Pest control at the Sebastopol Energy Garden does not involve the use of any commercial organic or chemical pesticides; rather the encouragement of natural pest controlling systems. A variety of plants have been intentionally planted to encourage beneficial insects and deter derimental insects from vulnerable crops. Other plants have been planted as trap crops, that is they attract pests to lure them away from other crops. By planting trap crops we can create dense aggregations of pests and manage them with non harmful sprays such as soapy garlic and cayene pepper water or leave them be and hope for predatory insects to find them and aggregate around the trap crops as well.

Such was the case with the two plots of Canola that were planted in the Energy Garden this year. Canola is often planted for the oil rich seeds that it produces but also as a trap crop and beneficial insect attractant. While the plant is preferred by aphids, a trait that we observed this winter, the flowers of Canola attract adults of the following species of hoverflies (Syrphidae): Allograpta obliqua (Say), Sphaerophoria spp., Syrphus spp., and Toxomerus spp. Larvae of all of these species are predators on aphids. In addition adult lady bugs, soldier beetles, and a variety of predatory wasps are attracted to Canola due to the dense populations of aphids that inhabit it. By planting Canola in the garden this year we not only lured herbivorous aphids away from other brassica crops that we grew, we increased the populations of predatory insects in the garden.

In addition to growing plants that deter herbivourous insects and attract predatory insects we have provided habitat for predatory birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, and salamanders in hopes that they prey upon pests that visit the garden. Snails are also regularly captured and fed to the chickens as a source of protein and calories, and gopher traps are set and monitored.

By encouragin ecological pest control as opposed to using chemical and organic pesticides we improve the ecological health of the garden without the risk of harming our crops and ultimately ourselves. Rather than removing all insects from the garden ecosystem, a charecteristic of most pesticides, we are able to combat only those that are detrimental to our crops.

Two and a half million tons of commercial pesticides are now applied
annually in the United States. Because of pests ability to develop
resistance towards chemical treatments, pesticide effectiveness
decreases and our dependence upon them increases with each spraying.
Production of these
chemicals now accounts for 6% of US agricultural energy consumption as
the industry continues to grow.
 

Caroline Cox lists ten reasons why not to use pesticides in the Journal of Pesticed Reform:

1. Pesticides don’t solve pest problems. They don’t change the conditions that encourage pests.

2. Pesticides are hazardous to human health. Every year, enormous quantities of pesticides known to cause significanthealth problems are used in the U.S.

3. Pesticides cause special problems for children. For their size, they consume more food and drink than adults, and both of these can be contaminated with pesticides. They play in ways that increase their exposure. Also,their growing bodies can be particularly sensitive.

4. Pesticides often contaminate food. The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture means that pesticides are frequently found on a variety of common foods.

5. Pesticides are particularly hazardous for farmers and farmworkers. There are no comprehensive systems for tracking pesticide illnesses, and research shows that farmers and farmworkers face risks of both short-term poisonings and long-term illness.

6. Pesticides are hazardous to pets. Pet poisonings occur frequently, and exposure to lawncare pesticides is associated with a higher risk of cancer in dogs.

7. Pesticides contaminate water and air. Monitoring studies find pesticides in almost every sample that is tested.

8. Pesticides are hazardous to fish and birds. Enormous quantities of pesticides already known to EPA to cause problems for fish and birds are used in the U.S.

9. Pesticides are immensely profitable for the corporations who manufacture them, yet these corporations conduct or sponsor the tests used to determine their safety

10. Pesticides have too many secrets. Where are pesticides used in our communities? When? How much? What’s in them? We almost never have good answers to these questions.

For more information check out these sites 

http://www.organicgardeningguru.com/pesticides.html

http://www.pw.ucr.edu/textfiles/Stormwater%20%20The%20Urban%20Pesticide%...

http://www.chem-tox.com/pesticides/ 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5409/is_199810/ai_n21427664 

1. Before building your chicken tractor, Draw up a Design of how you envision the structure; you can look online to aid you in doing so.

* We chose a triangular design after browsing through images because it seemed to offer the most structural support as well as being relatively simple.

2 . Make measurements, Cut Pieces, and Build Frame

* The wood that we had to work with was limited, and for that reason the measurements that we used were relative to the cuts of wood that we had.

