Minding common ground: “Poly-farming” in northeast Ohio
Just about any road I take that leads me out of Wooster, Ohio, very quickly guides me past vast fields of corn or soybeans. Agriculture plays a vital role in Wayne County’s economy, and for several decades now, commodity crops have contributed more than their fair share to our local economy. Smaller farms that emphasize fruits and vegetables (so-called “specialty” or “differentiated” crops)…
Slow what?: Review of “Slow Gardening”
By now, I’m sure that all good Ethicurean readers are familiar with Slow Food and the tenets of this movement: the pleasure of good, clean, fair food and celebrating our many food traditions. The idea of “Slow” has shown up in other organizations and ideas, such as Slow Cities and Slow Money, both of which encourage local engagement in community and economic life. Now the concept of “Slow Gardening” comes in a new book of the same name, from gardener and author Felder Rushing. So…
Shedding light on a permaculture farm: Review of “Bioshelter Market Garden”
As small farmers look for ways to cut costs and increase their profit margins, they focus more attention on the energy used on the farm. Whether they implement energy efficiency measures or find ways to produce home-grown energy (through wind, solar, biofuel, and more), farmers who examine the energy invested in their business often discover new ways to practice good stewardship on their land. Darrell Frey is one of those conscious stewards. He started homesteading in the back-to-the-land movement of the 1970s and soon developed an interest in permaculture, a process-oriented approach to agriculture that takes a broader look at everything involved in farm or garden production. In 1983, he and his wife Linda established Three Sisters Farm in western Pennsylvania, seeing a…
