Small Farms Quarterly
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Dave Dolan of Flying Rabbit Farm creates syngas out of locally produced grass pellets. “VRRRRRRRMMM….” As the engine on Dave Dolan’s tractor sputtered to life, I stood by, watching Dolan scurry around the machine, turning knobs and flicking switches. Puffs of smoke emerged from the complex fueling system handcrafted for this tractor, which isn’t powered…
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With over thirty years of combined agricultural experience, Matthew Goldfarb and Petra Page-Mann co-founded Fruition Seeds in 2012 to improve and develop our regional genetic resources. Currently growing over sixty seed crops on three acres in the heart of the Finger Lakes of New York, they are dedicated to organic, open-pollinated and regionally adapted…
Read MoreRoad trip meets agricultural education I had the privilege, after college, to spend a few months doing what many have colloquially called “wwoofing.” WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or in some countries, Willing Workers on Organic Farms, and originally, Working Weekends on Organic Farms. The organization began with a small group…
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Farmers David McClelland and Mei-ling Hom used SARE funding to trial the increasingly popular grain quinoa on their rural New York farm. Nestled on the eastern edge of rural Allegany County, New York, diverse Maplebank Farm is owned by David McClelland and Mei-ling Hom. Both formally trained artists, McClelland and Hom each bring a creative eye…
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Enhancing wetland areas on your farm can bring a whole new community of wildlife to your land. The title in layman’s terms is really pronounced, “Whatta ya wanna do that for”, driving my spellcheck into utter meltdown. It’s a common phrase used by folks who don’t understand a decision, idea or action. It’s exactly what farmers (and…
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Drawing the connection between diversified agriculture, renewable energy, and food production in Vermont Farmers across New England want to diversify operations, lower fuel and feed costs, and be more self-sufficient. Momentum is gaining for raising oilseed crops like sunflowers, canola, and soybeans to make biodiesel for fuel and oilseed meal for livestock feed, in addition…
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At Phoenix Farm, a small, family-run homestead, we had the opportunity to get a breeding pair of American Guinea Hogs through a pass-on program in the fall of 2010. Over the last three years, our experience with American Guinea Hog (AGH) pigs has convinced us that they are well suited to small, homestead-style farms like…
Read MoreAt Angus Glen Farm, the two areas where we’ve made the greatest gains in winter feeding efficiency in recent years are by reducing human and mechanical energy inputs (my time and tractor time). Several years ago we transitioned to outwintering and “bale grazing”. This strategy can be used in different ways on different farms, but…
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An Open Letter to Aspiring School Farmers: This season, for the first time, the farm at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is in production. Cat (short for Caitlin) finds herself the newly anointed manager of this student-run farm. Her advice: if you want to start a farm at your school, do it! The…
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Community effort saves historical Massachusetts farmland from development. While searching for more permanent farmland, Jeremy Barker-Plotkin of Simple Gifts Farm tended 5 acres in Belchertown, Massachusetts on land managed by The New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI). The 100 or so acre parcel, as Jeremy estimates, served an an incubator for small start-up farms in…
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