For the second year, Nutwood Farm has submitted an educational display to the Cummington Fair Agricultural Hall during the 151st Annual Fair!  This year’s display focuses on swale and berm earthworks: how to lay out, build, and plant a swale system to maximize water retention, manage flash flooding events, and mitigate drought on the farm.

Come and see our exhibit!  August 22-25, Cummington Fairgrounds

Swale-and-Berm Earthworks: Regenerative Agriculture Techniques

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture, also called “carbon farming,” is a set of practices intended to restore degraded lands and improve the health of soils and ecosystems while producing a yield.  It has been shown to increase the complexity and diversity of the life in the soil leading to higher fertility, better drought resistance, reduced need for pesticides, fertilizers and other fossil fuel inputs, and improved soil structure.

What are Earthworks?

A technique often used in Regenerative Agriculture, “earthworks” are practices that alter the slope or contour of the land to better harvest, store, and distribute water.  Installing earthworks on sloped land is an ecological method that has been used by small-scale farmers around the world for thousands of years.  When used in conjunction with low- or no-till operations and perennial crops, it is very effective in reducing soil erosion and improving water retention, enhancing the overall agro-ecosystem.

How it Works: Swale-and-Berm

This style of earthworks involves excavating a shallow band of soil on contour and moving the earth down slope to create a small earthen dam just below.  The concave ditch or “swale” creates a place to collect water during heavy rainfall events, allowing it to slowly seep into the water table below instead of running off and eroding precious topsoil.  The convex dam or “berm” provides a large raised bed for planting multiple species, including perennial shrubs and trees, keeping their roots high and dry while giving them access to ample moisture from the swale above.

Most earthworks projects are a one-time intervention that will vastly improve the health of the agroecosystem for tens or hundreds of years.  Many farms use a side-throwing plow or an excavator to dig and shape their earthworks system.  To be effective, new swales and berms should be planted and mulched as soon as possible to prevent soil erosion and rebuild the soil structure.  The alleys in between the swales and berms can also be planted with annual crops, grazed by animals, or used for hay production.  Integrating perennial crops and livestock has been demonstrated to sequester carbon very effectively and support extremely healthy and diverse soil microbiology.

How to Build a Swale 1-2-3

1. Find and mark the contours of your land. This is the line of equal elevation across a landscape that is perfectly horizontal. It is often used in topographic maps to show valleys and hills, and the steepness or gentleness of slopes.  You can do this by hand with a simple A-frame or a water level, also known as a bunyip.  Or you can use a laser level if you are working on a larger scale.  Mark points of equal elevation perpendicular to your slope and “connect the dots” to create a contour line.

NOTE: The number of contour lines you mark will vary by the size of the land and steepness of the slope, and your intended use.  Consider if you will be planting annual crops in between your swales, or grazing livestock, or simply harvesting from the perennial crops on the berm.  For more information on sizing and spacing earthworks appropriately, see Brad Lancaster’s Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Vol. 2, Water Harvesting Earthworks

2. Dig a shallow ditch along the contour line and move the excavated soil down slope creating a band of earth to act as a dam, preventing water from spilling out of the ditch. You can use a shovel and garden rake for small projects, or you can dig with an excavator for large scale projects. If your soil is sandy, you can also bury branches and other woody debris in the berm to slowly break down and increase the organic matter in the soil.  If your soil has heavy clay, be careful not to make your berms too large or it may cause a landslide in heavy rain events.

3. Plant the swale and berm right away to minimize erosion after disturbing the soil. Clover is a good choice for the swale as it can tolerate more moisture. Larger trees and shrubs can be planted on the top of the berm, and any mixture of quick-growing annuals and deep-rooted perennials can be planted into the sides of the berm.  If you cannot seed cover crops or plant perennials right away, you can mulch the soil heavily with grass clippings, straw, or woodchips.  This will also increase the soil organic matter while preventing erosion and building fertility.

Where Has All The Soil Gone?

The FAO led Global Soil Partnership reports that 75 billion tons of soil are eroded every year from arable lands worldwide—a rate that is about 13–40 times as fast as the natural rate of erosion.  This equates to an estimated financial loss of US$400 billion per year.  Approximately 24% of the world’s agricultural land is seriously degraded. According to the United Nations, an area of fertile soil the size of Ukraine is lost every year because of drought, deforestation and climate change.

Soil loss is exacerbated by poor agricultural practices such as excessive tillage and bare soil cultivation.  Wind and water are both natural forces of erosion that can be managed with simple techniques such as continuous cover cropping, reducing tillage, planting wind breaks, intensive rotational grazing, and leaving crop residues in the field to biodegrade.

Not only is soil erosion bad for agriculture, it also causes global climate change by releasing more carbon into the atmosphere.  Conventional agriculture is currently responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, yet we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO₂ emissions by switching to regenerative organic agriculture (Rodale).  Healthy soil has the power to prevent soil loss and reverse global climate change.

