Agriculture Archives - Macska Moksha Press

Meet the new Roundup, worse than the old Roundup

October 28, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

Two bottles of Roundup Weed Killer, facing each other as if meeting, with a skull and crossbones superimposed

Photos by Flo Beck, public domain

If we brought Rachel Carson back from the grave, I’m sure she’d be shocked and dismayed at the increased use of pesticides since her book, “Silent Spring,” was published in 1962. For those who don’t know, “Silent Spring” was all about the dangers of pesticide use to people and planet, and had a profound impact on raising awareness among the public about pesticides and their dangers. The book is credited with the banning of DDT and the launching of the modern environmental movement, which led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Nixon administration.

Despite those victories, and a few others, the overall situation is much worse now, with worldwide agricultural pesticide use more than doubling since 1990. Since the 1996 introduction of “Roundup Ready” crops (which are genetically modified to tolerate Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer/Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide), Glyphosate usage has gone up 15-fold. I would guess that another factor in the increase of herbicide use over the last couple decades has been the heightening of the war against so-called “invasive” plants, since spraying is such a common method of attempted (and usually failed) eradication, especially (and perversely) in restoration projects. (See: Methods used by land managers to control “invasive” plants at the Conservation Sense & Nonsense website.)

Glyphosate has taken a hit in both the public consciousness and the legal arena, though. When the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer found that Glyphosate was a “probable” carcinogen in humans, the lawsuits started, and Monsanto (at the time recently purchased by Bayer) ended up paying out billions in damages for disease and death by users of their products. Most of the victims were grounds keepers, landscapers and home owners. Thousands of cases are still working their way through the legal system.

In response, Bayer/Monsanto pledged to remove Glyphosate from their consumer products beginning in 2023. Because they were concerned about health? Nope. The report quotes a Bayer statement: “We have taken this action exclusively to manage litigation risk and not because of any safety concerns.” Nonetheless, phasing out Glyphosate sounds like a great idea. Two questions: A) Have they? And B) if so, how?

Patriarchy is an Environmental Issue

October 22, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

March in Portland, Oregon, 2017. Photo by Karney Hatch, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Patriarchy” isn’t a very common word in mainstream US American discourse. When it does come up, it usually refers to the inequities of power between women and men in terms of rights, opportunities and outcomes within our socio-economic system. Such inequities are very real, and issues like access to safe abortion are vitally important.

However, Patriarchy goes deeper than the particular struggles of our time and place. Patriarchy is not only the oppression of women as a class by men as a class—and the resulting abuse of individual women by individual men—but also the suppression of that which is considered feminine by that which is considered masculine. Patriarchy is a framework of values. Everything is gendered—qualities, ideas, objects, living things and even colors—and anything feminine is relegated to secondary status. Competition is elevated over cooperation; authoritarianism over agreement; muscle over emotion.

So, Nature itself—because we perceive it as herself—is debased.

Why I Hate Market Farming [part 2 of a 3-part series]

August 4, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

Part 2 of a 3 part series [Read part 1 here]

“Zeus” cherry tomatoes

Agriculture as currently practiced in the United States is, by and large, quite harmful to both the environment and to human health. Yes, there are a handful of people who are trying to be respectful of the greater-than-human world and beneficial to their fellow Homo sapiens, but they are the exception, not the rule. Unfortunately, much of what is labeled “organic” is part of the problem, with the industry’s mechanized practices, utilization of plastic, depleting of soils, killing of wildlife, profligate use of water, and labor abuses, among other issues. As I’ve mentioned before, the single greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide is habitat destruction, and its single biggest driver is agriculture. Further, toxins routinely applied in agriculture have deleterious effects on local and far-flung ecologies and on workers and consumers alike. Agricultural labor is some of the most dangerous in the United States (ranking far ahead of policing; maybe we need one of those black and white American flags with a green stripe in it to show solidarity for those suffering far more than the members of the “thin blue line” for their service to the populace).

All this is without even getting into how agriculture changed human cultures for the worse. We broke our ties of reciprocity with our home ecologies, and became dominators, leading us directly to the multiple environmental crises we are facing today. As well, agricultural society spawned patriarchy, slavery, private property, debt and elevated war to new levels of violence.

In sum, it’s a big mess.

So, in terms of environmental and social collapse, if we are to have a livable planet and healthy societies, one of our central efforts must be to radically change agriculture. For some starting points, see my “Six Things We Must Do So That Farming Is No Longer Massive Ecocide,” in which I spell out that agriculture must be de-monetized, de-corporatized, de-mechanized, re-localized, re-seasonalized, and re-naturalized.

People may be surprised to hear me say this, but, in service of these goals, farmers markets and the market farming that support them are not, in my opinion, all that helpful. Yes, they are local and seasonal by definition. However, many if not most are mechanized, few are naturalized, and all of them are dependent on monetization, which leads to corporatization for the larger operations. Farmers markets are all about income generation, which means bowing to market pressures that are driven by customer expectations, or at least the market farmer’s perception thereof. Which can end up resulting in a heavy focus on crops that are resource-intensive to grow or serve only a minor role in providing calories. Think heirloom tomatoes and fancy salad greens.

