We
are working to tie up all the loose ends related to the Dryland Grain
Demonstration. Repairs are complete on Steve Heckeroth's scratch built electric
tractor, ET-7. We are excited to use it once we finalize the details related to
land acquisition. If you want to know more about the basic parameters of
small grain production I encourage you to read The Small Grain Production
Manual produced by UC Davis.

The
Small Grain Production Manual presents essential information on producing
wheat, barley, oat, triticale, and rye, from growth and development through
seedbed preparation, fertilization, and irrigation, to pest management, crop
rotation, cover cropping, and harvesting and storage. It also includes an
overview of small grain production in California
as well as a trouble shooting guide.

The
Manual is available for free download from http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu.

To
view the full PDF click the link below.

The figure below illustrates the way in which a common chipper/shredder can be converted into a small scale threshing machine. This conversion is 1 of 9 gifts to humanity from the work Allen Dong of I-Tech Designs: PO Box 413, Veneta, OR 97487. Allen Dong's Appropriate Technology for Small and Subsistence Farms is archived here on a UC Davis website.

This invention was declared public domain August 1994, and was demonstrated at the Washington State University Vancouver Research and Extension Center. Click here to check out the Washington State demonstration, complete with explanations.

This is the second blogcast from Brookside Energy Farm, located in Willits, CA. In this blog Jason Bradford and Chris Hansen discuss the ongoing dryland demonstration of overwinter compost crops and spring grains on the farm. A recent USDA report on global grain supply is mentioned in our discussion and is well worth the read. Hard hitting points in the article include:

Today, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its first projections of world grain supply and demand for the coming crop year: 2007/08. USDA predicts supplies will plunge to a 53-day equivalent-their lowest level in the 47-year period for which data exists.

(and)

"Every six years, we're adding to the world the equivalent of a North American population. We're trying to feed those extra people, feed a growing livestock herd, and now, feed our cars, all from a static farmland base. No one should be surprised that food production can't keep up,"

(and)

If we try to do more of the same, if we try to produce, consume, and export more food while using more fertilizer, water, and chemicals, we will only intensify our problems. Instead, we need to rethink our relation to food, farmers, production, processing, and distribution. We need to create a system focused on feeding people and creating health. We need to strengthen the food production systems around the world. Diversity, resilience, and sustainability are key."

Click here to view the May 31, 2007 Blogcast

Click here to view the USDA report summary

In their last meeting, the Willits City council decided that the city enter Stage 1 Water Rationing. The Little Lake Valley is experiencing a drought and is about 20 inches below average for precipitation in 2007. Since the reservoirs are at alarmingly low levels a Stage 1 Water Ration has been initiated. Stage 1 rationing is more or less a voluntary curtailment of water usage. Stage 2 is much more severe and mandates all watering of landscaping and gardens be discontinued. The recent Stage 1 declaration (and potential Stage 2 mandate) may prove to be an obstacle for the evolving mini-farm at Brookside Elementary and is an added incentive for us to drill a well sooner than later.

This type of predicament is not new-since there has been the possibility for irrigation there has been the fight for water and the rationing of scarce supplies. In the future I can even imagine that the energy cost of powering an irrigation system might become prohibitive for some. In this case, farmers have (and may choose) to turn to a dry-land farming method which relies on the natural patterns of rain to provide moisture for germination and the hope that a couple of later storms arrive to secure early plant growth. In addition, proper selection of drought tolerant crops is a key consideration in this type of agricultural system.

At the Willits Energy Farm we are growing 2880 Sq Ft of legume and cereal crops. These crops are being grown dry-land and will eventually be used for compost and animal feed. I must admit that this is not a true dry-land crop because we watered the area after drill seeding it with the Earthway seeder. The water was minimal, as we simply added moisture to the soil to aid germination of the seeds-an impatient simulation of a moderate March rain two days after sowing. Who knows, if this wasn’t a “drought” year we might have actually received precipitation! After this initial watering we have not added any more water and are allowing nature to provide the rest. For the last couple of weeks the plants have been in a crucial stage of development where moisture helps establish them and provides the early growth that will be useful as the plant grows taller and produces seed heads.

On Wednesday and Friday we received some precipitation. Before the rain on Friday we replaced the 1204 Sq Ft area of Hard Red Spring Wheat (which failed to establish itself) with Crimson Clover. The clover is an example of sowing dry-land crops ahead of anticipated rain. We will see if the 0.4 inches of rain in the last two days is enough to get the clover germinating and the spring grains growing strong.

Dry-Land Legumes and Cereal Crops After the Rain

Cover Crop of AC Baton Oats

A "Before" Shot in November of Cover Crop in the Compacted Infield

An "After" Shot of Infield Cover Crop that Remained Over-winter