John LaBoyteaux

I can't believe there was a fire and no one told me.  My concern over the affects of the fire on the land were counteracted by thoughts of swiddenculture and slash and burn practices.  Some people do this on purpose, right?  I called a bunch of friends to talk about this, and in doing so I felt more at ease as we rehashed fire-related farming practices.

I also wanted to talk to an experienced grain farmer about their encounters with fire.  I thought of John LaBoyteaux who sold me some triticale a few months prior.  He's a Humboldt County melon and grain farmer who I've written about before in relation to his involvement with the North Coast Grain Growers and the seed trials.  He generously made time to swing by the new farm to assess the place and discuss cultivation and propagation steps.

When we walked out to the field, John said he didn't think the burn was a disaster and that I had good tilth. The field was still mostly charred, but some patches of new green growth have emerged. Some radish and grass. Thankfully not too much morning glory. It's too early to tell, so it'll be interesting to see what comes up and how much. John said that it looked like the fire did some good in getting rid of many weeds and that it probably would have been helpful to have let the whole field burn.  As for the new growth, he suggested that I lightly disk the field three times, each time a few days after a rain, in order to get rid of weed seeds. The purpose behind this process is to naturally diminish available weed seeds by allowing them to become germinate and mow them before they set seed. As long as you don't disk too deep, you can minimize the amount of weed growth. Front Porch Farms used this approach and greatly reduced their weed population. 

John agreed with Jess on the point about planting between every other vine or, if we're removing vines anyways, to take out every other set of vines to increase the area devoted to grains. This might reduce the likelihood that the grains would draw water away from the grapes, make harvesting grains easier, and produce a higher yield of grains.

When I mentioned that I'll be introducing sheep, John shared some history that supported my plan.  He said that the farmers who used to grow Sonora wheat in Mendocino County, back when this area produced most of California's wheat, brought in sheep to graze the young grains to strengthen the roots and manage weeds.  They'd do a few cycles of this until spring, when they'd let the grains grow to fruition.  How encouraging!

I stepped away from this conversation much less worried than the other day and with a good deal of advice.  Not only did I get another opinion about the fire, but I also felt as though I had some support from a fellow farmer.

Surprise!

One of the positive outcomes from leaving Lovin' Mama early is that I can focus on my new, yet-to-be-named farm project.

I decided that one of the first steps in preparing to farm would be to perform a soil test.  The vineyard is certified organic, but this plot hasn't been farmed in 15 years.  I find it curious that it was simply left empty.  When were the vines put in?  Why was this space left empty?  A part of me fears that there's some obscure, virulent disease that haunts this plot.

I intended to take soil samples immediately after moving my things.  I set a date.  That day happened to be the first rain we've had in months.  Light sprinkles came down as I drove through the vineyard, which turned to a foggy drizzle as I approached my plot. The crusty rubber windshield wipers blurred the view of the plot, but I instantly registered a major difference in the soil: it was black.  I blinked a few times, rocked side to side to get a better view through the window.  I even considered that this wasn't my plot but a recently uprooted vineyard area.

No, no, I was at the right place.  I parked the car and immediately stepped out from behind the hazy windows and lenses.  I widened my eyes as I got out in order to infallibly see the condition. I stood, stunned, at the edge of an endless stretch of charred earth. 

South-facing

Eventually, I motivated myself to move.  I needed to see the end of the burn.  Four acres passed until I reached the end of my plot, but the scar continued southward.  I felt surprised to see that the fire primarily affected my plot and, most of all, that no one mentioned this to me.  What could I do?

I decided to take a soil sample anyways.  Six inches down with a crappy shovel that bent at the tip when I tried to break through the hard, compacted earth.  Note to self: get a solid shovel.  I had to get enough soil at the same depth from multiple points to get a representative sampling of the field.  The rain fell harder, but the soil got no softer. 

Do sheep dream of electric fences?

The horse proposal was shot down over concerns of caring for animals in the first year.  I understand why there would be hesitation to introduce high risk at this point when none of us have experience working with each other.  I'd like to at least bring in the horses to do some disking, but the proper equipment isn't available at this time.  I'm still interested working with animals to eradicate weeds and introduce nutrients to this land that hasn't been worked in 15 years. 

Before, there was talk of being able to tear out some vines soon.  This stance changed, but I figured we could at least start planting between the vines.  I know the Freys and Parducci have done it in Mendocino.  I contacted Jess at Parducci Winery, a biodynamic winery in Ukiah, to talk about his experience.  Here were some highlights of what he shared:

• plant between every other row because it will draw less water from the grapes
• they plant 4'-5' wide rows with either a broadcaster or seeder with cylinder
• most tractor and sprayer tires should be able to pass through without crushing the grains 
• a time that might create conflicts with vineyard operations is during suckering, depending on whether livestock are used
• yields were approximately 700 lbs per half acre
• overall a good idea because it stabilizes the soil and increases organic matter

After talking about grains, we somehow started on my desire to bring in animals.  Jess offered to bring their sheep.  For five acres, they'd stay for three weeks and be fed a mix of forage and hay.  We'd split the cost for hay because we're both benefiting from the sheep being moved.  Having sheep seems like a good compromise: they will eat much of the weeds and have an impactful, yet not too deep footprint.  Jess will visit the farm with me to discuss details.  Stay tuned!