Farmers’ Market Musings

“The health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and
indivisible.”
Sir Albert Howard
The spotlight lately has been on the wedding of Prince William
and Katherine in Westminster Abbey, but my eyes have been on the
work of our neighbor Charles Schembre, in the fields of Bernier
Farms, at the Warren Ranch in Alexander Valley.
A few weeks ago, I sent an email to about seventy people asking
for their favorite books about agriculture, food, and/or health.
Charles sent this response about a Knight, which also brought to
mind a Prince:
“My book…is, “The Soil and Health” by Sir Albert Howard, written
in 1947. …. it is a book I have read more than once and it really
shaped my way of thinking about our modern Organic/Sustainable Ag
movement. Howard was studying different modes of agriculture all
over the world, especially India, and he found a direct correlation
between the overall health of the individuals in a village and the
way they farmed, as well as a connection between the people and the
health of the soil. Howard is not often talked about in the US, but
in many parts of the world, people consider him to be the one who
coined the term “Organic Agriculture.” In addition, the book lays
out the fundamentals to a sustainable, holistic, whole-systems
managed farm. It is a book that is geared more to the scientist and
farmer, rather then a backyard gardener, or a foodie. But the
historical context would be great for anyone who loves
history.”
Charles, the Prince, gets a lot of ribbing from the general
public, but what many people do not understand is that the Prince
of Wales has a deep conviction to the beauty and health of the
land, and agriculture, and the health of people. He is in a
position to devote his life to any “cause”, and he has chosen
organic/sustainable agriculture. That has more than likely upset a
lot of people in industries which manufacture pesticides,
genetically modified organisms; who process, distribute and ship
food over long distances; who have built modern agriculture on the
availability of cheap oil. Fortunately, the Prince does not have to
worry about reelection; he can speak freely, and he choses to speak
for small farmers who support organic, sustainable agriculture.
If you would like to learn more, you can view http://www.youtube.com/ewatch?v=5dadwzpIbfo,
where the Prince of Wales delivers the Sir Albert Howard Memorial
Lecture. The full text is available on http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk.
but here is an excerpt:
“Sir Albert applied intense observation to both plants and
farming practices, with careful reference to the world of Nature,
which he regarded as the ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom.
He summed up his observations from this natural laboratory in these
words: ‘Mother Earth never attempts to farm without livestock; she
always raises mixed crops; great pains are taken to preserve the
soil and prevent erosion; the mixed vegetable and animal wastes are
converted into humus; there is no waste; the processes of growth
and the processes of decay balance one another; ample provision is
made to maintain large reserves of fertility; the greatest care is
taken to store the rainfall; both plant, and animals are left to
protect themselves against disease.’ He also said: ‘Nature has
never found it necessary to design the equivalent of the spraying
machine and the poison spray for the control of insect and fungous
pests.’ These were seminal, far-reaching words that helped to set
the direction for what we now know as organic farming. But Sir
Albert didn’t focus on issues of agronomy and plant breeding alone.
He also developed a recipe for a compost which was so successful
that it was used across the country, and he made careful studies of
the storage, marketing and distribution of crops…”
This Saturday, May 7th is the Opening Day of the Healdsburg
Farmers’ Market. Bernier Farms will be among the many to return
with a variety of produce: sugar snap peas, chard, kale, spinach,
beets, turnips, asparagus, salad greens, spring garlic, green
garlic, fava beans, and radishes. Carrots and strawberries will be
arriving in the near future. Charles, the farmer, will be there
helping from time to time. The cowbell rings at 9 a.m. for the
opening of our thirty-third year of trucking fresh, local, seasonal
produce to town, most of which has been grown on land within ten
miles of the Plaza. We are looking forward to seeing you back at
the market.
Mary Kelley is the manager of the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market.
The Saturday morning market begins this Saturday. The Tuesday
afternoon market begins the first Tuesday in June.