Thursday, June 12, 2008

Michael Pollen, Thunderstorms, Potatoes and Rural Heritage

Tuesday night, we loaded into the van and drove to Burlington to hear Michael Pollen speak about his new book: In defense of food. The students were treated to a solid lecture about global food systems, sustainability, and the importance of being purposeful about food choices. During the evening, a large thunderstorm blew in with a great display of lightning and a very heavy downpour over Lake Champlain. Back at campus, the tent village withstood the strongest winds with no damage.

Today, Armone used our "new" cultivator (1914 McCormick Deering #4) on the potatoes. The horses stepped nicely around the young sprouts and the crop shield only damaged a few spuds. Working the foot treadle is complicated as there is much to think about and do while the horses are moving down the rows.

Paul Ferrari and I presented a workshop on the use of animal power for traction on the farm to about 25 participants of the Rural Heritage Institute being held right now at Sterling. For more information, check out the links on the front page of this blog and click on Rural Heritage Institute.

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