The Joy of Farm Work by Michael Foley Walk through a garden and you may observe all sorts of things – or not. It may just be a blur to you, a pleasant one perhaps and one where you might pick out this or that plant you know. But, well, just another scene. Or you…
The Thanksgiving Holiday has come in for a lot of criticism lately, some of it well-placed. But for all the truth in the complaint that is romanticizes relations between whites and Native Americans and obscures the terrible history of colonialism, that point itself obscures the profound message at the hear of the holiday — namely,…
Though food is still plentiful, with only temporary and localized shortages, the threat of the COVID 19 crisis to the food supply is considerable. There is no evidence thus far that the disease can be transmitted via food or packaging (though the virus apparently remains viable on plastic for 2 to 4 days). The real…
Like most small organizations and nearly all households around the country and the world, the School of Adaptive Agriculture is waiting out the storm. Two weeks ago we agreed to postpone indefinitely our Practicum Program, scheduled to start April 20th. We had admitted six wonderful students, offered generous scholarships and were looking forward to a…
by Michael Foley Whether you’re thinking about starting up a farm, just beginning, or been at it for awhile, the example of others should be an important part of your farming education. Two recent books survey a wide range of small farms – market gardens all – to inspire by example and inform in detail…
Alexander Langlands, Cræft : An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2017. Alexander Langlands is a working archaeologist who has spent the last few decades relearning, and in some cases recreating the old handicrafts that sustained traditional farming societies in England and beyond for centuries,…
Daniel Spiro continues his interview series with recent graduates from the School of Adaptive Agriculture. On a Saturday afternoon in late summer, after spending the day with the SAA crew preparing for the annual Fundraiser Brunch, I sat down with practicum graduate Loraine for a chat. With a strand of pink hair, a perpetual and…
People ask me “what is ‘adaptive agriculture’ after hearing I completed the Practicum program at the School of Adaptive Agriculture. For a long time my answer was a list of the things that the school teaches at its best (Holistic management, Resiliency, Theory blended with practicum, backyard engineering) , rearranged for a farmers context, so…
Update From The Field: James Edmondson (SAA Alumnus) We love our alumni. It is deeply encouraging to learn how our students have gone on to apply the skills they’ve learned here in fruitful ways. We wanted to share with you this note that James Edmondson sent our way… “I experienced Winter for the first time…
BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL FARMER by Michael Foley The current crop of business advisers for the new generation of farmers sincerely hopes they can help those young farmers to successful farming careers. For them steady and consistent profits define success. Business advisers to farmers have always been convinced they could help farmers achieve such success. But…
