after a gathering of hundreds of limbs and branches from recently felled bushes , you might be edified by a short description of the carbon cycle , demonstrated by an olive tree ’ s fiery conversion to biochar , a super charcoal created by heating biomass without oxygen as a means to lock away carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere . Biochar improves the health of soil and produces bigger crop yields . After some time , you will see that the remaining brush pile has become a multi-family dwelling , its camouflaged inhabitants identified by children after much scrutiny . After lunch , time is taken to explore the woods on a quiet trail , culminating the day with rope swinging into Seneca Creek , critter collection and identification , mushroom hunting , acorn wars , and on and on .
The numerous and varied farm jobs unfold countless learning opportunities for adults and children alike , including a sense of stewardship and gratitude as everyone delights in ducklings and chicks , stroke affectionate goats , munch savory garden treats , celebrate the winter solstice with a sweat lodge , and climb the farm ’ s towering Heartwood , an eastern red cedar , named for its extremely hard , unbreakable branches and majestic stature .
Wednesdays bring a different but equally excited group together , eager to experience the offerings of farm and forest . After partnering in 2016 with Nick Grenier from Natural Leaders to host wilderness skills camps in the State Park , our experience evolved into the September-to-May Homeschool Cooperative at the farm . While children are off learning how to catch a crayfish and make pink lemonade from a leaning sumac in full flower , I spend time interacting with the WWOOFers we host . Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms ( WWOOF ) is a loose network of national organizations that links volunteers with organic farmers focused on building a global community , conscious of ecological farming and sustainability practices .
At Chicken of the Woods , we also offer an opportunity for local residents eager to see permaculture principles implemented in a suburban setting . Our focus encompasses general horticulture , rainwater catchment and swale management , passive solar straw bale goat shed construction , alley cropping , “ Three Sisters ” gardening ( corn , beans and squash ), and biochar production using flame curtain kilns .
With funding from Montgomery County sponsored initiatives like Rainscape Rewards and the Farm2Foodbank Program , in addition to a federal USDA grant for a 30 ’ x72 ’ high tunnel , we demonstrate how food need never be wasted , while remaining profitable at the farm , even in its early years . With the mounting issues around food security , we recently applied for a grant through the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education ( SARE ), Northeast Division . The research proposal seeks to maximize carbon removal from the atmosphere within a regenerative agricultural model , while maintaining optimal production and soil health using a combination of basalt rock dust , biochar , and compost amendments to grow industrial hemp for grain and fiber .
PHOTO : ariellebaderphoto . com
A late neighbor , a pediatric oncologist who succumbed to the same fate he spent decades battling on behalf of his young patients , once marveled to me , “ Heading down Route 28 is a whole world in itself , the neighborhood streets are another , and this gravel driveway is the third .” Sadly , I missed the opportunity to fully understand his meaning , but
plenty I Spring sowing 2021 15