2012 Annual Report for CNE12-098
The Farm Institute's Pilot Parcels Project
Summary
The Pilot Parcels Project, which officially ends on January 1, 2013, resulted in significant successes in exploring agricultural enterprise and land use questions in the challenging setting of Martha’s Vineyard. The project offered one-acre parcels, along with financial help, consulting, education and equipment use, to five Island growers interested in exploring new crops and processes for innovative farming projects. Five projects were begun in the spring of 2012:
1. A CSA market garden that would explore reduced tillage strategies (Lily Walter)
2. A cut flower garden using interplantings of various cover crops (Teri Praskach)
3. A sweet potato, cowpea and fava bean plot that would assess the value of applying local stone amendments to the soil (Patrick Brown)
4. A trial plot of oilseed crops (Alex Rentumis and Katrina Nevin)
5. A market garden growing heirloom vegetables and quinoa, barley and hops
(Anna and Dan Merhalski)
The latter two efforts were not sustained, due to a combination of weed problems and time and labor constraints. The first three projects were considered successful and plans are underway to continue in 2013.
An additional application from Seven Hills, a program for adults with disabilities, resulted in a smaller scale farming partnership that still loosely followed the Pilot Parcel model. The project was so successful that plans are underway for the group to use a full acre in 2013, including raised beds for accessibility and employment skills training in the program.
The two Pilot Parcel sponsored educational events were well attended by Island farmers and gardeners and expanded the impact of the project. The Farm Institute (TFI) project staff learned important lessons about the kind of support needed, what steps could be taken to improve the project if it were undertaken again, and how the unique Katama Farm resource can be used to support the island-wide goal of increasing food self-sufficiency.
Objectives/Performance Targets
The overall goal of the project was to explore the impact of providing low-risk access to land and support for an innovative farm enterprise in an environment where agriculture competes with high-end vacationers for resources. Additional goals were to assess whether this effort is a good use of Katama Farm resources and whether TFI can continue to support and expand this kind of community usage.
Measurable goals and responses:
1. At least 7 applications received for the 5 plots: There were originally nine letters of interest submitted for the project, but two were withdrawn before the application process was completed. In addition to the six projects described above, a 7th applicant (a local commercial grower) submitted a proposal for a cover cropping experiment that did not fall completely within the parameters of this particular grant. The applicant was offered an alternative arrangement with the farm.
Project staff were surprised that more applications were not received, given the common theme that there is restricted access to farmland on the Island. The project was well publicized so it does not seem to be an issue of awareness. Possible explanations could be that truly new farmers with no access to land might be reluctant to give up well-paying summer jobs for an uncertain enterprise. Another factor could have been the timing of the application process, which was relatively late in the season for those wanting to dedicate themselves to farming for the summer. Some growers may have already found land to farm.
2. Two of the Pilot Parcels projects will at least break even financially: Project financial analysis will be provided in the FINAL report but it is believed that both the CSA reduced till plot and the cut flower plot were at least break-even enterprises.
3. Support provided by TFI and the consultation and expertise provided will be rated positively: The “tenants” in the Pilot Parcels Project have all responded positively to the support provided by TFI, both financial and otherwise. The two workshops were well attended and evaluations were also positive. (See Flyers)
4. Assess whether TFI can continue and expand the project without grant support: TFI feels the project was an important addition to its mission of educating and engaging children and adults in sustainable agriculture, and is committed to continuing its relationship with at least three of the projects next year: The CSA, the cut flower project and the Seven Hills group serving people with disabilities. TFI is exploring leasing arrangements or crop-sharing relationships to sustain this. Additional funding may be sought to support outside speakers and continue the community-education component.
Accomplishments/Milestones
The following journal covers the accomplishments and milestones for the project. With the exception of the final report for NESARE and the distribution of a public newsletter about the project, all activities outlined in the original proposal have been accomplished as of this submission. Rebecca Sanders, who replaced Hannah Beal as the garden manager at TFI in February 2012, was responsible for the project coordination. The reports from the three farmers able to complete their projects are attached.
Feb 2012
-Grant is awarded mid-month
-Meet with project director Jon Previant to discuss details of the grant including possible sites, possible participants and projects we'd like to see undertaken
-Site selection takes place and the 1-acre plots in the field are staked
-Press releases go out to island papers and the website
-The invitation and application is shared with the public
March 2012
-Soil samples from field plots are collected and mailed to University of Massachusetts for testing
-Applications are received and reviewed by farm staff
-Field tours and interviews take place with all applicants
-Participants are selected and notified
-Participant orientation takes place to assign plots, review farm policies and grant expectations, and assess tool, equipment and irrigation needs
April 2012
-Lease / grant contracts signed by participants
-Soil test results received and shared with participants
-Initial disking of the field plots takes place
-Additional disking and tilling completed 10 days later
-Fencing workday to install 3-D deer fencing around field
-Irrigation system is put into place: water lines laid out
-Lily and Pat begin work on their plots immediately; Lily building her no-till raised beds, and Pat amending the soil with mineral rock powders
May 2012
-Lily works daily on her plot, along with her 2 assistants, on the no-till and reduced till beds, planting seedlings, and tilling her control section with her walk behind tractor
-Pat present regularly to plant and tend sweet potatoes, fava beans
-Anna and Dan here on weekends to tend their plot: they place several hives and 2 bee colonies at the center of their acre
-Alex and Katrina order sunflower seeds and lime
-Teri begins building her flowerbeds with her rototiller
-Remainder of Pat's plot (7/8ths of the acre) tilled a 2nd time as the weeds are becoming problematic
June 2012
-Lily's plot fully planted and she is now running her business “Slip Away Farm” from her 1 acre piece. She harvests regularly for her CSA and the West Tisbury market
