STEP IT UP 2007 event in Stone Barn Farm

[Gil Ben-Meir]

Dear Friends,

I had the plesure of attending the STEP IT UP 2007 event at Stone Barn Farm last Saturday. The farm initiated this open-house event in the spirit of the STEP IT UP campaign to raise politicians awareness and encourage their action to put together laws to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emmisions in purpose to reduce human contribution to global warming.

The topic of the day was: The effect of global warming on agriculture in the northeast. I attended a four farmers panel and a guided tour around the farm vegetable greenhouse and livestock habitates.

The panel was very informative. I learned the importance of cover crops use not only to return nutrients to the soil but also to decrease errosion when those intense rain showers attack the vegetable fields. Listening to the personal accounts of the participating farmers I learned that although global warming provides some challanges to the northeast farmer, it also provides opportunities such as a longer growing season (last night was the first fall frost and the greens are still growing in my garden) and a posibility of four season farming using the proper crop protection (such as a plastic cover) and lots of compost to feed the soil with balanced nutriesous diet. Finally, I learned that raising free-roaming chickens under apple trees can increase the yield and the taste since their manure enrich the soil. Make sure you choose weather resistant breed that can tolerate extreme tempratures.

The tour was guided by Jack, the farm's vegetable grower who was very knowledgable and provided interesting and enviromnetally oriented comments. Jack showed us the high-tech greenhouse where raised bed rich with compost were being planted (see picture). The farms four full time persons vegetable growing team manages this whole site including afew outdoor fields. This is amazingly low energy input agriculture given no use of fertilizers and heavy machinery that consume lots of fossil fuels.

The livestock part of the tour was guided by Julie, the farm's livestock grower. Julie showed us the cute female pigs (see picture) and the compost production site (last picture) where the farm produces compost for the surounding farms as well.

Here is a fact sheet that summerizes the event:

How agriculture contributes to global warming:

1.overtilling and excessive fertilizing disrupt natural nutrients cycling.
2.livestock&wetland rice produces methane (CH4) a greenhouse gas.
3.food production and transportation are fossil-fuel intensive.
4.deforestation and burning of forests to clear it for agriculture.

Here a link to the event report on the STEP IT UP website (lets see if you can find me in the picture...)

http://events.stepitup2007.org/november/reports/2304

further reading:

DEEP ECONOMY by Bill McKibben

written by the founder of the STEP IT UP campaign and author of none more books about the enviroment, this book tell the gloomy story of our growth possesed economy and provides practical solutions through personal experience and case studies from around the world that can be applied right here, right now.

http://www.billmckibben.com/deep-economy.html