Farewell to a Garden [part 1 of a 3-part series]

August 2, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

Attentive readers may notice that I did not post last week, and that this week’s is late. Fear not, I’m now making up for that with this 3-part series, to be spread out over today, Sunday and Tuesday. My excuse is that that my time was taken up in prepping for a move, which entailed finishing up a paid gig and passing along important info to the person who would be tending the farm beds after my departure. “Wait, what?” you might be asking. “Wasn’t this farm the place you were going to stay all season?” Indeed it was, and more on that later, in part 2.

This installment is a share of garden photos, which I’d been wanting to do all along but hadn’t had time for. Part 2 will detail my reasons for leaving, and part 3 encapsulates my big picture reflections on what I learned and how it applies to what I already knew.

At this farm, a market farm, I had four beds of my own to plant up and harvest from personally. Most of my time was spent on general farm tasks and in setting up beds for the market operation, but these beds were of course my favorite and served as a vital home for my heart as well as being a provider for my stomach. They were a mix of veggies, medicinals and one trial grain crop. I only got to enjoy a small amount of everything because most of it wasn’t ready yet when I left, but I passed the beds along to a friend of mine at the farm, and she will definitely be appreciating it all.

Me with Klip Dagga and friends

Every summer I am torn between farm work and wildtending/foraging. I appreciate the wild/feral experiences because they are all about connecting with ecosystems and their denizens and exploring how to interact with them with reciprocity, in part by observing what not to do: that is, how destructive we civilized humans have been to so many places. I appreciate farm work because I love fresh vegetables, and I am deeply interested in how to cultivate respectful relationships with plants being grown for consumption, which is a challenge that is ignored by most people in our culture, including most farmers.

What’s “invasive” in this photo? Let’s take a close look

July 11, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

Hay field as observed from within a wetland reserve, with so-called “invasive” plants in foreground

The other day I went into the nearby town of Sebastapol to do grocery shopping. In no hurry to return to the sweltering heat of the farm, I went to a wetland reserve on the edge of town to seek some shade by water. I found a good spot to enjoy and on the way I stopped to take this photo to share with my readers.

Between the path and border of the reserve is mostly Himalayan Blackberries and Poison Hemlock, both much maligned as “invasive” plants, as well as a collection of other “weedy” plants below them, at least some also categorized that way. Beyond the border is a huge irrigated field of what I assume is a hay crop because it’s grass (or grasses). Beyond that is a line of trees, mostly native Oaks. I don’t know what’s on the other side of the trees, but the landscape of Sonoma County is dominated by agriculture, vineyards more often than not. Indeed, I was surprised to see a crop that wasn’t wine grapes. Oaks also grew along the path, and their branches are hanging down in the top of the photo.

The very first Blackberries were ripening, and no flowers remained. The clusters of berries, resembling loose bunches of grapes, dangled invitingly towards the path, but most were still green, only a few were red, and precious few dark purple. I’m happy to report that I got to enjoy a single, perfect juicy one, sweetened by the sun. I’m looking forward to more!

The Hemlock was past flowering but its fruits were not yet dried into seeds. The foliage was drained of its vibrant green but was not yet desiccated. Given that they are not perennial, I was seeing these plants near the end of their lives, at their peak of maturity, fulfilling their raison d’être: to reproduce.

Agriculture Was a Dick Move

June 18, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

An irrigated field of Alfalfa in the desert of the Imperial Valley in southern California

Given the state of the US these days, it can be easy for people to be cynical. Our culture is driven by greed and domination, resulting in profound economic inequality and horrific environmental destruction. The lives of most of us citizens are defined by struggle and anxiety when it comes to providing necessities for ourselves. In the natural world, wildlife habitat is shrinking and species are going extinct. Our politics are corrupt, our media is vapid, and social polarization is seemingly widening. An increasingly chaotic climate is stressing our systems and pushing the limits of adaptability for many plants and animals.

Some people assume that it’s “human nature” to be destructive, both to ourselves and others. Some welcome the prospect of human extinction or even wish for it. “Humans suck,” they conclude.

I am not so cynical, which in the eyes of some might make me “naive” or a partaker of “hopium.” These folks can believe what they want and give me any name they’d like. If they are so convinced that we as a species are nothing more than a blight on the planet, then I leave them to it. I know there’s no point in arguing with beliefs.

Yes, “beliefs” is what I would call them: ideas that are held not because they are unequivocally provable—they are not—but because, for whatever reason, they provide comfort, even though they are so despairing. And here I must quote Gandalf, who (in the books) said: “Despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.”

A landscape dammed by beavers, grazed by elk, monitored by wolves and shaped by fire

February 10, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

Aerial view of Willamette Valley, Oregon [Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0]

An excerpt from the book Nikki Hill and I are working on, working title, “Don’t Blame the Messengers: A critique of the ‘invasive plant’ narrative.”

Let’s picture ourselves in a hot air balloon, floating over a valley. Below us is a patchwork of agricultural fields, encompassed by straight lines and precise angles, crisscrossed by ribbons of asphalt and gravel; a landscape of human geometry continuous except for the wends and bends of rivers and streams. The hundreds of fenced polygons vary in hue over the season as different crops bloom: yellow Canola, Camelina or Mustard; white Meadowfoam; blue Flax; crimson or pink Clover.

