Hello farming and save-the-world friends:
I am working with the Organic Agriculture Centre Canada to present a free 6-week Zoom workshop series Janurary - March about how my late husband and I developed our present reduced & no-till, closed-system, plant-based, organic farming methods over the past 35 years on our farms in Montana and California, and now in Oregon. Here is the link if you are interested:
Session 1
January 27 - Soil Building to Eliminate Brought-In Fertility
In this first session, we learn from Helen how a “soil organic matter system” based on the ten ecological principles for managing relationships rather than just crops can be created. We will learn how to evolve away from tillage and off-farm materials as fertilizers. The goal is a high carbon, low-nitrogen, grow-our-own-fertilizer system using living mulches and hay mulch.
Session 2
February 3 - Habitat Building to Eliminate Insect & Disease Spraying
In this second session, we learn from Helen how to integrate our “soil organic matter system” into also creating habitat for biological control organisms. The goal is to maintain natural enemy abundance and diversity as close to the crops as possible. An optimized habitat management strategy will enhance below-ground microorganisms and above-ground natural enemies that suppress crop insect and disease pests.
Sessions 4-6 will be posted ~13 days in advance, please follow us on Eventbrite to receive notifications:
Session 3: February 10 - Living/Hay Mulches, Cover Crops & Green Manures
Session 4: February 24 - When & When Not to Till: On-Farm Research
Session 5: March 3 - Plant-Based Fertilizers as Key to Soil & Habitat-Building
Session 6: March 10 - Techniques to Keep a Growing Root in the Soil Year-Round