Solarpunk Farming
- Bringing flax back to North Americamodernfarmer.com Bringing Back the (Flax) Fields of Gold - Modern Farmer
On a humid summer day in southeastern PA, farmers have traveled hours to Pasture Song Farm to see flax in the field. Farmer Jeremy Dunphy stands next to
This article really highlights to me how critical infrastructure is to achieving a sustainable food system. There are plenty of people growing food in an ecologically mindful manner, but they're so atomized that they need to do everything themselves. And the infrastructure is so centralized that you're forced into the industrial model if you want to go beyond the farmer market level. We need more meat lockers, local grain mills, oil pressers, etc. to build out regional food production networks.
- My chicken's cheek lesion, please help.
Hi there, my chicken has a swelling on her cheek and it's causing her some distress can anyone please advise me?
- Human manure or ‘nightsoil’ makes great crop fertiliser – but attitudes to poo-grown produce differ drasticallytheconversation.com Human manure or ‘nightsoil’ makes great crop fertiliser – but attitudes to poo-grown produce differ drastically
A tale of two poos - attitudes towards the agricultural use of human excretion-based fertiliser differ between Japan and England as new research shows.
- 6,000 sheep will soon be grazing on 10,000 acres of Texas solar fields | The largest solar grazing project in the U.S. will reduce mowing costs and emissions — and make for some happy sheep.www.canarymedia.com 6,000 sheep will soon be grazing on 10,000 acres of Texas solar fields
The largest solar grazing project in the U.S. will reduce mowing costs and emissions — and make for some happy sheep.
- How I Turned My Yard Into a Food Paradise | Andrew Millison
YouTube Video
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- What the Irish Potato Famine can teach Canada about food resiliencethenarwhal.ca Climate change lessons from the Irish Potato Famine | The Narwhal
Bioengineering can make foods more resilient to extreme weather and pests. Climate change is making this more important than ever
- Masanobu Fukuoka and Natural Farmingfinalstraw.org Masanobu Fukuoka and Natural Farming | Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness
In the 1970s, Larry Korn spent two years living in a small mud-walled hut in Japan, working with and learning from a man named Masanobu Fukuoka, who today is seen as the father of modern day natural farming. On his return to the United States, Larry led the effort to translate Fukuoka’s book, One St...
- New community: !hydroponics@slrpnk.netslrpnk.net Hydroponics - SLRPNK
A community dedicated to every form of hydroponics, a technique for growing plants without soil. Everything regarding hydroponics is welcome here - from your houseplant in LECA to big scale commercial farming.
I saw the need for a community dedicated to hydroponics, and there hasn't been one on the fediverse from what I've seen. So, I just created one 🤷
In my opinion, it fits perfectly to Solarpunk. Why?
- It's very ecologically sustainable. Compared to soil, it barely needs water and fertilizer
- It's as simple, or high-tech as you want. There's everything between just a simple reused wine bottle on your window top with the Kratky technique and a high tech aeroponic tower with smart home integration and grow lights.
- It's great for the plants and the people. In hydroponics, you get way less pests and therefore need barely any pesticides, and plants grow faster. You can grow them on your balcony or very small spaces like I do and can even enable city farming with that, making locally sourced fresh veggies very simple.
- It's perfect for people who don't have a green thumb. It's a completely different approach to growing plants.
- It's a lot of fun
- And much more
There are many different types of hydroponics, like:
- "Classic" hydroponics, like deep water culture, nutrient film technique, etc.
- Semi-hydroponics with hydroton or other inert media
- Aeroponics, which sprays the nutrient solution on the roots, which are growing into the air
- Aquaponics, where the plants grow basically on fish poop
- And many more
Every technique is welcome!
Come over at !hydroponics@slrpnk.net and feel free to subscribe and post!
- “The beginner's guide to hydroponic garden, plus DIY Containers and Homemade liquid nutrients”
YouTube Video
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For those of you who are doing hydroponics, what do you think of this system? Is it a good system for a beginner on a budget? Or is there a better system?
- Digging Away Droughts
Did you know that simply digging a slight ditch can completely change the health of a landscape?
In modern landscaping, any sort of hole or ditch is considered a “dangerous tripping hazard,” “unsightly,” or “a waste of space,” so everything is smoothed out. If you go to most cities and farms, the only non-flat places are designed to carry water away from cities, rather than hold onto it.