Quantity Size Cut Purpose

3 2"x4"x7' Both flat (90o) Corners of Triangle

3 1"x1"x4.5" Both ends at 45o angles outward Downward Supports

6 1"X1"x42" Both ends at 45o angles outward Top Supports

3 1"x1"x20" Both ends at 45o angles outward Middle Supports

2 1"x1"x40" Both ends at 45o angles outward Bottom Supports

4 1"x1"x3'5.5" Both flat (90o) Lenghtwise Supports

2 1"x1"x40" Both flat (90o) Very Bottom Supports

* We found it easier to attatch the 1"x1"x4.5" pieces to the 2"x4"x7' that was to be the top of our chicken tractor using 1.5" screws. We placed one flush with each end and one in the very middle. We then attatched all six 1"X1"x42" on either side of the 1"x1"x4.5" supports. Before attatching the 1"x1"x20" supports we screwed on the two 1"x1"x40" bottom supports; this just makes it easier to put the middle supports on.

* Perpendicular to the 1"x1"x4.5" downward supports we attatched 1"x1"x3'5.5" lengthwise supports. We placed these in a fashion that was flush with the 1"x1"x20" middle supports. It is to these pieces that we later staled the shade cloth to.

4. Attatch Wheels and Handles

* The wheels that we purchased are entirely galvanized steel and only cost $5.00 at the local hardware store. We attatched them to the corner of the bottom 2"x4"x7' corners of the triangle with two screws and to the very bottom 1"x1"x40" support with a third. A wheel was attatched to all four corners. To the front and back faces of the triangles, where the top 2"x4"x7' beam and the 1"x1"x4.5" supports meet, we attatched handles so as to push and pull the chicken tractor.

3. Attatch Shade Cloth, and Chicken Wire

* So as to provide the chickens with a source of shade we attatched cloth along the upper portion of the chicken tractor's frame. Pulling on the cloth while using a staple gun, we made sure it was as tight as possible. On the triangle fances we had to do some bunching to make it tight. We then cut the remaining fabric off.

* We obtained chicken wire for $1.00/1'x4' at the hardware store. We stapled the chicken wire over the fabric on all but the triangle face where the door was to be placed. Using wire cutters we removed the remaining chicken wire.

4. Build the Door

Quantity Size Cut Purpose

4 2"x4"x14" Both flat (90o) Vertical part of frame and door

1 1"x1"x14" One flat (90o) One 45o outward Next to frame; to staple wire to

2 2"x4"x20" Both flat (90o) Horizontal part of door

* To build the frame of the door turned out to be the most difficult part. We used 2 hinges which came in a pack together and cost $4.00 at the hardware store. We first built the frame using two 2"x4"x14" vertical pieces then built the door using the two remaining pieces as well as the two 2"x4"x20" horizontal pieces (For this it required 2.5" screws). We attatched the door to the frame using the hinges and then sandwhiched the hinges between one of the 2"x4"x14" vertical pieces from the frame and the 1"x1"x14" piece.

5. Finish off the Door Side Chicken Wire

* Staple chicken wire to the door and to all the parts of the chicken tractor's frame.

6. Let the chickens roam the yard without having to worry about your crops

We have again added bed space to the Energy Garden, this
time in the shape of a mandala. Utilizing techniques from Gaia’s Garden
by Toby Hemenway, we are slowly building the hardpan barren “lawn”, read: super
invasive bermuda grass and clumps of dead sod, into nutrient rich humus. As double
digging was near impossible, we are letting the worms to the work by creating a
sheet mulch close to 18 inches thick.

First we created the design for the area and then marked the
edges of the mandala on the earth. Next we began creating the bed. Otherwise
known as lasagna gardening, we chopped away some of the clumps of grass and started
with an inch layer of manure. We followed that with cardboard, then with an
inch or two of organic vineyard compost from Grab and Grow in Sebastopol. According
to the grab and grow website, it is “made
from a simple blend of grape pumice, green waste and oyster shell flour, this compost
has no manures or supplemental nitrogen fertilizers added to this high
potassium mix.

