Note from the Founder: June

Obtaining Yields by Going Local

One of the permaculture principles that I think is particularly relevant at this time of year is “Obtain a yield.” While this seems so “duh!” especially when relating it to a farm, a few additional applications:

  • Eat your yard. Have you ever considered your front yard or side yard or even porch to be places where you can be obtaining a yield? Last year we undertook the big project of removing turf grass and installing rain gardens and planting lots of perennial food plants (like currants and juneberries and rhubarb) in the front yard of the farmhouse. In addition to the yield that’s edible, another yield is that of the stormwater that’s going back into the ground as opposed to sheeting off the grass and going straight to a storm drain and sewer system.
  • Choose locally-grown and raised. I’ve been participating in the Local Food Challenge for the month of June in order to personally commit to eating a more regional diet. The Challenge has made me appreciate the little bit of preservation of last year’s harvest that I did so that I can eat a more diverse diet than I can if I was only eating fresh seasonal foods. For example, I dried apples from a friend’s farm and I had frozen sliced leeks from earlier this year. This takes the “obtaining a yield” one step further, in that you’re not only obtaining a yield so that you can eat it right now; you’re also thinking about the next season when you can still be enjoying the food you preserved.
  • Finally, sometimes in order to obtain a yield, you need to change your mind about what to grow or produce. You might really love golden delicious apples, but golden delicious apples aren’t necessarily a great variety choice for this region. They are more susceptible to pests and disease than other more resilient varieties. So you choose a more pest- and disease-resistant variety like Liberty or Pristine, and you can obtain more yields.

What other ways have you found to obtain a yield for you and your family?