In the US, overall trends of soil loss have improved over the last 25 years.  Water and wind erosion has dropped from about 7.3 tons per acre in 1982 to 4.8 tons per acre in 2007 (NRCS).  Many farmers are learning to adopt new techniques to prevent soil erosion, improve soil fertility, and increase their bottom line.

 This summer, Gettysburg College student Miriam Martinez (pictured, right) filmed a short documentary of her week-long internship at Nutwood Farm and unscripted interview with Seva and Kalyan.

About the filmmaker: Miriam grew up in San Rafael, CA and is planning to major in Environmental Science and minor in Women & Gender Studies.  She was the founder and Captain of the San Rafael High School Girls Wrestling Team and is very interested in exploring the intersections of gender, culture, and environmental sustainability.

By Grace Herron, Gettysburg College, sophomore

In today’s world, I feel as though individuals no longer have that same connection to the land that existed so many years ago. Through Gettysburg’s Career Development program, I was able to attend a week-long externship in Massachusetts at Nutwood Farm, run by Seva Tower- a Gettysburg alumni- and Kalyan Uprichard. At Nutwood Farm, they are nurturing several varieties of nut bearing trees and working with the land instead of against it. One of the most noticeable aspects of their farm to me was that their trees were not arranged on a flat piece of land with perfectly manicured rows and sections. The trees were actually planted on a hill, and the soil was formed into berms and swales to help with water intake and drainage in case of drought or flooding. This concept was entirely new to me, and during my week on the farm I got to help maintain them and see the berms working their magic through several hot days and rainy nights.

In addition to learning about the farm’s berms and swales, I was able to have a lot of fun learning about how Seva and Kalyan aim to make Nutwood Farm fully self-sustaining in the future. The property has a plethora of wild blackberries and raspberries surrounding the fields, and I was able to help pick them and learn how to properly make my own jam! Another Gettysburg extern and I were also able to go blueberry picking with Seva for several hours. We ended up with over 60 lbs of blueberries by the time we were finished, which we later made 27 jars of blueberry jam and sauce. They also had ducks which gave eggs for breakfast, and lunch and dinners were made with vegetables right from the garden!

In the tree fields, I noticed that instead of spraying weed killer and pesticides, Seva and Kalyan were encouraging plant growth in the surrounding soil of their trees. It was explained to me that this was promoting the kind of ecosystem often seen in forests, where the soil is nourished by the diversity of plant life and beneficial organisms. By stripping the soil of these plants and insects, it can often deprive the plants of many beneficial microorganisms and soil nutrients that they could have access to naturally. S.A.R.E (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program) has also given Nutwood Farm a research grant that Seva and Kalyan utilized to plant several rows of hazelnut trees with specific groups of plants growing in the surrounding soil to see how they affected the hazelnut trees’ growth and production over several years. During my externship, I was able to also help with bug identification for the research grant to record the various kinds of insects thriving on the farm. This analysis will ideally be able to help assess the field itself by assessing whether or not these insects are beneficial or harmful to Nutwood Farm’s trees. Learning more about the relationship between a crop or tree and their surrounding soil nutrients, plants, and insects will be valuable information for me to consider if I were ever to pursue agriculture myself.

Nutwood Farm is also involved in community outreach and invites local kids and camps to help them on their farm while learning more about agriculture. Thanks to their involvement with the Gettysburg Externship program, Seva and Kalyan are also teaching about their mission and experiences to college students like me as well! This externship is applicable to where I see myself in the future since I have always been interested in making a difference through food awareness and farming. Right here in Massachusetts, I was able to experience and join two individuals who were doing just that. This was a fantastic learning experience for me filled with experiential lessons and the opportunity to meet incredible people who are truly making a difference in this world.

Death, Life & Rebirth: News from the Nut Farm – Spring 2018

Check out our Spring 2018 newsletter for our latest updates!  Blessings & happy growing season!

Check out our latest fall/winter newsletter and farm update:

Barns, Ducks, and NYNGAS: News from the Nut Farm | Fall/Winter 2017

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and keep in touch!

Happy solstice and new year ☀

With the temperatures dropping and the lush green of summer beginning to fade from the hills into the muted and brilliant crisp colors of fall, we have held steady in our persistence, day by day, block by block.  This past season has served us up plenty of humble pie as we learn, slowly and many times over, what it really takes to accomplish big dreams.

Which is to say: everything in its own time.

After a beautiful yet very wet June, we finally managed to prep and pour the foundation for our new barn in July only to grapple with the monolithic task of laying 396 cement blocks for our inner thermal wall.  This week, we topped the eighteenth course with its final layer of sand, rebar and concrete, and celebrated for a few glorious moments before dashing out into the looming thunderstorm to gather fallen pears from a neighbor’s road side tree.  Spiced pear sauce, anyone?

With our impressive many-lithic wall finally behind us, our attention is turning eagerly to the pile of lumber that will soon become the walls and rafters of our now internet famous unique multi-purpose nut farm structure.  When helping hands come at just the right moments, and support from the sidelines reenergizes our mental state, all doubts and delays melt away leaving determination in its place!  This barn is going up!  Perhaps not as quickly or easily as we imagined, yet these steep learning curves have only enhanced the significance of this work for us.  One cannot haste through life’s lessons on sequence and time.  There is a rhythm of observing, planning, working, and assessing; no amount of force will speed up or pass by a critical phase in the cycle.  And then there is heat, and rain, jobs and commitments, visits from old friends and social gatherings on the hill, not to mention the rhythm of ourselves and our own need to rest, to heal, and to take care of our being.

