Welcome to February’s Rancho Roundup. We are excited you are back to share some of what is happening at the ranch this month and to announce an exciting new crew member who is joining our ever-growing ranch family.
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Snow? In the Arizona desert? Yep, you read that right. It doesn’t happen often, but it does snow here. Snow is only part of the crazy winter weather we’ve experienced over the last couple of weeks. One minute, there was a bluebird sky without a cloud to be seen. The next, there was a rainstorm big enough it must have gotten lost on the way to monsoon season (which is typically at the end of the summer).
The heavy rain in mid-January caused our creek to flash flood, cresting over four feet higher than its usual level. This luckily didn’t affect our current operations too much other than to impede access to half of the property on the east side of the creek. Most of the action on the ranch at this time is thankfully on the west side. But, all preparations for the projects on the east side had to be put on hold while the creek was impassable, which certainly slowed things down.
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The floods lasted three days, and then we started getting dusted with snow; but nobody expected to wake up to four inches of white that stuck to the ground and stayed there for a day and half (which is a long time for these parts). This unexpected surprise was the first “real” snow for us since acquiring the ranch. We all knew this place was magical before, but seeing the land covered in a fresh, sparkling white carpet took that beauty to heights we’d never imagined.
So, while it doesn’t happen often, it can snow in the desert. And when it does, wow! It’s a wondrous sight!
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Is Biodynamic Farming a Solution to Climate Change? |
That might sound like a bold question. However, even our smaller-scale biodynamic farming practices could play a crucial role in the re-establishment of the balance between humanity and the planet. Biodynamics looks at the farm as one large living system. But the local agricultural system at Rancho Almasomos is, of course, part of the much larger system we call Earth. Healthy land is actually just as contagious as unhealthy land. The work we’re doing here will not only make the soil at Rancho Almasomos better, but also that healthy soil and the life it’s able to sustain and the carbon it’s able to sequester, will spread into the areas surrounding us. |
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Even if you are not aware of the harsh impact the global, commercial agricultural system has on the environment as a whole, you are affected by it. Today, large-scale commercial farming produces the bulk of the world's foods, fuels, fibers and oils by extensive clearcutting and deforestation, intensive use of harmful pesticides and toxic chemicals, monocropping, extreme tillage, overgrazing and more, all for the sake of a quick buck for the large corporations and their shareholders. These widespread standard practices cause a sweeping variety of issues for our planet that ultimately end up costing the whole human race not just more money, but also potentially years off the lives of future generations. Modern conventional agricultural practices have contributed as much as 15% to global carbon dioxide emissions (i.e., CO2). Agriculture is the leading cause of greenhouse gas and, therefore, one of the biggest contributors to climate change.
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A rough calculation of current rates of soil degradation suggests we have about 60 years of topsoil left. Some 40% of soil used for agriculture around the world is classified as being either degraded or seriously degraded—the latter means that 70% of the topsoil, the layer in which plants grow, is gone. |
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It doesn’t have to be that way. When conscious principles are applied to these ongoing agricultural issues, we can turn everything around and actually revive the planet with intentional agriculture rather than destroying our soil and natural resources. Regenerative and biodynamic farms actually sequester carbon and revitalize soil, bringing our food-production systems back into balance with the planet.
Our soil-health focused initiatives that utilize natural elements like compost, nutrient-dense animal waste, green mulch and cover crops all act as healthy amendments, protecting, boosting and revitalizing microorganisms in the soil and protecting it from erosion. In addition, these initiatives increase water absorption, sequester carbon and lower soil-surface temperatures. Healthy soil means a healthy planet, healthy animals, healthy food and, ultimately, healthy people.
So, is biodynamic farming a solution to the climate crisis? You better believe it is!
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The Rancho Almasomos team is growing! Soon a new team member will be joining our ranch crew with a special focus on ranch security. Want to take a guess at who it might be? We will give you a hint. . . he has four legs and pointy ears.
Okay, that wasn’t really a good hint since most of the animals here fit that bill. But if you guessed dog, you were right.
Rancho Almasomos is getting its first official ranch dog from our friends at Winning K9! His name is “Recon,” and he’s a beautiful one-year-old Belgian Malinois. Recon is not like your ordinary obedience-trained pet dog. He is so highly trained that he can even understand when he is on-duty and when he is not and can do significantly more advanced activities than sit, stay and roll-over.
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We decided to get Recon after some recent trouble with the locals, specifically the coyotes and bobcats who stole four of our chickens in the span of less than a week. Plus, we’ve now discovered mountain lion tracks on the property. Since we’re located in a small secluded valley bordering national forest, the thriving wildlife is an important part of the living organism we are building up. So our goal is to always work towards harmony, which can sometimes be easier said than done. Conventional farmers and ranchers usually just shoot or trap the predators trying to take their livestock for an easy meal, but that is not how we do things.
One of the pillars of biodynamics is animal welfare, and that includes both our domestic animals and the wild ones who live among us. Our commitment to avoid using excessive force against this complex ecosystem is where Recon fits in. Ranch dogs act as natural—and appropriate—guardians of the farm animals. They deter any hungry predators searching for a chicken dinner without upsetting the healthy balance of our ranch.
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If you received this edition of the Rancho Round-up from a friend, you can sign-up for our newsletter yourself with the button below. |
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" Love starts when we push aside our ego and make room for someone else."
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Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and our new Facebook page, and come back to read the next edition of the Rancho Roundup in March. In the meantime, Rancho Almasomos is busy training Recon, prepping for spring, readying the east field for its first round of planting and the east hillsides for the coming agave. We hope you have a happy Valentine’s Day with lots of love, peace and chocolate.
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