This thought process can not only increase overland flooding and wash away topsoil, but it also gives water no place to sit and be absorbed into the soil. Without any water capture gradually trickling into the soil and creating an underground reservoir, the landscape becomes less drought resistant and more susceptible to wildfires.
The permaculture techniques to correct this have many names and methods, including:
- Demi-lunes / Half - moons / Semi-circular bunds
- Eyebrow terraces / banquettes
- Negarim
- Contour bunds
- Micro basins
- Planting pits / Zai pits / Chololo pits
- Swales
They might be different shapes and use slightly different methods, but they all do all work the same on a basic level. The idea is to dig or build a shape that will slowdown and/or catch some of the movement of water. This can make the soil more absorbent (dry and hardened soil does not absorb water as easily) which promotes healthy microbiome of the soil.
Even if the water dries out visibly during the dry season, underground, they could be making a huge difference.
It is not new science, but instead something many cultures around the world have a long history with, but many modern farming practices(mostly to make it farming machine friendly) and development flatten everything out. If people changed this point of view, it could change our landscapes.
In cities, they look like a slight ditch in front of a house, or a creek in a greenspace.
(Image Sources: Image 1 | Image 2)
For other landscapes, it could be just slight indents in un-farmable areas, or ditches dug around farm perimeters.
They do not have to be very deep, and often do not need any fancy equipment to dig(most just take a shovel), but they can do amazing things.
In the process of reversing landscape desertification, it is proving drastically helpful. As the underground water reserves build, so does the vegetation.
(Image Source: Just Dig It. An example of demi-lunes / half-moons)
More Info:
- https://youtu.be/RPJ9T4yAEGs
- https://youtu.be/CG4-u1q1x3Y
- "Got a Pest Problem? Call the Quack Squad" 🦆
Vergenoegd Winery(South Africa) is handling pests using a unique solution; ducks. These ducks enable the winery to be pesticide-free.
Video: https://youtu.be/H6Ehoxu9QY8
The reason for this is that ducks love to eat all sorts of garden pests: including slugs, snails, mosquitoes, ants, and more.
> "You may also be wondering: Why ducks and not chickens? While it’s true that chickens can help to keep bugs at a low in your garden, they also have a habit of being a little less delicate around garden plants than ducks do. Chickens love fresh greenery and will be more than happy to eat your homegrown lettuce, whereas ducks will focus less on your hard work and more on the bugs in your yard." | The Spruce
Similarly to the winery, ducks are also often employed to help with rice paddies. The ducks not only help with pests and fertilization, but their paddling helps both aerate the water and kick up mud(the increased oxygen and decreased light can cut down on algae or weed growth).
As an added benefit, the eggs and/or meat can be eaten. I know that will upset many of you but the added financial benefit of that is further incentivizing farmers to switch from herbicides and pesticides, to ducks.
> "Another study done by Practical Action2 concluded that the duck-rice farming technology led to several socio-economic and environmental benefits. The ducks were introduced into the rice fields 10-20 days after rice was planted until the flowering stages. The study also found out that this form of farming was better in rice production than others as it led to decreased production costs, high yields achievement, had benefits for the environment and led to increased income. Further, it’s stated that 20% higher yields can be achieved with the use of this system, 50% increase in income can be achieved as well as enhanced food security through the consumption of duck meat." | Permaculture Research Institute
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ISdo-b7Lk
- Can high-tech farming help curb climate change?thenarwhal.ca Can high-tech farming help curb climate change? | The Narwhal
Drones, robots, digital sensors: farming has changed. Some farmers hope to harness tech for everything from soil health to reducing fertilizer use
- New discoveries regarding tomato hormones can increase total yieldphys.org New discoveries regarding tomato hormones can increase total yield
In an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of São Paulo's Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ-USP) in Brazil describe for the first time how strigolactones, plant hormones discovered several decades ago, control flo...
- Local food production saves costs and carbonwww.sciencedaily.com Local food production saves costs and carbon
Emphasizing local food production over imported substitutes can lead to significant cost and carbon savings, according to data from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Canadian Arctic. The research shows potential annual savings of more than 3.1 million Canadian dollars and roughly half the carb...
- Are there any books or courses that focus on companion (symbiotic) planting?
It seems like the most efficient and sustainable way to garden but I don't know enough about what plants benefit each other and how.
- Food Forests 🌳
For food forests, you do what you can to use edible plant life to mimic the ecosystems of a wild forest.
>“A food forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature.” | Project Food Forest
If done right, this system will…
- Promote a healthy soil microbiome
- Increase carbon-capture (no-till)
- Prevent erosion
- Retain water
And more.
Personally, I suggest using as many perennials to your area as you can so you don't have to replant everything every year.
Here are some perennial examples that are for my specific area:
(⚠ means you may want to container garden them to prevent spread)
- 🥬Lovage (celery alternative)
- 🥗 Bloody Dock (chard alternative)
- 🥗 Good King Henry (spinach alternative)
- 🥔 Jerusalem Artichoke (root vegetable)
- 🥗 Sea Kale
- 🧅 Chives ⚠
- 🥝Hardi-Kiwi
- 🍓Wild strawberries
- Raspberries ⚠
- Wild blueberries
- Red or Black Currants
- Haskap/Honeyberries
- 🍇Valiant or Bluebell Grapes
- Rhubarb
- Saskatoons
- Pembina Plums
- 🍒Evans (sour) cherries
- Manchurian Apricots
- 🍎 Hardi-Mac Apples
More Info on Food Forests:
- https://youtu.be/Q_m_0UPOzuI
- https://youtu.be/6GJFL0MD9fc
- https://youtu.be/mdi_9o92XcU
- Survival Plant Profile: Sweet Potatoesthesurvivalgardener.com Survival Plant Profile: Sweet Potatoes | The Survival Gardener
What makes the sweet potato easy to grow as a root and especially as a survival crop? We take a look today and talk about this top survival crop!
Super tasty 😊
- Pollinator Water Station 💧🐝
If you want an easy way to help your local pollinators, then consider building a water station! Many plants and crops rely on pollinators, so the more you attract and help, the healthier your garden will be (for example: "“Bee pollination improves crop quality, shelf life and commercial value.”)
For a basic one, you will need:
- Tray or dish
- Rocks
- Water
The tray or dish is to hold everything, and the rocks are to give the pollinators something safe to land on. Without the rocks, you will likely end up with drowned bees. Due to evaporation, you may have to fill the dish once or more a day.
HOWEVER, although that is the most common method, there is another one that I prefer that was taught to me by local beekeepers. They use a refilling dog bowl instead of a dish, so it doesn't have to be filled as often.
While this was advice from beekeepers, the watering stations are not limited to honeybees; you may see all sorts of native pollinators visiting.
If you can't buy a refilling bowl, here is a tutorial on how to DIY one.
No matter what you choose, though, the pollinators will appreciate it! I do suggest putting the water in shade to limit possible algae growth.
- “To Reverse a Troubling Trend, Farmers Are Adding Rocks to Their Fields”
>"The rock powder, usually basalt, is often scavenged from local mines or quarries, where it exists as a waste by-product. ERW companies collect the rock powder, sometimes milling it further to reduce the grain size. Then they truck it to farms, where it is used in place of ag lime.
> Studies show that volcanic rock dust can raise the pH of overworked soils, improving productivity." Modern Farmer
- When Rototilling Can Be Dangerous 👨🌾🚜
Have you heard of The Great Dust Bowl? It was a series of dust storms in the USA that were so intense, they killed crops, livestock, and people during the the great depression.
The situation was amplified by a drought, but the dust was also human caused.
>“Following years of overcultivation and generally poor land management in the 1920s, the region—which receives an average rainfall of less than 20 inches (500 mm) in a typical year—suffered a severe drought in the early 1930s that lasted several years. The region’s exposed topsoil, robbed of the anchoring water-retaining roots of its native grasses, was carried off by heavy spring winds. ” Britannica
This dust storm was so thick that it blocked the sun.
>“Dear Mr. Roosevelt, Darkness came when it hit us. Picture taken from water tower one hundred feet high. Yours Truly, Chas. P. Williams." An unknown author writes to Roosevelt
Under the hands of desperate farmers, grasslands turned to landscapes so lifeless and dangerous, that many people abandoned their dreams and left.
One of the practices that amplified this disaster (that is a current farming practice to this day) is rototilling. During this, you flip the soil over, which can make planting easier. This comes with many problems, including:
- Destroying the soil microbiome. Healthy soil means healthy crops.
- More weeds. As you flip your soil you are allowing dormant seeds a chance to thrive
- Soil Compaction: As the soil gets more compact, it becomes harder for roots to work through it.
- Washing or blowing away top soil. Top soil is where the heathiest soil is, and it can be washed away if left uncovered
- Drying the soil. By leaving the soil exposed you are letting the sun bake out any moisture
Fixes:
- Crop rotation. This is a pre-medieval technique where you rotate what crops you grow in what soil. This can add nutrients to the soil, avoid nutrient depletion, reduce diseases, and reduce pests.
