Organic, Self-reliant, And Teaching Others

Post Date: 14th Dec, 2008 - 4:33pm / Post ID: #

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Organic, Self-reliant, And Teaching Others

This is a great article about an organic seed-producing operation in Sacramento. They use solar power for the entire ranch, electric carts to travel the property (which are recharged using solar power), produce their own organic fertilizer, and draw water from a well on their own property. This is how horticulture should be!

Oh, and by the way: My nephew wrote the article

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Green Guide --Sustainability
Seeds of change
Local organic farmer spreads her knowledge
12/04/08
By Ted Cox

Del Rio Botanical sits on the Peabody Ranch in West Sacramento, near a road that snakes along the Sacramento River. There's a ranch house on the south side of the lot, with solar panels on its roof, and long fields of purple bean pods, bright-red peppers and a rainbow assortment of cherry tomatoes.
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But Ashworth's farm isn't just about seeds and produce packs; she's worked to make the ranch an example of sustainable agriculture.

As Ashworth said, "Seed production is just part of the bigger picture."

Del Rio Botanical is almost completely self-sustaining. Solar roof panels charge the orange electric carts that workers use to zip around the farm (one of them with "Land Rover" jokingly scrawled across the front in black letters). The sun powers a solar oven, solar dehydrator, solar ventilated greenhouse and solar water pumps.

"Is that green enough?" quipped Ashworth.

In fact, Del Rio Botanical produces enough solar energy in the summer months that Ashworth earns a credit to offset higher electricity use during the darker winter months. This focus on green power began around the time she took over the ranch's operation.

Educating others about sustainable agriculture also factors heavily into her work. She has taken on traditional educator roles, such as serving as an adjunct professor at UC Davis and teacher at American River College. She also co-authored Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners. Ashworth brings in a steady stream of interns to Del Rio Botanical to learn about the farm's organic process.

She also travels to Mexico and Guatemala a few times a year, where she works with local farmers on seed production and storage, using her extensive seed knowledge to help them provide sustainable produce to their communities. For the past 20 years, trips have focused on the use of indigenous seeds and organic production to create viable Del Rio-like projects in those countries.

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Organic, Self-reliant, And Teaching Others

Organic Self-reliant Teaching Others - Sciences, Education, Art, Writing, UFO - Posted: 14th Dec, 2008 - 4:33pm

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Organic, Self-reliant, And Teaching Others