This was
followed by a single “book” layer of wheat straw, then with another inch or two
of mango mulch. “It doesn’t have any mangos in it, but it does have horse and
cow manure to supply basic nutrients; grape and apple pumice which are high in
beneficial bacteria and yeasts to aid with the breakdown of organic matter;
rice hulls and straw for good soil tilth; soft rock phosphate and greensand to
boost the phosphorous and potassium.” This was followed by a layer of alfalfa
straw and wheat straw mixed together. We will plant by opening pockets in about
a month.

Next we created
the paths by laying burlap bags donated by Taylor Made Farms in Sebastopol. On
top of the burlap we put down woodchips. The irrigation was then laid under the
straw. We have also sheet mulched and
prepared a new berry patch next to the sunflowers and driveway in the front of
the house. In an epic battle with the Bermuda grass we have also sheet mulched
all of the paths on the property with cardboard and woodchips. We hacked down
most of it and hope it never comes back. It looks great right now.

Before...

After... let the worms do the digging!

For the past two and a half months I have been a part of the Post Carbon Institute's efforts to encourage relocalization and investigate strategies for a post carbon world. Starting with a residential backyard in Sebastopol California, we transformed a portion of lawn into twenty one 4x10' energy crop beds. As time progressed so did our ambitions; we extended into the front yard where we double dug ten 4x20' beds and in another section three 4x33' beds. The soil in which we are digging is of the Sebastopol sandy loam series and therefore provided rapid drainage and contained low quantities of organic matter. To each bed we added a couple wheel barrows worth of compost to improve the organic content of the soil as well as to encourage water retention in the A horizon. For the paths surrounding the beds we laid medium sized cedar wood chips to serve as aesthetic appeal and weed prevention.

As temperatures increase, the next phase of our project required laying irrigation for the 2168’ of fertile soil. We chose to use ½” pvc attached to ¾” drip line as it is the most resource conserving method of watering as well as very flexible in the methods of watering that it allows for. Installing an automatic timing system to govern four valves as well as manual shut off valves at each bed allows us complete control of the amount of water we use; with each line running at a half gallon per hour we will be able to utilize the system to calculate the amount of water input per biomass output.

Along with energy crops, we have planted a variety of vegetables and just recently an herb garden including both medicinal and culinary herbs. Due to the nonlinear placement of plants in these beds we will be laying a mist emitting line, running from the same automated system, in the near future.

To assist in jump starting the planting season we have built three cold frames in which we can safely keep flats of seedlings overnight without any risk to external conditions. Using a layer of manure beneath the flats we have employed exothermic bacterial decomposition as an overnight heat source.

We recently purchased four pullets: one Rhode Island Red, and 3 Sex-links. Out of recycled wood we have built for them a chicken coop equipped with a removable floor, an outward opening wall, and an egg harvesting panel. At night they are safely protected from predators as well a provided with comfortable roosting conditions; however, during the day they are allowed to roam free in the 150 sq. ft. pen that we have built.

To the grass we removed and other organic material, including food scraps from the kitchen, we are adding straw and dirt and promoting decomposition in three compost containers that we have constructed. The chickens are allowed access to two of these containers.

With the summer quickly approaching there are many exciting tasks ahead of us: flats to be planted, seedlings to be transplanted, and many more building projects (benches, pocket gardens, a living roof, etc.), not to mention the regular maitenance.

Aside from continuing to transplant seedlings from the cold frames to the beds, we have engaged in many building projects this last week.

We have built the first two of hopefully many pocket gardens. Because the scale at which we are working exceeds the abilities of the average yard, we can use these 4x4' raised beds to demonstrate biointensive planting on a smaller scale. The ground beneath these raised beds does not need to be dug; they simply are placed in the desired location and filled with a combination of top soil and compost. By constructing a matrix of square feet within each pocket garden we will be able to measure our yield per square foot as well as display the growing capability of one square foot to those visiting.

We have had the oppurtunity to improve on the aesthetics of the garden. We have installed a bird bath on a pre-existing tree stump in hopes to employ the birds' appetites for non-beneficial insects. We have built a bench for visitors as well as a raised salad bed which receives shade from the climbing peas in front of it. Our attention is now dirrected at developing our tool area into a complete work station from which we can perform summer projects and use to dirrect future volunteers.

The Sebastopol Demonstration Energy Garden is located within the Sebastopol Sandy Loam series, which is described as a moderately fertile, well drained soil. Permeability is moderately slow in the subsoil, runoff is medium, and the hazard of erosion is moderate.

