Wild Meadows Farm~Biointensive, Education, Permaculture, Ecological Business Practices

1. Wild Meadows Farm
Veganic Permaculture in Action
PASA Conference 2012

2. Mission Statement
Wild Meadows Farm engages strategies that
promote and accelerate the transition to a
sustainable human culture. We grow and sell
farm products using biointensive and
permaculture techniques, offer ecological design
and implementation services, and organize
experiential learning events. Through partnering
with like-minded organizations and individuals we
magnify our impact and co-create strong
networks of resilient communities. Our core
values of mutual aid and cooperation guide our
decisions and actions.

3. What isNot Veganic?
• Synthetic fertilizers
• Synthetic pesticides
• Slaughter house by-products or manure
• Animal exploitation
• GMO’s

4. Veganic Works With Nature to Mimic Natural Plant Eco-Systems:
Reduced tillage – keeping soil covered,
Increased plant diversity,
Regular addition of plant residues.
Slide courtesy of Helen Attowe

5. Why Veganic?
• Empathy for animals
• Food Safety
• Sustainability

6. Empathy is an Integral Part of Human Nature

7. Food Safety: Organic Loophole
• “Chicken manure introduces huge quantities of arsenic to
agricultural fields.”Donald L. Sparks, Professor ofMarine Studies at the
University of Delaware. CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS APRIL 9,
2007 VOLUME 85, NUMBER 15 PP. 34-35
• “One of my students found inorganic arsenic in pelletized chicken
waste that is sold as a garden fertilizer, and in this way people
could get exposed to the arsenic through dust—[it’s] probably not
such a good idea to use chicken waste in that way,”Ellen Silbergeld,
School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins University.Quoted in EVISA NEWS: “More evidence linking
chicken litter and toxic arsenic” 11.01.2007
– Source:http://www.veganicallygrown.com/#!__get-the-facts

8. Food Safety
• “Some manures may contain contaminants such as residual
hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, disease organisms, and other
undesirable substances…”Manures for Organic Crop Production March
2003 p. 2, George Kuepper, NCAT Agricultural Specialist
ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
• “Even‘organic’ fish emulsion fertilizers may be problematic. They may
contain mercury. When Wisconsin tested 29 fertilizers, only two
failed interim safety standards. One of them was a fish emulsion
fertilizer that exceeded the limit for mercury...”
• A field and greenhouse study released in 2002 by ShiouKuo and other
Washington State University soil scientists notes, “The transfer of
(cadmium, lead, arsenic) or other heavy metals from soils to crops
presents a risk to crop productivity and quality. Consumption of
metal contaminated edible parts of the crops is a risk to public
health.” Duff Wilson, The Scoop on Organic Fertilizer
Pccnaturalmarkets.com

9. Sustainability
• Elimination of native apex predators leads to
livestock explosions and biodiversity loss.
• 60% of ice-free land surface area is devoted to
livestock grazing and growing crops for
livestock.
• Increasing meat consumption directly linked
to increases in resource use and greenhouse
gases.

10. Farm Business
Three Interconnected Enterprises:
• Farm products
• Educational Events
• Ecological Design and
Implementation

11. Solar Greenhouse

12. Keyhole Bed Layout:
Allows for More Planting Space

13. Double Digging

14. Many Hands Make Light Work

15. Compost Heating

16. Intensive Planting

17. Early Season Crops: Asian Greens,
Baby Fennel & Leeks

18. HighValue Crops: Baby Ginger

19. Warm Season Crops: Tomatoes,
Peppers, Cucumbers, Eggplants

20. Log-Grown Shiitake Mushrooms

21. Organize in Stacks:
White Oak, Red Oak, Beech, Chestnut Oak

22. Inoculation in April

23. Ready for Harvest

24. Field Crops

25. Cheap Season Extension:
Tiny Hoops & Paper Pots

26. Market Gardening

27. Flower’s for the Farmer’s Market

28. Early Potatoes for Market

29. Winter Squash Planted
into Living Mulch

30. Late Fall Garlic Planting-October

31. July Harvest for Garlic Seeds Sales

32. Sorting Seed

33. Fall Field Season Extension

34. Return of the Scythe:
Winter Rye as Compost Crop

35. WoodlandMedicinals:
American Ginseng

36. Wild Edibles:
Chanterelles and Morel Mushrooms

37. Perennial Nursery

38. March Syrup Production:
Black Walnut Trees

39. Marketing Farm Products
• Somerset Farmer’s Market
• Tuscarora Organic Grower’s Co-op
• Festivals
• Seed Companies
• Internet
– Online farmer’s market
– Website
– Social media
– Newsletter

40. Somerset Farmer’s Market

41. Tuscarora Organic Growers

42. Bedford.locallygrown.net

43. Greenbelt GreenmanFestival

44. Storage and Preservation

45. Fermentation

46. Root Cellar Storage

47. Corn Ready for Shelling

48. Fall Apple Butter Making

49. Canned Goods Root Cellar:
Peaches, Tomatoes, Salsas, Sauces

50. Black Walnut Harvest

51. Complete Diet Garden:
May

52. Late July

53. Early September

54. Compost!

55. More Compost!

56. Experiential Learning Workshops
• Re-skilling Workshops
• Permaculture Design Course
• Forest Garden Design Intensive
• Community Herbalism Certificate
• Monthly Potlucks
• Film Screening in the Barn
• Internships and Short Term Farm Stays

57. Polyculture Planting:
Forest Garden Design Intensive

58. Improvised Barn Classroom

59. Design Presentations

60. Participants of Forest Garden Design
Intensive Course

61. Virginia-Tech YMCA Service Learning
Students & Interns

62. Kim with Interns

63. Monthly Community Potluck

64. Ecological Design & Implementation
• Rain Gardens
• Urban or Small Area Gardens
• Alternative Energy
– Solar
– Waste Vegetable Oil Fuel
• Farm Scale Design
• Green Building

65. Rain Gardens:
Before and After in Northern VA

66. Three Sisters Demonstration Gardens:
Greenbelt, MD

67. Waste Vegetable Oil Processing

68. Solar Power: Measuring Sun’s Energy
and Installation of Solar Panels

69. Green Building Renovation &
Tiny House on Wheels

70. Collaboration is Necessary!

71. Resources
• http://www.growbiointensive.org/
• www.goveganic.net
• www.veganicpermaculture.com

72. Don’t Get Discouraged!