Fermentation Farming.
One of my side projects that really grew legs during covid were my plans to expand our farming efforts for fermentation. Owning and operating a brewery for nearly a decade now has taught me a deep appreciation for fresh ingredients that are locally sourced. As the supply chain continues it’s absurdity, it’s imperative now more than ever to develop redundant, locally owned and controlled supply chains for our enterprises.
Fast forward to spring 2021 and you’ll start to see the small scale efforts I’ve been working on. From cereal crops to fruit bearing brambles, my 5-10 year goal is to grow an ever-increasing amount of ingredients for our fermentation needs. As a connection to the self-made pantry, I’m also working hard to feed my family as much as I can with the fruits of our efforts. My goal is to own and operate a small farm that meets both of these needs and provide my family additional income on the side.
I grew up on a farm in southeast Nebraska where we had extensive orchards, and I’ve been an active gardener now for 20 years. That’s half my life with my hands in the soil and it brings me happiness to see patience, diligence and hard work bear fruit. I can’t tell you how exhilarating it is to bring the past, present and future together in relation to my professional goals. It feels right, and keeps me motivated to experiment with different methodologies of growing food.
What you see in the gallery below is a non-till method using a winter cover crop that acts as a soil builder, weed suppressant, fermentation input and nitrogen fixer. Each late spring, I plant either winter wheat or winter rye along with hairy vetch. The cereal crop (rye or wheat) is used to bake bread at home or brew beer at Scratchtown. Vetch, a legume, fixes nitrogen in the soil and creates a thick mass of plant matter that actively suppresses weed growth. I keep half of my fall plantings each year and the other half I simulate herbivore grazing in spring when I plant directly in the no-till area. What I get is soil that has superior moisture retention and a strong carbon sink that helps whatever I choose to grow increase yields and productivity without inorganic fertilizers or the use of pesticides or herbicides. I can use the symbiotic benefits of each method described above to grow healthy, pesticide-free grains, fruits and vegetables for food or fermentation at a fraction of the usual input costs you’ll find in more traditional applications.
I’m excited to work on expanding these projects with greater acres for even greater yields as time rolls on. Work on the prototype now to develop the system later for a fully vertically integrated, local, resilient supply chain for existing business operations. It’s a way to be better stewards of the land, decrease our carbon footprint and reduce operating overhead.
This small 75’ plot is located on the acre of ground I own in Ord. My goal is to grow this idea on our 13 acres we own outside of town. Inspiration for these approaches come from three books: “From Dirt to Soil (Brown)”, “Five Acres and Independence (Kains)”, and “The Ecology of Commerce (Hawken)”. All three were important reads in pursuing these goals.
