Building an Ecosystem at Bouldin Food Forest: Ben McConnell talks about putting permaculture into practice at his farm – Food
[ad_1]
Bouldin Food Forest (Courtesy Bouldin Food Forest)
In 2015, Ben McConnell planted a forest in his front yard in Bouldin Creek. “It was probably close to 30 different trees that I planted, smaller trees, all kinds of fruit trees.” The next year, as the business grew, he bought a farm in Rogers, just outside Temple. Five years later, the Bouldin Food Forest is home to 500 trees. “I have a few acres out here that have a big playground that I can really think about and put into action building an ecosystem.”
Bouldin Food Forest founder Ben McConnell on the farm (Courtesy Bouldin Food Forest)
“Unfortunately, I think many farmers see regenerative agriculture as a left-wing hippie conspiracy to undermine America.”– Ben McConnell of Bouldin Food Forest
McConnell’s ecosystem uses the land administration’s permaculture model to create what he calls a “permanent garden”. The aim is to disturb the soil as little as possible and to eliminate as much water waste as possible; Permaculture uses the natural landscape to the advantage of the farmer. “You build your beds around the contours of the land,” explains McConnell, “because that way you have less soil erosion that creates streams and messes everything up.” Fortunately, trees can help improve soil health and naturally build a sustainable ecosystem. “Trees form the connective tissue in the subsoil and are ideal for building up the entire microbiology of the soil surface. [They] To create mycorrhizal fungi, which are absolutely necessary for plants and support their absorption of minerals and nutrients from the soil. “
The Bouldin Food Forest is home to fruit trees, flowering trees, shade trees, and trees that are eventually harvested for lumber, but they also grow vegetables; The main crops currently are vegetables, root vegetables and herbs. McConnell sells produce at the Texas Farmers’ Market in Mueller on Sundays and works with farmhouse delivery and restaurants like Comedor. That last relationship – that between farmers and chefs – is what McConnell looks forward to most at the very first Field Guide Festival.
The Food Systems Festival bills itself as “an extension of the farm-to-table movement” and includes live music, a farmers market, meals prepared by Austin’s finest chefs in collaboration with local farmers, and a 3-mile run ; McConnell will join chefs Jon Oh, Christina Currier and Jules Stoddart for the post-resurgence brunch. “First and foremost, bringing farmers and chefs together is a big deal,” he says. “To be a channel for them to understand what food tastes like when it comes out of the ground, how it’s grown, and then to understand some of the challenges of the weather – so that they can tell their guests the story of where it was made of the food they prepare. “Austin already has a robust farm-to-table culture, but McConnell says that” this festival is helping to bridge that gap between farmers, chefs and customers. “
Filling the gaps completely and creating a circular food system will take more than just communication, says McConnell – it will require behavioral change among both farmers and consumers. “I think a circular food ecosystem is about putting as much, if not more, into the system than you extract. It’s about thinking long term. ”This mindset is absent from most farming practices because“ the entire agricultural system in the United States is designed to subsidize farmers for the worst possible work for the soil; Subsidies for the cultivation of maize, the cultivation of soybeans – secondly, and these must be equal; it’s not hierarchical. “
McConnell says more sustainable practices like permaculture and regenerative agriculture are not a lost cause if farmers can change their perspective: “It’s not prohibitive. Much of it is just education. They just need to overcome their own prejudices. I think, unfortunately, a lot of farmers see regenerative agriculture as a left-wing hippie plan to undermine America … There’s still a lot to be done to bring farmers, cooks and the general public together. “
To learn more about sustainable farming practices, visit Saturday’s symposium, Resilient Farming: Adapting to Our Changing Planet, hosted by Gen Padalecki and Charlie Capen, Town’s co-founders, with panelists Tim Miller (Millberg Farm) and Regan Meadow (Southold Farm & Cellar).
A version of this article appeared in print on October 29, 2021 with the headline: A Tree Grows in Bouldin
[ad_2]
