By Clare Boland, Communications & Outreach Fellow, and OFRF workers
Three Springs Farm is a licensed natural farm positioned in japanese Oklahoma within the Ozark Hills. Farmers Mike Appel and Emily Oakley domesticate over forty totally different crops and greater than 150 particular person varieties on three acres of land. Their aim is to keep up a household operation that demonstrates the financial viability of small-scale farming.
Initially, Three Springs bought nearly all of their produce at farmers’ markets, however because the pandemic, they’ve transitioned into being majority Neighborhood Supported Agriculture (CSA). As a substitute of giving clients a pre-packed field like a conventional CSA, they provide a free selection mannequin, permitting clients to select what veggies they need to obtain at their weekly pick-up in Tulsa. CSA members additionally obtain a e-newsletter containing recipes, pictures, and tales from the farm. “It’s non-traditional, however we nonetheless have that group assist,” says Mike. Along with their CSA, additionally they promote wholesale to a restaurant and a Meals is Medication Program.
For Mike and Emily, farming organically was their intention from the beginning. Each studied agriculture in school, and afterward gained expertise working at natural farms like Full Stomach Farm in California. After Emily completed her graduate diploma on the College of California-Davis, they relocated to Oklahoma, the place Emily was raised, to begin a farm of their very own.
However discovering a everlasting residence for his or her farm took a bit longer than they’d hoped. They checked out greater than 100 properties over the course of three years. Throughout this time, they farmed on leased land, however have been unable to change into licensed due to soil amendments used on the land previous to their lease. Finally, they discovered land in Jap Oklahoma, about an hour east of Tulsa, the place they’ve been farming for the previous 22 years.
“Oklahoma is absolutely troublesome as a result of there’s not plenty of good soil,” Mike explains. “One of the best land tends to be river valleys, however they’re vulnerable to flooding. Or, there could be actually nice land however no water. One of the best land we noticed was south of Tulsa, nevertheless it was too costly for us. We have been on the eleventh hour after we simply sort of stumbled upon our place.”
Why Natural
The land they bought hadn’t been farmed earlier than, so that they didn’t must undergo the three-year natural transition interval to acquire natural certification. “It’s why we do what we do,” Michael mentioned when requested concerning the determination to be licensed natural. “There was by no means a query of doing something apart from that… We truly don’t want it for advertising and marketing functions.”
Regardless of that, Mike says their CSA clients are nonetheless within the natural label – what it means and the integrity behind it. He additionally thinks the bashing of huge organics doesn’t do quite a bit to assist the label total. “While you’re doing that constantly, the patron doesn’t perceive and goes to equate organics as one thing that’s fraudulent. That’s a fear. It needs to be much more delicate and balanced. There are plenty of us on the market doing it proper. There’s plenty of concern, and I feel we’re driving a really superb line of shedding client assist if we don’t make integrity and strict requirements the precedence.”
Along with being USDA-certified natural, Three Springs Farm can be licensed by way of the Actual Natural Mission. Emily served on the Nationwide Natural Requirements Board from 2016-2021 and advocated in opposition to the inclusion of hydroponic greens beneath the USDA label. The USDA’s determination to incorporate hydroponics was what led to the founding of the Actual Natural Mission, the place Emily presently serves on the requirements board. The Actual Natural Mission label goes past the USDA natural label, differentiating natural meals produced in live performance with wholesome soils and pasture, and providing clients higher transparency.
Mike’s prime the explanation why individuals ought to select natural at any time when attainable begin with the apparent. “You don’t need poisons in your meals. That to me is key. We don’t need to eat meals grown with chemical compounds and we don’t need different individuals to both.
“Additionally, farmworkers shouldn’t be working in fields which have nasty chemical compounds. We’ve an extended method to go to make sure individuals have good working circumstances, however not less than we are able to guarantee individuals aren’t being uncovered to unhealthy chemical compounds after they’re rising our meals.”
Then there are the bigger environmental impacts. “Residing close to a creek and seeing the life that’s there may be unimaginable. Whereas it’s resilient, it’s additionally very susceptible to our influences. It’s necessary to ensure your meals selections don’t impair that. After we purchase natural, we expect past ourselves. Our selections have large impacts in different components of the world. Simply attempt to make one of the best selections you’ll be able to with what you’ve got in entrance of you.”
Cowl Cropping for Scale and Local weather Extremes
Though Mike and Emily personal round 100 acres, they solely maintain three to 4 acres in manufacturing because it’s simply the 2 of them and their daughter. The vast majority of their land is in conservation for wildlife habitat and native ecosystem restoration. Figuring out the precise schedule for his or her cowl cropping has helped not solely to construct biomass, but additionally to handle their farm with minimal workers.
”Something that was spring crops will get was a summer time cowl crop. After which any land that isn’t gonna be utilized in any respect that 12 months can be in summer time cowl crop. We finish our season on Labor Day to get our winter cowl crop planted. So we spend most of September, and a bit little bit of October, cleansing up fields and simply promoting to the restaurant and the Meals is Medication program.” The aim, Mike says, is to get the whole farm into cowl crop by mid-fall. “Over time, we’ve found out learn how to maintain the farm as two individuals; not rising year-round is a technique to try this.”
Although, local weather irregularities have brought about them to adapt their plans season to season. “ Our falls have been quite a bit drier, so we’re not in a position to plant till we get a rain, and people rains haven’t been coming till October. So we’ve modified our winter cowl crop a bit bit due to that, including extra winter-hardy [varieties].”
Along with fall droughts, they’ve additionally been experiencing heavy rains within the spring. This previous 12 months was “the wettest spring we’ve ever had, which is saying quite a bit for this area as a result of now we have fairly moist springs. We get fairly extreme storms. It’s normally a deluge. And this spring was the worst in our 20 years of farming. We simply couldn’t get again into the sector. And there have been plenty of illness issues in our potatoes and onions due to it.”
Together with the adjustments they’ve made to their cowl crop combine, Mike and Emily are additionally experimenting with decreased tillage to fight local weather extremes. This 12 months, as a substitute of rototilling their summer time crop previous to winter planting, they tried discing it in as a substitute. “We’re actually pleased the way in which that turned out. The soil is quite a bit much less abused after we don’t rototill.” Within the coming 12 months, they’re hoping to experiment with interseeding, planting cowl crops alongside money crops, to fight soil erosion and construct resilience for rain occasions.
Studying By means of On-Farm Analysis
Mike and Emily have additionally developed a great relationship with Oklahoma State College. “We’ve carried out some varietal trials with them, which helped us determine what works,” says Mike. “What’s been attention-grabbing is to see the extension brokers change into extra all for cowl cropping. They’re nonetheless very typical, however they’ve change into extra after seeing what cowl crops have carried out for us—the truth that we’re natural, our vegetation are wholesome, and our yields are good—with out having to place down chemical fertilizers.”
“We’re a bit far-off from the college, so it makes it more durable to collaborate, however we’ve instructed them to name us at any time when they do selection trials. We’ve a lot of concepts and have trialed a bunch of various crops.”
His finest recommendation for brand new farmers? Perseverance.
“There are occasions I’ve undoubtedly wished to only throw within the towel. However in the long run, issues work out. You discuss to individuals, determine the issues. Every year it will get higher, however you’ll nonetheless have setbacks, just like the climate for us this 12 months. Know that whereas nothing is static, every year you’ll be capable to construct in your expertise.”
