Farming practices and principles
Rattle Root Farm grows food on a small, human scale using beyond-organic practices. We manage our one acre intensively, without the use of any big machinery, instead relying mostly on hand tools. Our day-to-day decisions are shaped by considerations of soil health, preserving native species habitat, and ensuring the health of our overall ecosystem.
Because conventional agriculture has many known negative environmental impacts (i.e. pollution, deforestation, climate change) we believe that small-scale agriculture is one road map towards building a more sustainable and resilient food system.
No-till
We work with natural systems instead of against them, and employ organic, biological solutions as opposed to mechanized ones. We use a one-time tillage to open up our fields, and from that point on, they become permanent, raised beds that encounter very little soil disturbance. In practice, this looks like:
Keeping the soil covered with organic mulches (i.e. woodchips, leaves, compost, bark mulch) for weed suppression and the addition of nutrients
Maximizing photosynthesis using cover crops for soil health, carbon sequestration, and to reduce topsoil erosion
Integrating perennial hedgerows into our vegetable plots as a pest management system and to add biodiversity and beauty to our fields
For us, no-till methods are critical because they allow us to reduce weed pressure, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, add to the diversity of life in the soil, and produce nutrient dense and delicious food.
Biodiversity
Our no-till approach leaves the soil mostly undisturbed, which creates the conditions for a rich web of diverse mycorrhizae and insect life in the ground
In stark contrast to large monocrop operations, we plant an array of perennials and native plants to provide a varied habitat for pollinators, birds, and other beneficial creatures
Diverse plantings attract a range of insects, some of which are beneficial to our farming operation. A healthy presence of beneficials limits the potential harm of pests. Pests continue to be part of the system, but at greatly reduced numbers
Photo by Jonnie Coutu
Hand-scale
Minimizing the use of heavy machinery allows us to decrease the risk of soil compaction on our fields, and also helps us keep our operation at a manageable and sustainable size. Using mostly hand tools also allows us to slow down and observe the workings of the farm at eye-level. There is no substitute for the observation that comes with spending many hours in one place, listening, observing, and learning.
Beyond organic
Due to certain regulations and restrictions for new farms, we have to wait a few years to become officially “certified organic.” However, in many ways, our standards and practices exceed organic certification requirements.
What does it mean to be ‘beyond organic’?
The term “organic” has been largely green-washed by big producers - but for us it means that we employ natural processes to grow our food and consider the diversity of life in our fields as an indicator of success
Unlike conventional organic producers, we never use pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sprays, herbicides, or GMO
The field we are growing on last grew vegetables in the 1940s, and it was then a hay field for 50+ years. No pesticides or sprays have been used here as far back as we can trace
Our small-scale farming minimizes fossil fuel inputs
Our no-tillage approach leads to a rich microbial life in our soils, and we add only organic, tested mulches and composts to our beds
We prioritize the health of our neighbors, community members, and larger ecosystems
