INHIBITION OF NITRIFICATION AND NITRIFYING BACTERIA IN A PONDEROSA PINE (PINUS PONDEROSA DOUGL.) COMMUNITY. American Journal of Botany, 67: 1423-1429. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1980.tb07777.x

(4) Trebbi, Grazia, et al. “Evaluation of Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail Macerate) as a Copper Substitute for Pathogen Management in Field-Grown Organic Tomato and Durum Wheat Cultivations.” MDPI, 23 Dec. 2020, www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/1/5.

(5) Maričić, B.; Radman, S.; Romić, M.; Perković, J.; Major, N.; Urlić, B.; Palčić, I.; Ban, D.; Zorić, Z.; Ban, S.G. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) as an Aqueous Plant-Based Extract Fertilizer in Green Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4042. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13074042

(6) Ramírez-Gottfried, R.I.; Preciado-Rangel, P.; Carrillo, M.G.; García, A.B.; González-Rodríguez, G.; Espinosa-Palomeque, B. Compost Tea as Organic Fertilizer and Plant Disease Control: Bibliometric Analysis. Agronomy 2023, 13, 2340. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092340

(6) Kim, Mee-Sook, et al. “Armillaria Altimontana in North America: Biology and Ecology.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 4 Sept. 2023, www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/9/9/904.

(7) Slichter, Paul. “Common Death Camas, Deadly Zigadenus, Meadow Death Camas.” Common Death Camas, Deadly Zigadenus, Meadow Death Camas: Toxicoscordion Venenosum (Synonyms: Toxicoscordion Gramineum, Zigadenus Gramineus, Zigadenus Intermedius, Zigadenus Venenosus, Zigadenus Venenosus Var. Gramineus, Zigadenus Venenosus Var. Venenosus), science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/3petal/lily/zig/meadow.htm. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.