Magazine: Organic Times

Check out my article in the Organic Times Magazine created completely by WUR MOA students! Page 9.

Reaping the Benefits of Diversification At Loverendale-Ter Linde

Reaping the Benefits of Diversification At Loverendale-Ter Linde

By: Tamisan Latherow and Linde de Vries
FSE-30306 Analysis and Design of Organic Farming Systems

Executive Summary

In this paper we explored the possibilities of integrating several multi-functional aspects to Ter Linde. Our primary goal is to make the system more diverse and thereby more resilient, but also to work within the farmer’s dreams of creating space for tourists, more permanent employment opportunities, better soil and water availability, and more returns on his crops. We have focused on these throughout the research and pinned down several features we believe can cover these topics: Alternative Fodder Production, Intensification of Rotation: Pasturage and Crops, Berry Production, and Flower Strip Utilization.

Final Report: FSE Internship at Landgoed Zuylestein

Designing a diversified cropping plan for a historic vegetable garden at Landgoed Zuylestein

Introduction

The parameters and goals for the internship I selected were to design a cropping plan in space and time while considering the historic value and aesthetics of the garden. The client wanted a garden that would have a high yield with less work. We decided to accomplish this through a combination of crop rotation, intercropping, mulching methodologies and a historical component after meeting with both Wageningen and Zuylestein. The program was under the management of the Farming System Ecology Department at Wageningen University and Research (supervisor Dirk van Apeldoorn) and Landgoed Zuylestein under co-supervision with owner Jemima de Brauwere and garden manager Thea Dengerink. The internship started October 4, 2017 and concluded May 9, 2018, with 4 additional check-in dates throughout May. I was considered part-time until period 5 (March 19, 2018). Until this point I worked 100+ hours on items such as plant lists, planning charts, soil sampling, manure quantity for C:N ratios, and composting methodologies. Afterwards I worked on-site to create and plant/maintain the garden, specifically the 3 test beds (4, 6A, and 8).

TEEB Analytics regarding SRI within the Indian Rice Production System (week 5)

TEEB Analytics regarding SRI within the Indian Rice Production System

Introduction

When designing an analysis (typology) to evaluate the hidden or overlooked aspects of a farming system one must look at the various impacts on the Health & Skills, Society, Economy, and Environmental spheres. These four realms are interconnected and many of the items to be discussed will need to be viewed under each subset to see the true benefit or cost of the externalities mentioned. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methodology to be discussed in this paper will be viewed from the lens of two distinct stakeholders: that of the Government/Research Institutes and that of the Community/Farmers in Indian rice production. SRI has promising results in terms of environmental benefits and is actively being introduced in India, which is why this papers aim is to investigate the hidden costs and benefits further within the Indian context.

Professional Background

Educational Background

Comments on Organic 3.0 paper

Commentary on the Organic 3.0 IFOAM Paper:

Okay, first off, I have a problem with the idea that Organic 1.0 is when we started realizing what we ate and how we grew it effected things like our health. I mean, really? We really had to state that in a paper and we put the date at 100 years ago (1917? I've got agricultural books dating back into the 1600s, come on)? Hunter/Gatherers realized that when they died after eating something near contaminated water. Pasturalists realized it when their animals ate something bad for them and died. See a trend? So, let's get back to the paper.