News from Rome Strawberry Patch
Article for Summertime in the Belgrades, "Conservation Too" Column, July 7-13, 2006 Issue
by Dale Finseth of the Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District
Field Trip to Rome Strawberry Patch
Fields at Rome Strawberry Patch.In mid-June I joined our partners here
at the Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, on a field trip of sorts.
We had the opportunity to visit Vaughn Rasar of the Rome Strawberry Patch for
an explanation and demonstration of his farming practices. After the mornings'
review even I had a much better understanding of the philosophy and dedication
Vaughn applied to his soils and how he grows his crop. For those who have had
his berries, I don't need to tell you that his attention to the details pays
off in the resulting mouth watering sweet crop.
That doesn't happen by accident. He walked us through a "tour de force" of soil management practices that address issues from soil chemistry to soil biology with a little bit of "feng shui" mixed in.
While the entire farming operation is about conservation, the goal remains the production of flavorful, plump and sweet fruit. The conservation starts with a thorough analysis of the soil conditions. Knowing what your soils will grow is essential in order to know what you need to do with your soils. Starting there, Vaughn walked us through the soil science he uses to guide his activities. He focuses on the microbial activity in the soil and how they work to unlock the soil’s energy in order for the plant to use it.
Cover crops are used to stabilize the soil and keep it in place. They also add carbon and nutrients to the soil once done with their winter job of protecting the soils. Planting is done with minimal soil disruption. A "no till" planter cuts a narrow slit in the soil, places a drip irrigation hose at the bottom of the slit, places a new strawberry plant into the soil, squirts it with a small dose of compost tea and then folds the soil layers back together against the plant's roots. All those healthy soil microbe activities suffer minimal disruption. In fact, they even receive added food from that compost tea. Happy microbes make happy and healthy plants.
Once planted, a mulch soil cover is added to minimize water evaporation and help control pests. The drip irrigation is applied regularly with minimal evaporation and runoff. It is all managed to maximize the energy available to the plant while minimizing the resources and energy that need to be added. Let the soil microbes do the work. It isn't easy and most people do not apply this level of management to their soils. But the proof is in the product. Vaughn claims that his strawberries are some of the sweetest around.
Oh…, and about that "feng shui" – many refer to it as the 'art of placement'. In Vaughn's case, the fields on his property are sited for the benefit of the fruit. The fields are all open, terraced to optimize the soils' transport and use of water, and sloped gradually towards the north to get the best light for fruit crops.