Pilot Parcels Take Off

Ground has been prepared, deer fence is installed and five people have been selected to try innovative crops or growing methods on one-acre parcels at The in Edgartown. With funding from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, a branch of the U.S.D.A., the five farmers will have access to water, a small stipend for seeds or equipment, and support from Farm Institute staff and each other.  The purpose of the project is to provide a low-risk way to try new products for Vineyard markets, or ways to make growing more efficient and profitable.

 The projects are varied. 

• Alex Rentumis and his partner Katrina Nevin will be planting an oilseed crop, probably sunflowers, for use in bio-diesel fuels and for human consumption.  He is interested in finding out whether the soil and climate at Katama will support a crop that can be harvested and pressed for a clean fresh oil. 
• Dan and Anna Merhalski  will be experimenting with the financial sustainability of a small-scale market garden as a possible way to encourage more food production on limited acres. They plan to try quinoa, barley and hops, along with heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables. They plan to bring in some beehives as well. 
• Patrick Brown will explore ways to remineralize Island soils with pond fines, glacial gravel powders and other materials, and observing the nutritional output from these efforts. 
• Teri Praskach will be growing flowers and herbs using cover crops between the rows. The cover crops will be tilled in at two to three week intervals and the effects on weed control and soil health will be measured. 
• Lily Walter will be using her plot to compare no till, reduced till and conventional tillage methods in productivity for a vegetable garden.

 One of the requirements for the Pilot Parcels farmers is good record keeping so the experiments can be reasonably evaluated. Garden manager Rebecca Sanders is in charge of the Pilot Parcels Project, and is bringing her soil science background in to support the farmers.  

“There was no shortage of good ideas when it came to digging into the local dirt!” Sanders reports. “We have a great group of participants with really diverse interests. I love that some are aiming to increase the level of soil fertility.  Who knows? Maybe next summer we'll be rototilling local minerals into our reduced-till-cover-cropped gardens with homegrown biodiesel with Island hops refreshment on the side!”