Farming Falmouth Field Walk

Are you interested in a transition to no till farming and other soil building practices? 

Join us for the afternoon at Farming Falmouth in Falmouth, MA to discuss soil health and various tools at our disposal to support soil and plant health.

NOFA/Mass soil technical advisor John Duke will be on site to lead discussions on soil health as we tour the farm and see some of the granular effects of differing styles of soil management on microbiology, tilth and moisture! We’ll assess soil and plants across different areas, some from the no-till “human scale” gardening patch of Earl Barnhart and Hilda Maingay from the Green Center as well as from a more traditionally tractor-tilled field on the periphery of Coonamessett Farm.

• Learn about the use of various cover crops and combinations
• Discuss various practices for improving soil health
• Discuss soil compaction and tools for mediation
• Learn several methods to assess soil health onsite with simple and inexpensive tools

Schedule/Agenda:

1:00pm Gather and Introduction to “Foundation Garden”

1:30pm NOFA/Mass-led workshop

2:00pm Fun with perennial Dutch White Clover!

2:30pm Walk to nearby Alchemy Garden

3:00pm Alchemy Talk + Soil testing

3:30pm Q & A

4:00pm Wrap Up

About Farming Falmouth:

Farming Falmouth is a young, fast-growing organization that supports local agriculture and believes in bringing people closer to where and how their food is grown. With some of the best soils on Cape Cod, and miles of waterfront, our coastal town has the potential to produce a diversity of food and seafood, and do it in thoughtful, fair and sustainable ways.  The more food we can grow locally-- on our farms, in our bays and estuaries, in schools, community gardens and backyards – the more we can lighten our environmental footprint and widen access to fresh food throughout  the community. We work to revitalize our local food system by cultivating an informed and engaged food community.

About the Instructors:

Kurt Achin was the CSA Manager for Coonamessett Farm for three years, and continues to farm part-time on an experimental no-till patch aimed at supplementing the CSA and piloting regenerative techniques.

Earl Barnhart and Hilda Maingay are directors of The Green Center, a non-profit educational institute that evolved from The New Alchemy Institute. With the help of a small board of directors and volunteers, former New Alchemists Hilda Maingay and Earle Barnhart continue NAI’s mission to “create ecologically-derived human support systems” which include renewable energy, agriculture, aquaculture, housing, and landscapes. Hilda and Earle are focusing on a critical unsolved problem of sustainability: the recovery and safe recycling of nutrients from human “waste.” In addition to demonstrating the ease and efficiency of this lifestyle in their own home, they take an active role in the Cape Cod community, advocating for ecologically sound alternatives to sewers. In addition to their work with local and regional planners, Hilda and Earle provide resources for organizations and people interested in nutrient recycling, such as eco-toilets and aquaculture.

John Duke is a soil technical advisor for NOFA/Mass. For the past 24 years, John has been living on the unceded land of the Pokanoket Wampanoag in the town currently called Mattapoisett.  He grew up in north central Massachusetts during the 70’s and then went to the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1987 to study Geography.  After graduating and spending some time in Oregon, he returned to Massachusetts in 1994. For the next seven years, John grew produce for farmers markets and restaurants, grew shiitake mushrooms, moved to Mattapoisett, worked at Westport River’s Winery, Jonathan Sprouts, Plymouth County Conservation District, and then in 2001, became an electrician.  Sometime in 2017, he began his online training with Dr. Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web school which involves gaining an understanding of how the soil food web works, and assessing that functionality through microscopy.  For the last three years, he has been applying that knowledge to the land that he lives on, some farms and gardens in Southeastern Massachusetts,  and teaching microscopy through the Northeast Organic Farming Association / Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass), of which he is a board member.

About the Project:

This event is supported by an Agricultural Soil Health grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) in partnership with American Farmland Trust.

Accessibility:

Portions of our farm tour will cover uneven terrain.  We want to make sure your accessibility needs are met during the event. Please share with us your needs regarding (but not limited to): physical accessibility, allergies, noise, scent, gender, intellectual accessibility, and any instructions or tips to help you fully participate.

Refund/Inclement Weather Policy:

For information on our refund and inclement weather policy, click here.

Capacity:

Capacity for the event is not limited. Register ahead of time to secure your space!

Questions?

Contact Doug Cook, NOFA/Mass Interim Educational Events Coordinator, at events@nofamass.org or 603-969-8195