Biointensive farming

A diverse and healthy biointensive field at Sonnewald Natural Foods in Spring Grove, PA. Photo by Edly Santiago-Andino, from http://paonfarminterns.cas.psu.edu/default.htm

The basic elements of biointensive farming include:

• Deep soil preparations: Biointensive focuses on soil quality. Farmers use double-digging (see below for more info) to loosen the soil up to 24 inches deep. Plants are then able to penetrate further into the soil, gathering nutrients and water from deep down. 24 INCH DIGGING IS OFTEN IMPOSSIBLE IN THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS OF GROWING. START SMALL AND IMPROVE EACH YEAR.
  • Check out the following links on double digging:
  • Horticulture & Crop Science at Ohio State
    
  • University of California Cooperative Extension
• Use of compost: Returning nutrients back to the soil is essential to sustain high yields over time. Compost typically contains dry vegetation (leaves, hay, straw), wet vegetation (kitchen scraps, fresh yard clippings), and soil.
• Close plant spacing: This is another component that allows for higher yields, as it crowds out weeds and reduces water loss from evaporation.
• Synergistic inter-planting: Some plants grow better next to each other, such as lettuce and peppers. Lettuce grows close to the ground and is harvested early, while peppers grow taller and remain in the ground longer. Combining these in one bed allows farmers to use land more efficiently.
• Carbon-efficient crops: Biointensive farming strives to be sustainable by providing its own nutrients. Carbon efficient crops, such as corn and grains, are grown so that the non-edible parts can be recycled back into the soil as compost.
• Calorie-efficient crops: Crops such as potatoes are high in calories compared to how much space they use, which is important to consider in light of the growing global population.
• Open-pollinated seeds: Biointensive farmers do not use genetically modified seeds. Open-pollinated seeds preserve genetic diversity of crops.
• Interrelated farming system: Biointensive farmers strive to incorporate all natural factors of the farm, including soil, insects and animals, water, fertility, and humans.

Additional points about biointensive farming:

• Biointensive is often called mini-farming. It is not to be used on a large scale. The purpose is for people to grow their own food and move away from large-scale farming.
• Variation is key. Monocropping is against the rules.
• Biointensive farmers rarely use mechanized equipment, such as tractors. Not only does machinery use too much energy and leave the bare soil susceptible to erosion, but it also compacts the soil, counteracting the effect of double digging.
• One major objective of biointensive farming is to improve the soil; this takes several years to accomplish.

Benefits of Biointensive

• Possibility of 200-400% increase in caloric production per area
• Decreased water consumption
• Increased soil fertility
• 99% reduction in energy used per area (11)

The benefits have been recognized by countries around the world, including Mexico, Russia, and India (12). The Peace Corps also teaches the practice to farmers in poorer countries, where land and resources are scarce.

The U-bar, an important tool for biointensive farming, is used to double-dig the soil.	The compost pile at Sonnewald Farm, Spring Grove, PA, is an essential part of the farm.	A farmer at Sonnewald Farm plants the lettuce close together.
Photos by Edly Santiago-Andino, from http://paonfarminterns.cas.psu.edu/default.htm

History

Biointensive is a combination of the French intensive method (which uses close-planting in 18 inches of horse manure), and the biodynamic techniques (which combine the use of organic fertilizer, synergistic plant relationships, and raised beds). Alan Chadwick brought the two methods together in the United States in the 1960’s (2).

Check out some sites involving Biointensive farming:

Sonnewald Natural Foods- A working biointensive farm, also read more about the farm here.  

Bountiful Gardens

	Some research has been done at a biointensive farm in central Pennsylvania, and is available online through Penn State University: Case study (18MB Powerpoint presentation)   Experimental study 1: Energetics of Biointensive (3.6MB Powerpoint presentation)   Experimental study 2: Symphylans and Salinity in Greenhouses (3.6MB Powerpoint presentation)
A collection of photos from the Sonnewald Farm. Photos by Edly Santiago-Andino, from http://paonfarminterns.cas.psu.edu/default.htm