-Pat here several times to check up on his sweet potatoes and fava beans and do Brix testing
-Anna and Dan plant tomatoes and set up sprinklers on their plot
-Alex and Katrina's entire plot is tilled again with the rotovator as they have not begun planting and the weeds are well established
-Teri begins drip tape installation and planting of flower seedlings in ¼ of her plot
-3/4 of Teri's plot is tilled again as she has not been able to complete planting and weed pressure is very high
-Perimeter of 4-acre field is mowed for easier access to the plots
-Alex and Katrina spread 2800 lbs. of lime across their entire plot and begin to lay drip tape irrigation
July 2012
-Deer fencing is removed from 4 acre field as it has become overgrown with weeds, has proven difficult to maintain, and the deer pressure is minimal
-Perimeter of 4-acre field is mowed again
-Lily continues her tilling experiment and her planting and harvesting with success
-Pat harvests sweet potatoes (more Brix testing) and plants cowpeas
-Anna and Dan seldom present after cultivating and planting a circular section in the center of their plot (1/12th of the acre)
-Alex and Katrina spread 2800 lbs. of lime across their entire plot and begin to lay drip tape irrigation
-Teri completes with planting ½ of her acre plot and is here on a daily basis to tend and harvest her flowers. The other ½ of her acre is tilled a final time, and her cover cropping experiment begins
-First invoice for expenses submitted to NESARE and first round of participant reimbursements takes place
August 2012
-Lily continues to work daily with her assistants on her tilling experiment in her highly productive acre
-Pat has finished his work in the field
-Anna and Dan not present this month
-Alex and Katrina have completed laying drip tape and succeed in planting roughly 200 feet of a single row of sunflower seeds
-Teri continues to be here daily and successfully grows and harvests large quantities of cut flowers while assessing the effects of cover cropping in between the rows
-Planning and preparation begins for our 1st Pilot Parcels workshop
September 2012
-Lily and Teri continue to be a daily presence – and a great asset – to the busy farm.
-Pat provides data from the results of his mineralization experiment
-Alex and Katrina, and Anna and Dan, not present at the farm this month
-The first pilot parcel workshop: “ The Bio- Extensive Farm – An Evening with David Fisher” takes place at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury to the great satisfaction of the viewers. Roughly 35 people are in attendance for this slide show and discussion, which entails weed management, cover cropping and draft horsepower on the working farm.
October 2012
-Lily and Teri continue to work their plots until late in the month
-Alex and Katrina return to remove drip tape from their plot
-Cleanup of irrigation equipment in the field takes place
-Second invoice of expenses submitted to NESARE
November 2012
-Lily and Teri finish work in their plots and remove remaining fencing and irrigation equipment from the fields
-Planning and preparation begins for the 2nd Pilot Parcels workshop
December 2012
-The second Pilot Parcels workshop: “The BioNutrient Rich Crop Production Workshop” with Derek Christianson takes place at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury, once again, to an attentive audience of farmers and home gardeners. Nearly 30 people are in attendance and express great interest in the topics covered: mainly soil chemistry and making mineral amendments to improve soil fertility
-Lily, Pat and Teri submit final reports on the success of their pilot parcel projects
-Lily and Teri express an interest in returning to the farm next summer to continue their projects. We are exploring arrangements to make this possible.
-Second round of participant reimbursements are made
-Year-end report, third and final invoice of expenses, and final report and project publication being prepared.
Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes
The mission of TFI is to educate and engage children and adults in sustainable agriculture through the diverse activities of a working farm. The Pilot Parcels Project was a big step forward in establishing TFI as an island-wide resource for farmers and gardeners interested in sustainable food production.
The two public educational events were well attended, and partnering with the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society and Island Grown Initiative on the second event was symbolic of the collaborations that are critical for this very small farm community.
While not all five projects were successfully completed, the lessons learned were important to share. One critical lesson is that a one-acre plot farmed with modest equipment is a great deal of work. New farmers and gardeners may not be fully aware of this, and TFI in the future would need to help potential tenants understand the labor involved; even something as concrete as walking diagonally across the one-acre plot to firmly grasp the size of it. An additional lesson is that stipend money provided to participants as a reimbursement for expenses as incurred may have stifled some motivation. Stipend money offered at the end of the grant period might be more effective in encouraging participants to complete their projects and turn in their final reports.
TFI is a year round destination for the Island schools, youth organizations, tourists, conservation groups and the 1000 children aged 5 to 15 who attend the farm’s summer camp. The Pilot Parcels, located along the road to the farm, served not just as an experiment for the tenants, but as an educational display for all these visitors. Workers on the plots always stopped to explain what they were doing and welcomed questions. The projects were part of daily tours offered in the summer and there was great interest in what was being done.
One unexpected outcome with important implications was the relationship that developed between TFI and the Seven Hills disability program on the Vineyard. Originally, a direct care staff member applied to work a full acre with four or five of the adults in the program. It was eventually decided that a smaller scale project with better accessibility would be more appropriate. The group instead worked within the farm’s teaching garden, “The Friendship Garden”, and tended both a 20 x 20 plot and a large wheelchair accessible raised bed. The project was a great success and advanced the strategic goal of the Farm to improve access for people with disabilities. The plots were well managed and showed how productive a small garden can be. The Seven Hills group distributed produce to elder services agencies and other nonprofits. Plans are underway to expand the program to a full acre in 2013 and become part of the farmers market. TFI will help raise funds to build raised beds in the plot and the Seven Hills program will include working at the farm in their Individual Program Plans as part of the vocational education component.
TFI is grateful for NESARE support for this project. The idea for the project had been circulating at TFI for some time as a way for the farm to use its resources to support island-wide agricultural goals. The opportunity to partner with NESARE to make it happen was an important step in fulfilling TFI’s mission.