- Cover Crops. Never leave your soil bare. Cover crops can save your soil.
- Water Catchments. These slow down the movement of water, encouraging the soil absorbing it. Examples: bunds or swales.
- Alternative farming. Such as aquaponics or hydroponics.
- Food forests. Instead of rows of monoculture, food forest combine several different types of plants in a way that mimics a forest.
- Reducing food waste. To take pressure off food production. In Canada alone, $31 billion dollars worth of food waste is thrown out a year.
- Mulch. Putting mulch down can protect your soil while also keeping down weeds.
- Planting trees and bushes. Even if it is just on the outside perimeter of your crops, trees and bushes can help hold soil in place, reduce wind, and improve the general health of the area.
More Info:
- https://youtu.be/xFqecEtdGZ0
- Homegrown Luffa Spounges 🛀🧼
Did you know that you can grow your own bath sponges?
>"Luffa is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, squash and gourd family.” Wikipedia
Luffa plants are from southeast Asia, and can be grown in places with a long warm summer. The fruit can take a long time to grow and toughen it’s inner fibers (about 150-200 days), but after that time, they are ready to become sponges.
Explaining it simply, you peel the skin, wash the insides, hang them to dry, then you are done.
> “Getting all the seeds out can be a challenge, but the drier the sponges are, the easier the seeds will fall out. Save the best ones for next year. You can also cut open the sponges in any shape you want to remove seeds or make a loofah fiber mat.” luffa.info
When done, you can use the sponges for bathing, washing dishes, and even as industrial filters.
More Info:
- https://youtu.be/4ioU11rQyd8
- https://youtu.be/oq4ZgAGd-JM
- Review of AgroSense LoRaWAN Smart Agriculture sensors with the SenseCAP M2 LoRaWAN gatewaywww.cnx-software.com Review of AgroSense LoRaWAN Smart Agriculture sensors with the SenseCAP M2 LoRaWAN gateway - CNX Software
Today, I will be reviewing the AgroSense LoRaWAN sensors from Makerfabs designed for high-precision agriculture. This time, I received four sets of
- "Beware the Rise of Superweeds: Mowing’s Unintended Consequences"scitechdaily.com Beware the Rise of Superweeds: Mowing’s Unintended Consequences
Research indicates that frequent mowing of Solanum elaeagnifolium enhances its defensive traits, making it more resilient and potentially a superweed. The study highlights the necessity for updated weed management practices that consider the adaptive responses of invasive plants to disturbances.
>"Findings in both studies showed that the more silverleaf nightshade was mowed, the more it developed ways to avoid destruction, Kariyat said. The taproot went down further, nearly 5 feet deep, in the first generation of mowed plants. More spikes popped out on the stem as a defense against caterpillars feeding on the flowers. The flowers became more toxic to caterpillars, leading to less pressure from natural predators."
- solar water pump
Rocksolar’s Solar Water Pump is an efficient and environmentally friendly solution for water management in remote or off-grid locations. It harnesses solar power to operate, eliminating the need for electrical grid connections or fuel-based generators. This system is particularly beneficial for agricultural irrigation, livestock watering, and rural water supply.
- Arizona farmers use solar panels to shade crops, improve sustainabilitywww.phoenixnewtimes.com Arizona farmers use solar panels to shade crops, improve sustainability
The Arizona sun is too strong for many crops. So farmers are turning to solar panels to provide shade and generate energy.
For 31 straight days last summer, temperatures in Phoenix hit or topped 110 degrees, the longest such streak ever. That searing Arizona heat dehydrates crops and evaporates water the state needs to conserve.
Creating shade is one way to combat the problem.
By using solar panels, farmers can simultaneously protect their plants, save water and lower their energy bills – and some are doing just that with help from federal programs designed to encourage this sustainable method of growing.
Photovoltaic panels are placed above the crops, harnessing the sun’s energy while providing valuable shade.
- Genetic discovery delays peach bloom, safeguards crops from spring frostphys.org Genetic discovery delays peach bloom, safeguards crops from spring frost
In a pivotal advancement for fruit agriculture, scientists have pinpointed a gene mutation in peach trees that governs the timing of flowering, a trait critical for evading spring frosts. This genetic insight could transform breeding practices, enabling the development of late-flowering fruit variet...