Every crop is planted with the goal of maximum density: Wheat is drill–seeded in crowded blocks. Wine grapes hang on trellises hundreds of feet long. Hops climb wires held 15-20’ high by tall pols. Peppermint, purple-stemmed and glossy-leafed, is packed into wide files. Sunflowers stand shoulder to shoulder. Hazelnut orchards are as precisely laid out as military cemeteries. Close rows of Christmas tree march up the slopes where the soil is rockier. Nurseries raise hundreds of species of landscaping plants in thousands of plastic pots set out in the sun, under shade cloth, or in hoop-houses. Animal agriculture is also here, and a few pastures hold cows, goats or sheep, being raised for meat, milk or fiber, and some long sheds cruelly confine chickens and pigs. The feed grain for these unhappy creatures is imported from other regions.

Only here and there do we see plots of vegetables bound for farmers markets and grocery stores, such as Kale, Cilantro, Summer Squash, Beets, Radishes, Sweet Corn, and Pumpkins.

The biggest crop by far in this valley is grass seed, as in grass for lawns and golf courses. Virtually the entire US production of Annual Ryegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Bentgrass, and Fine Fescue comes from here.ⁱ Over 50% of the total farmland is planted in grass seed.

This is the Willamette Valley in the US state of Oregon, one of the most ideal locations for agriculture in the lower 48 due to its fertile soils, abundant water, mild winters and reasonable summers.

The elusive meaning of the term, “invasive species”

January 31, 2024 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

The following is a draft chapter from the book that Nikki Hill & I are writing, tentatively entitled, “Don’t Blame the Messengers: A critique of the ‘invasive plant’ narrative.” So far, I’ve only been posting these draft chapters for paid subscribers on my SubStack and Patreon, but this one’s for everyone, first because the concepts are important, and second because it makes a good teaser as it refers to so many other chapters in the book. Paid subscribers will be getting more chapters, plus a PDF of the completed draft. (At which point we’ll be seeking a publisher.)

Alien species seem practically designed to excite public concern. Almost by definition they are most abundant, and most visible, in the most highly human-modified habitats, such as towns and cities. Personal encounters with aliens are routine, so everyone has an opinion, and it’s often ‘obvious’ that aliens are actively supplanting natives, even if that isn’t what’s happening at all. It’s equally ‘obvious’ that something must be done, even if it’s not clear what that should be, and even if ill-judged intervention might only make things worse.ⁱ ~Ken Thompson

What is an “invasive plant?” Colloquially, some gardeners call any plant that thrives and spreads with little or no care “invasive.” They will cast the term on both “weeds” (which are often native plants) and ornamental nursery plants that spread outside their apportioned area. Such gardeners are seeking to uphold a particular aesthetic and their impulse to direct and control yields results ranging anywhere from elegant to cloying. If this were the only way that people used the word, “invasive,” it would be harmless, and there’d be no need for this book.

DIY: How to make newspaper pots for veggie starts

May 7, 2022 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

You can make pots for veggie starts out of newspaper instead of using plastic pots, or peat pots. One of the biggest advantages of paper over plastic is that newspaper pots can be put directly into the ground, so there is much less disturbance to the plant. This makes newspaper pots especially appropriate for squash plants, as they are especially adverse to having their roots disturbed. This year, I’m doing all our squash starts in newspaper pots. FYI: by “squash” I mean all of the summer annuals in the Squash Family: winter squash, summer squash, pumpkins, cukes, zukes, gourds, watermelons, cantaloupes, etc.

What you’ll need:

newspaper
a soup can or jar of similar size
nursery trays, or something that can fill that function

How to make your own potting mix for vegetable starts

May 7, 2022 by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

I can’t remember where I first heard this recipe, but it was over a decade ago, and it’s still the best one I know of. If you’re doing lots of starts (as in hundreds), this is much more economical than buying bags of potting mix. This is what we’re using this year at the Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice.

Ingredients: Perlite, Coconut Coir & Worm Castings

Ingredients:

1 bag Perlite, 4 square feet, preferably “propagation grade”
2 bags Worm Castings, 1 square foot each
2 blocks, Compressed Coconut Coir, only one size, I’m pretty sure. Might say, “expands to 2.5 cubic feet”

These ingredients are all appropriate for certified organic agriculture.

Coir is the main growing medium here, Perlite is for drainage, and the Worm Castings provide nutrition to the young plants. You can go with one bag of Worm Castings for plants that will spend a very short amount of time in pots before being transplanted out, like Squash (winter, summer, cukes, melons, gourds, etc.).

You can also add fertilizer to this blend. I add an organic complete organic fertilizer to batches of this I’ll be using for needy starts, like Tomatoes.

The Coir tales the place of Peat Moss, which I avoid for two reasons. First, its pH is on the acidic side, and second, it’s acquired by destroying peat bogs. We need to leave the remaining wetlands alone at this point.

You also need a tarp to mix this all on. A flat shovel, hoe, or other long-handled tool is also helpful, but not required.

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