It is finding some semblance of balance between self-care, oikonomia, and economy that has been our most pertinent challenge these last few months.  With so much still hanging on our plans for the future, weathering the slowness or soreness or minutia of the day can take its toll, on both body and being.  We are learning to create and give each other more space and support, and – most of all – to acknowledge that each step is likely to be more complicated and take far longer than we anticipate.  But the truth is that it is all okay – we have so much to be grateful for that to not notice what we have for want of what we don’t (yet) would be intolerable.  Cultivating the equanimous joy that comes with the ache of impermanence is part of the path we walk.  And one day we will look back on it all and just smile.

After spending two full days at the Slow Living Summit in Brattleboro with other food, agriculture, and permaculture entrepreneurs, we are walking away with some keen insights and incisive questions to add to our farm business meetings – a.k.a. dinner table conversations.

First, slow money.  As high-risk farmer-entrepreneurs who aim to measure our true success by the amount of top soil we grow, we don’t appeal to most traditional forms of business financing.  Despite the wealth and class privilege associated with “slow _____,” we find our values reaffirmed by those who feel compelled to invest their cream back into the crop; who understand what it means to turn money back into soil and why.  Slow Money and other more enlightened investors advocate for wealth generation that goes beyond money and profit maximization, and frequently manifests in other forms of capital like social, cultural, and experiential capital.

That said, those with the “cream to spare” who are actually ready to make this shift aren’t so easy to find, as most of us are deeply entrenched in particular posits that self-perpetuate.  Of course, what we really need is to redesign the whole system to “turn on affection” as Wendell Berry would say.

Enter Raj Sisodia, co-founder of the Conscious Capitalism philosophy, who is trying to reframe business as an ethical, noble, and progressive way to elevate humanity.  Imagine that.  His surprising optimism and narrative of world economic history up to and after 1989 (a very pivotal year) is compelling.  It’s a “turn this around because we must–and because we can” argument, because (we know) it’s not working status quo, because people are unhappy and stressed out and dying unnecessarily, from both poverty and aspirations of limitless affluence.  In an age when capitalism is literally the word we spit out as we make the sign against evil, we both still have to come to terms with what it means to start a farm, even a nut farm, and be an entrepreneur without confronting a constant clash of values and concessions.  We can create value–economic value included–and be of enormous benefit to our environment and community well being.  We can/must have BOTH/AND.  There is so much more to life than money and material wealth, and we must find a way to evolve from consumptive trumpster fire caterpillars to ethereal cross-pollinating flutterbys.

So we land with economic sufficiency, with what it means to have a business that adequately nourishes and sustains us AND gives back more value to our community than it takes.  It is the Principle of Enough.  We were inspired by a worker-owned cooperative near us that has committed to being and remaining small, Northeast grown and distributed, and disincentivizing future options to sell off because they are in the business of human beings, of ethical and equitable products that meet the multidimensional needs of the community for good, satisfying work.  We love this model, because this is first and foremost a labor of love.  We do what we do because we care – about people, about re-embedding, about aspiring to higher ways of being and cultivating community.  Even if we completely fail financially, we will still have something of great value to offer.  We are part of a growing movement of entrepreneurs not motivated by profit, but by the possibility of creating good lives and livelihoods, and leaving a legacy of humic magnanimity!

If you are moved by these reflections, we need to know you.  The world’s current hurdles are entirely surmountable with a little dose of inspiration and long-term vision.  Ideas we have plenty – this life just needs a little more cream in order to churn into butter(nuts) and gold(enseal).  We are open to all avenues of funding and financing support, and will happily articulate our needs to anyone who wants to hear it.  We’re ready for you!

Our Values: Nutwood Farm: a Regenerative Investment 

Post-Post Update: we have just posted our call out for regenerative community investors – for more information about our big project, check out the pitch!

The good thing about having already done the seemingly impossible is that everything else feels like it has to be more manageable by default!

Last year our 2,450 ft 11-row swale installation and planting of 450+ fruit and nut trees and shrubs was only possible because we didn’t know it wasn’t!  This year, we have the far more attainable task of digging two more swales and planting a little over 200 new young trees.  Still, new challenges lay ahead of us: keeping up with the vigorous brambles and regrowth, diversifying our plantings, building our greenhouse/barn, and starting the foundation work for our house.

With two work parties already behind us we are well positioned to sail through our second spring, thanks to the help and motivation of neighbors and friends, new and old.  We hope the spring rains come gently interspersed with some good sun and breeze so the backhoe doesn’t get too stuck in the mud!  With a little luck, focus and determination, we’ll be well positioned for a fabulous second year full of new experiments, ideas, mishaps, and stories for the history books.  Happy May Day everyone!