Living On Parr
&
Wholesome Pastures
MICHAEL & LINDSAY GROOT
CROPS
WHAT WE FARM
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In Southwestern Ontario, it is fairly common practice to grow corn, wheat and bean however, we do add in buckwheatspecialty beans, such things as kidney beans.
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WHY WE FARM
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For the LOVE of it!
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There is nothing better than the smell of fresh air, whether it's accented with a hint of manure or not.
We get to be in touch with nature each and every day!
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There is something humbling about relying on a bidirectional relationship between mother earth and our hands. We understand that there needs to be an ongoing respect and nurturing of the earth we want to utilize for successful growth. The more we can respect the natural biodiversity and work within it's limitations, the greater response we will have when implementing 'foreign' technologies and substances.
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HOW WE FARM
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Conventionally, farmers like to turn the soil in the spring and/or fall. This process is done in order to aerate and loosen the soil with the expectation seeds will germinate more successfully. The potential downfalls to doing this are soil erosion and the burning the nutrients within the roots when they become exposed to the sun.
100% No-till is the direction that we want to take our farm. It does not include ploughing or even cultivating the soil as we do not want to disrupt the life living below it. The bugs and fungi beneath the surface are critical to good soil health and relate to improved yields. To support the life below the ground, we need to understand it and invest in it so that it can feed us. This bidirectional relationship is the key to the way nature survives without the intrusion of industry.
Each time wheat is harvested there is the opportunity to plant onto the field a second time. This allows for cover crops to be seeded in. Cover crops have their name because they keep the field tops green and lush rather than bare and lifeless. If there is nothing growing on top, the fungi and worms have no food to utilize. The cover crops can be cut and used as feed for cattle or if the field is fenced in, the cattle can graze the crop - even throughout the winter.
So why not take the opportunity to improve the bugs health so that they can give back in the spring?
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These photos were taken on the SAME day in October, 2015.
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A neighbouring tillage field compared to our cover crop
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The left is a photo of a bare field in the fall. The right, is one with a cut cover crop.
WHY COVER CROPS
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They provide protection against erosion
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They provide nutrients to release long-term in the spring when seeds are planted
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They minimize use of synthetic nutrients
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They provide food for fungi, worms, bugs - the microbiome
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They allow for natural aeration of the soil
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CHALLENGES OF THE FARM
The challenges of farming are in part difficult because it's about challenging and changing the way you think about farming.
Perhaps the methods used and taught from generations prior have worked but, are they improving the quality of your farm at the same time? Were they successful because the nutrients had not yet been vastly depleted? How can we ensure we are giving back to the ecosystems at work while also working out the economic growth of our bottom line?
How can we be sure to leave this earth in a better state than how we found it?
We are very fortunate that Mike is always trying to think outside the conventional box of farming researching ways that we, as caretakers of the land, need to give back.
We are focused on following practices that improve our environment and earth overall whether they are the less trendy terms or not. To us, it is about a holistic practice of farming that considers every level of life.
Simply put: we aim to do what is right for the soil so that it can do right for us.
Our Goal is growing better quality food that is actually healthier.
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Cover crops are not yet used to a large degree in our region as you can still drive along the country roads seeing far too many fields overturned by tillage. To a lot of people around us, planting green fields in the fall only to have them die over the winter is a waste of money, seed and time (which is beyond precious to a farmer's wife!).