Tag Archives: agricultural intelligences

edge of transformation

Posted on October 10, 2015 by rainshadowfarm

Climate change is rearranging our seasons here in the high desert. Maybe our autumns are lasting longer. Spring and summer are merging into a short spring and a longer summer. I can’t say that summer is hotter, but it’s longer … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, climate change, dryland restoration, Nature, resilience, sustainability education, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

thoughts on gardening in a desert in drought

Posted on August 30, 2015 by rainshadowfarm

Today I gathered and spread pine needle mulch for some of my plants that are surviving drought-in-the-desert. Pine needle mulch helps the soil in some places in my yard retain moisture, protects plants and their roots from the intense sunlight, … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, climate change, dryland restoration, ethnobotany, Nature, resilience, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

farming the desert?

Posted on July 11, 2015 by rainshadowfarm

No. Not really. Yesterday I received a couple of messages on Facebook about “farming the desert.” I think it may have been because I have been posting internet links concerning California’s current and long-lasting drought. More than one inquiry that … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, climate change, dryland restoration, Nature, resilience, socioecological intelligence, sustainability education, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

of wild grapes

Posted on July 6, 2014 by rainshadowfarm

Trying a new grape in the back. It’s called Roger’s Red. It’s a hybrid between California wild grape (Vitis californica) and our everyday grape of commerce (Vitis vinifera). I have already planted the wonderful Mojave wild grape (Vitis girdiana). It … Continue reading →

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skateboard learning

Posted on July 5, 2014 by rainshadowfarm

Check this out. Everything you need to know, you can learn from skateboarding. I have worked on my farm with skateboarders. My son-in-law and some of his friends are skateboarders.  Skateboarders are amazing, creative, and bright people. I once interviewed two … Continue reading →

Posted in community, education, Nature, socioecological intelligence, sustainability education, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

leaning toward permaculture ideals

Posted on June 8, 2014 by rainshadowfarm

Modern permaculture was inspired by Chinese-derived wet-rice and tree-crop systems employed in Southeast Asia, which remain reasonable models of sustainability. Southern China, on the whole, has done less ecological damage in 8,000 years of agricultural history than Western practices have … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, community, ethnobotany, Nature, resilience, socioecological intelligence, sustainability education, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

an irrigation tower for drylands gardening, part 2, and some drought thoughts

Posted on March 31, 2014 by rainshadowfarm

Here’s the latest. Saturday, March 22, we met and continued work on our gravity-fed irrigation “tower.” The frame for our prototype tower was built. We repurposed some wood that was here at the farm and we bought a few 2x4s … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, climate change, community, dryland restoration, Nature, resilience, socioecological intelligence, sustainability education, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

an irrigation tower for drylands gardening

Posted on March 4, 2014 by rainshadowfarm

One of the new farm day participants (but someone who has been following our work for a long time) has initiated a new project. We began construction on Saturday. At Rainshadow Farm, we have hand-watered from the get-go. We do … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, community, dryland restoration, resilience, socioecological intelligence, sustainability education, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weeds and more (much more, in fact, really long)

Posted on January 13, 2014 by rainshadowfarm

Erodium cicutarium, usually known as red-stemmed filaree or common stork’s-bill, is native to the Mediterranean region and was introduced to California in the eighteenth century. There is archaeological evidence for the presence of red-stemmed filaree in adobe bricks from the … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, Anthropology, climate change, ethnobotany, family, Nature, resilience, sustainable agriculture, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

No going back

Posted on December 20, 2013 by rainshadowfarm

There is no going back. Everything changes. I have changed. The land I live on and work has changed.  We are changing together, the land and I. My land was once a family farm, supplying extra food to family and … Continue reading →

Posted in agroecology, ethnobotany, family, gray divorce, heritage, Life changes, Nature, resilience, sustainable agriculture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments