Free-Range Living

''The long -- and the short ---of it'

One farmer in by-gone farm advisory days didnt seem to operate in either short or long-term mode. 'I dunno' was the oft-said cry of this UK dairy farmer some years ago, encountered in on-farm advisory work, and yet this farmer had  created and run one of the best dairy herds for miles around, certainly in the top 5%. At least part of why he was so good was his ability to keep a reasonably open mind and not get side-tracked by pet mindset theories or opinions. Zen people talk of the usefulness of such an approach, calling it 'nurturing a beginner's mind' -----

The 'new' thing learn't here on the eco organic micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands this past year was that sometimes there's no need to 'interfere' when there are problems. In the previous  year, for instance, there'd been  quite a rodent attack on the beetroot bed, severely depleting the crop, whereas this year, beetroot growing was without problem,' tickety boo' ( 'great') in fact. Again, the long-ish run-off pipe run to the two septic drainage tanks stopped working last year - no liquid was making it as normal to the drainage ditch.

One of the tanks, the one with the most liquid, mainly bath water (hot baths to keep aged bones functioning --- ), was then emptied down a hose into the soak-away ditch once a week or so via a submersible pump, an operation which only took ten minutes or so and worked well, and the other lower volume tank seemed to drain ok just along the length of the pipe. Then, and pretty suddenly, both tanks started to drain automatically, presumably just down the pipe length as no liquid still comes out into the ditch - ?? Ah well, not complaining - good when things just 'work out' - in the longer-term ----

Short-term view --- 

It's now mid May and the veg growing area growth is looking 'interesting'. The early Pentland Javelin potatoes are now without their initial bubble wrap plastic cover and are looking well, about to be tested to see if there's a crop of early potatoes yet. The experimental row of winter (late October) sown broad beans have come on a-pace, in spite of the quite cold March and April -they're now fully in flower -the bees love them - and the tops have been removed, to encourage bean development and discourage black fly attack -some of the beans are already about half formed As the plants have to overwinter, they can be subject to obliteration in a severe winter, but if they 'survive and thrive', the beans come pretty early at a 'hungry gap' time of the year in the veg patch. The plan for the future is to then sow more of them but protecting them against possible adverse conditions with some long rigid plastic sheets that came available when the conservatory got its new roof a couple of years or so ago.

Beetroot and parsnip plants were quite slow to emerge, due, no doubt, to variable air temperatures -  the early pea row is coming on well and looking good with now the stick supports in place. Lettuce are doing quite well in the top glasshousenow being picked, and where the tomato plants are now  planted out, and the overwintered spring cabbage plants are being picked as spring greens. Those that are not raided for spring greens then heart up and come as actual cabbages a bit later on.

There's also a bed of spring brassicas planted out - red cabbage, cauliflowers, cabbages and calabrese, so hopefully the signs are good for a 'fecund' season ahead, all helping to counter the massively risen food prices here in the UK (food price inflation running at 18%) With energy prices having risen significantly too (100%+) it's been a worrying period for many, and reinforces the benefits that a degree of self-sufficiency and self-reliance can deliver. It's hard at times to avoid the thought that modern life is sorted to benefit the 'rich and powerful' brigade, at the expense of good ol' so-called 'ordinary' folk - ? The outcome of the coming growing season is of course at this stage  'unknown' - it's 'fingers crossed' time. but at least it's got off to a reasonable start, with the promise of reasonable crop yields --- all grist to the micro-holding lifestyle mill -----

Longer-term supplies ---

The woodstore is filling up nicely for next winter, adding to the 'longer-term' 'security feel', with the bought portion having arrived in early April ( 30% increase in cost) and being added to by intermittant sawing of wood already in store on the site. The outcome in a month or two will be a fullish woodstore - always a good sight, warming the 'cockles' before then warming the microholders when burnt in the wood stove, which will also need smaller 'burn-able' wood pieces to help the fire along, to be sawn again in the next few months and stored in their own bunker. The sycamore kindling wood from topping the hedge by the compost heaps will be available from the veg growing area, where it will have done duty as pea support sticks,  by that time being brittle and easy to snap into suitable lengths. 

Nature's 'longer' way -----

The system of 'growing with nature', the organic method of growing, does need the longer-term approach as well as short-term attentions, in that the growing style itself needs to contribute to longer-term soil fertility - what happens this year will affect perormance levels next year, and onwards, due to the fact that the right mix of sustaining (eg. legumes) and demanding crops (eg. potatoes) in the right cropping rotation needs to be arranged. Other longer-term soil fertility aspects too also need to be thought about, such as next year's fertiliser that is the compost, which here at the organic micro holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands, was in fact organised and made last year, the compost being two years old when used.

This means that the fertiliser for use two years down the line is actually in process of making at present, with the compost heap being filled with waste plants, veg peeling, some grass clippings, weeds from the veg growing area, and shortly some short hedge clippings. This process continues through out this growing season, with the heap being finished about October time when it's topped by a layer of soil and a new heap is started. A pretty good system then, when the waste is then converted to a useful product, significantly contributing to fertility and so productivity of the place - ?

Short-term hurry, hurry ----- 

There seems to have been quite a focus and urgency on short-term profitability in recent times, translating often into firms noticably trying to push for maximum revenues to try to boost profitability, then coming over often to the customer/consumer as 'on the make practice' (eg. spurious 30% increase in yearly car insurance cost, plus interest charge if paid monthly (no money borrowed?)).  S, at a local builders merchant, on older guy, was less than impressed :

' it's ok pushing for sales and so maximising revenue in the short term', he said, 'but it may come back to bite you in the longer term, whilst you might make a bit more money more quickly, in the longer-term you might then struggle more, because if people feel they've been 'bounced' into parting with more money, they can be quite likely to show their displeasure by not choosing to buy from you again, so you see all these firms ever having to put on offers and sales campaigns.'

This was a man who had charged nearly 20% less for an item than his competitors down the road, along the lines, as above, that if you give good value, good quality and good service, then you'll build customer loyalty - people will not only come back to you in the future, but will act as a vital effective marketing tool, telling their families and friends about your good service. Too much focus on profit making can easily obscure some of the factors operating  in good business practice -  true S might not make quite so much money in the shorter-term, but he stands a good chance of winning out over the longer-term, and he'll have a stronger, more sustainable business. 

'Limited longer-term vision - ?'

Money focus is no doubt pretty strong these days and operating for direct money rewards can no doubt limit vision, especially into the longer-term - ?- a trend that might well have occurred with the current emphasis on bonuses ----? Maybe too the seemingly 'automatic' commercial goal of maximising profits needs revising, in that it's a 'self-focus' goal whereas firms exist to provide wanted services and/or goods to the rest of society, from where they get the financial 'rewards'- if they don't get this right, then presumably that's then reflected in lowered profits. One of the most prominent example in the UK was the train company running a public service but which then decided not to run their trains as it was cheaper to pay the 'non-run' fine -(??!)

A traditional UK farmer saying has been 'live as if you'll expire tomorrow, farm as if you'll live for ever', encapsulating both short-term and long-term phases neatly. It's interesting to speculate as to whether the change in farming methods with the introduction of chemicals has affected the decline in longer-term consideration - ? Prior to the advent of chemicals in farming, one eye had to be kept on on-going, longer-term soil fertility, as there was no other way of doing the job.

Just as in organic farming, the farming system itself had to be capable of sustaining longer-term fertility , using a mix of 'demanding' (i.e. from the soil) crops, such as wheat, and replenishing' crops, such as legumes - peas/beans- which fix nitrogen from the air into the soil. Farming practices then were considerably influenced by such longer-term factors, whereas when chemical fertilisers, for instance, came available, the systems changed with a perceived less need to consider the longer-term. An advantage then of an organic farming system, besides that of lower costs due to the absence of chemicals in the system, can be that  longer-term effects are more evident and then considered ----- 

Short short-term ----- 

Those runner bean plants planted out a few days ago are heading upwards and in dire need of support - their climbing stick supports need to go out pronto,like yesterday, as do the outdoor tomato plants, and the next batch of calabrese plants. The 'small wood' bunker is in need of further additions, and the paddock grass is getting out of hand and in need of a mow --- Never a dull moment on the micro-holding, but that break in Yorkshire coming up in the 'longer-term' will no doubt too be very welcome -------