Soil texture is determined by the relative proportions of sand,
silt and clay and organic components that soil has. Sand is the largest particle, silt particles are smaller than
fine sand but can still be seen by the human eye, and clay particles are
microscopic.

Sandy soil—tends to be very
light and dries out swiftly. Water drains very quickly and makes the
soil easy to dig. It is the first to warm up in the sun.

Silt soil—retains moisture and feels slippery when wet. Retains nutrients better than sand but does not dry out as quickly.

Clay soil—a
very heavy soil, it holds moisture for long periods of time when wet
and dries hard as a brick. Clay soil retains nutrients and is very
fertile but is heavy, sticky and very hard to dig. It is the last to
warm up in the sun.

Loam soil—the ideal
soil texture, it is composed of sand, silt and clay. The ideal loam
soil contains 40% silt, 20% clay and 40% sand and organic matter. Loam
is a separate category because none of its compontents account for more
than 50%.
Loam soils are ideal for most plants, although many plants grow well in non-loan soils.

8/3/07 8/11/07

So as to test soil texture, we performed a comparitive test of samples from different parts of the garden.

A) Soil sample from path; untreated

B) Soil sample from bed; ammended with mango mulch

C) Sample of purchased compost; mango mulch ammendment

D) Sample of the compost developed on site.

We filled recylcled mason jars a quarter full with a portion of each sample, added water and a couple drops of biodegradable dish washing soap, and allowed them to settle for a week. Based on the thickness of each settled layer, we determined the proportions of sand, silt, and clay in our soil.

Using a basic LaMotte soil test kit and a soil auger, we tested each sample's pH, and the quantities of available nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.

The pH of our soils ranged from 6-8 and it appeared that the more organic materials that the soil contained, the more alkaline it was. The phosphorous content of our samples ranged from medium to high (75lb/acre-100+lb/acre).

The nitrogen content of our compost is tremendously high compared with the other three samples which could be expected because our chickens are allowed access to the piles. Aside from sample D, merely trace amount of nitrogen were present. The potassium content of our samples correlated with the proportion of organic marterial in the soil. The purchased mango mulch expressed the highest content, followed by the compost we have developed.

Nitrogen- stimulates leaf and stem growth. Nitrogen deficiency
causes reduced growth and pale yellowish green leaves. The
older leaves turn yellowish first since the nitrogen is readily moved
from the old leaves to the new growth. If the soil is cold and wet,
nitrogen in the soil is not as available to the plants. Excess nitrogen
may cause potassium deficiency.

Phosphorus-is important in the germination and growth of seeds, the
production of flowers and fruit, and the growth of roots.
Phosphorus deficiency causes reduced growth and small leaves that drop
early, starting with the oldest leaves. Leaf color is a dull,
bluish green that becomes purplish or bronzy. Leaf edges often turn
scorched brown. Excess phosphorus may cause potassium
deficiency.

Potassium- promotes general vigor, disease resistance and sturdy growth. Potassium deficiency causes stunted growth with
leaves close together. Starting with the older leaves, the leaf tips and edges turn scorched brown and leaf edges roll. Excess
potassium may cause calcium and magnesium deficiencies.

Using a disecting microscope at a magnification of 30x we analyzed the
contents of each sample, here looking for the amount of sand, clay,
silt, and organic materials. At this magnification the mycelium of
fungi was visible.

A. B. C. D.

A. Mostly sand w/ small amounts of silt

B. Finer sand particles and more silt than A.

C. Mostly organic materials. Mycorrhizae present among other mycelial growth.

D. More silt than A and B. Mycellial growth present as well as organic remnants.

Using a microscope at a magnification of 600x we analyzed the biology of each soil sample.

1. Make the Cuts and Build the Frame of the Raised Bed.

* When building a pocket garden or raised bed attatch two supports to two of the four planks as far in as the plank is wide; corners require much less work this way.

Quantity Size Purpose

4 2"x4"x12" Support for frame

4 2"x12"x4' Plank for frame

2. Fill with 60% Compost and 40% Top Soil

* With raised beds you do not have to exert energy in breaking up soil or double digging beds; you simply place in the desired location and fill with soil.

3. Water, Transplant, Irrigate Mulch

*Water the soil in your raised bed before transplanting seedlings from flats. If you are directly sowing seed, lightly water the soil, plant the seeds, and water again.

*1/4" drip is easy to work with and can divert water from a 1/2" drip line very easily. Using an elbow you can simulate the 90o angle of the bed with the supply line. Emitter line can then send water throughout the bed.

* When mulching, wet straw is much easier to work with than dry straw. First lay the straw, then wet it, and then uncover your plants so as to expose them. If plants stem is too close to much the plant becomes more vulnerable to garden pests.

At the Sebastopol Energy Garden eggs account for a large portion of the calories that we produce. Of the estimated 1,476,765,3 calories that we can produce over the next growing year, 136,218 of that comes in the form of eggs.

On average our flock of five chickens produces an egg/chicken/day, each weighing roughly 61g, and containing 93.3 calories.

Supporting a flock of chickens; however, requires energy as well. Each chicken needs at least 200 calories/day to survive, and while about 30% of those calories can be obtained by foraging, the other 70% needs to be provided for them. Our chickens are allowed access to the compost piles and obtain some additional calories from the food scraps we recycle, but this is not enough.

Because hens allocate so much of the protein that they consume toward egg production it is also essential that we support the needs of our flock by providing a protein rich feed for them. It is recommended that 16% of a chicken's diet be protein.

Recommended Daily Value (chicken): 200 cal/day
(5 chickens) (365) = 365,000 cal/ year

FOOD SOURCE % PROTEIN, BY WT

Dried fish flakes 76
Dried liver 76
Dried earthworms 76
Duckweed 50
Torula yeast 50
Brewers yeast 39
Soybeans (dry roasted) 37
Flaxseed 37
Alfalfa seed 35
Beef, lean 28
Earthworms 28
Fish 28
Sunflower seeds 26.3
Wheat germ 25
Peas & Beans, dried 24.5
Sesame seed 19.3
Soybeans (boiled) 17
Wheat bran 16.6
Oats, whole 14
Rice polish 12.8
Rye 12.5
Wheat 12.5
Barley 12.3
Oats 12
Corn 9
Millet 9
Milo 9
Rice, brown 7.5

Chicken feed can be purchased from most feed stores and while this may be a simple enough solution for most, it is our goal to produce chicken feed on-site so that we may decrease our dependece upon off-site materials and reduce our energy consumption.

The majority of chicken feed is produced through unsustainable, agricultural methods which rely heavily upon the use of petroleum. The proces behind producing, storing, and transporting feed is a very energy requiring process; by producing chicken feed on-site, on a small scale, we can avoid a lot of the energy inputs of conventional production.

By calculating the theoretical calorie yield of each crop intended for
chicken feed as well as their protein content, we can determine the
amount of required growing space for feeding the chickens. When it comes time to harvest the grains, and process them we will already have calculated how much to allocate towards the chickens. Then all we need to do is grind the grains and mix them accordingly. In the batch that we just prepared we used a combination of Peredovik Sungflowers seeds, Sorghum, Millet, and Ground corn.

Hand powered Corona Mill

[video]

Corn Millet

Peredovik Sunflower Dale Sorghum

Chicken Feed

Spring crops are now mature and ready to harvest and the hens are now laying eggs. Aside from including an interactive Planting Calendar I have now added a Harvest Spreadsheet so as to infrom the public as to how much of each crop we are harvesting.

So as to test the compost piles as a possible source of heat for the biodigesters, I have installed a soil moisture gauge and a thermometer, both of which will soon be broadcasting their readings over the web.

I have typed up and added many signs describing the various features of the garden and soon am going to have labels describing the reasons for growing each crop.

*I have attatched a pdf of the signs that have have been written so far.

Post Carbon Institute is having an open house in Sebastopol to demonstrate the flourishing energy garden and home grown veggies!

Since our arrival in Sebastopol from Vancouver in March, the Post Carbon Instittue has been hard at work building a demonstration Energy Garden as part of the Energy Farms Network. By replacing the barren lawn with a productive, bio-intensive growing system, we hope to inspire others. Currently we are conducting research and demonstrating methods for growing fuel, food, and fiber at a small scale. Click on the image below to view the open house brochure.

You need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the brochure.