- How to Grow Potatoes And Tomatoes On The Same Plant
YouTube Video
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- Is Actual Nature Necessary to be Connected to it?ndmonaghan.substack.com Is Actual Nature Necessary to be Connected to it?
A rambling rumination on landscapes and the mind
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- Circular food systems found to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, require much less agricultural landphys.org Circular food systems found to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, require much less agricultural land
Redesigning the European food system will reduce agricultural land by 44% while dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 70%. This reduction is possible with the current consumption of animal protein. If we also reduce the amount of animal protein we eat, replacing it with ...
- Rice Farming with the help of droneshakaimagazine.com Rice Farming Gets an AI Upgrade | Hakai Magazine
Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the Mekong River delta, cutting down the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that wash into the ocean in the process.
- Questions about rain water collecting
I'm thinking about adding a rain collector to use in my garden but I have some concerns about construction materials.
One concern is that I'm not a huge fan of using a plastic container to store water. The idea of water sitting in a plastic barrel that could be exposed to heat from direct sunlight doesn't fill me with excitement. I was wondering what other materials or containers I could use that might be better for storing rain water. One idea I had was to modify a metal keg to collect water. They would be smaller but I could use multiple if I wanted.
The other concern I have is about roofing materials. Is it safe to use water collected from a roof with shingles in a garden for vegetables? I'm wondering if there might be any run off from the materials used for roofing.
- Improving soil health yields unexpected benefits for farmersphys.org Improving soil health yields unexpected benefits for farmers
In the U.S., as farmers wrestle with extreme heat and drought, heavy rainfall and flooding, and erosion—all factors of climate change which can take a toll on crops—there's been a lot of buzz over regenerative agriculture over the past few years, as big agriculture companies promise opportunities to...
- Modern seeds aren't ready for climate change: Smallholder farmers may hold the key to future food securityphys.org Modern seeds aren't ready for climate change: Smallholder farmers may hold the key to future food security
Humans have radically altered the evolution of agricultural plants since World War Two, remaking our seed system with industrial agricultural practices to feed a growing population. Yet in the changing climate of decades to come, UVM researchers say, the seeds that will feed the world are in the han...
- The regenerative urban garden I: No-till gardeningmakegathergrow.com The regenerative urban garden I: No-till gardening — make gather grow
I am an advocate of regenerative farming . But I’m not a farmer myself. The piece of land I steward is 1/3 acre — still sizable for an urban lot, but laughably minuscule compared to what Real Farmers are working with.
- Can anyone recommend some good resources/reading material for farming organic kale at commercial scale?
Extra double bonus points for greenhouse production.
Thanks!!
- What Happened to Antibiotic-Free Chicken?civileats.com What Happened to Antibiotic-Free Chicken?
With the biggest poultry company in the country backtracking and other commitments to raising healthier birds unmet, the future is rockier than it once seemed.
- Aquaponics For Urban Living 🐟🌱🏙️
Aquaponics is similar to hydroponics, but makes use of fish to create fertilizer-rich (fish waste 💩) water for the plants to thrive. In turn, the plants help clean the water for the fish.
You can put the pumps and fish feeders on a timer to automate them, and even use fish types people eat for fish farming.
My only ask is that you remember to make the tank nice for the fish. A stressed fish is a dead fish, and way too many aquaponic users just throw a bunch of fish in an empty(no stimulation) and overcrowded tank.
The below videos talk about using the systems to grow food in urban spaces.
https://youtu.be/9ZLDDhFLWCY >“Ever heard of aquaponics? In urban areas, aquaponics helps combat barriers that come with farming in cities, like lack of access to space. “
https://youtu.be/_YmkWODcqbA >“There are so many barriers in place when it comes to growing food in cities, but education and lack of access to space are the hardest to overcome. Yemi Amu has dedicated her life as a farmer to solving this problem, by starting the only Aquaponics farm in NYC. Oko Farms in Brooklyn is both a working farm which provides fresh food to surrounding neighborhoods, while also actively engaging the public in education on how to grow food for yourself in urban environments.”
https://youtu.be/hKWREFjNWX4 >"What's up everyone, in this video i build part 1 of an indoor DIY aquaponics system for my 10 gallon fish tank! I have been interested in aquaponics for a while now and know i wanted to build an indoor DIY aquaponics system early on when i saw the price of most retail aquaponics kits. This DIY aquaponics system was built using all materials found either on Amazon or at local hardware stores and came in under $50 total! "