Author Archives: Biologicalenrichment

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About Biologicalenrichment

I started a farm and nursery in the early 1980’s called Oikos Tree Crops. It was once a 13 acre pasture. Today it is a forest rich in food producing plants. I am dedicated to finding, preserving, creating and disseminating a wide variety of food plants via seeds that I harvest at my farm. I explore new plants and healthy ways to raise them. I focus on my seed repository while providing seeds to others that wish to follow my bold experiment in some way or form. My farm is one of the oldest and most diverse maintained tree crop plantings in the U.S. using many plants from around the world as a form of global agroforestry applied at a local level. Every plant grown on my farm is grown from seeds. I use the tree crop philosophy as a means to expand the use of perennial, woody tree and shrub crops raised from seed without the use of chemical and high energy inputs.The two story agriculture is alive and well at Oikos Tree Crops. This blog highlights ecological enrichment as a means to improve human health and raise awareness of the possibilities of creating a healthy earth and a wealthy farmer. My story is told by describing my 50 years of farming and life experiences surrounding agriculture filled with my love of nature and my constant search for a greater diversity beyond the cultivar on a global stage.

Chinquapin Chestnut On the Move

In the shadow of the hardwood forests of North America lies a well kept treasure rarely cultivated. It is a small nut shrub called the chinquapin. Unlike any number of chestnut trees cultivated or wild, the chinquapin is mostly thought … Continue reading →

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The Perfect Plum

One of my early nursery experiences with another nursery owner on the west coast was with plums. He was producing an Asian species from seed like gangbusters. I started seeing them in the some of the giant retailers like Gurney … Continue reading →

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The Edible Rose

Starting in the early 90’s I started a collection of species roses at my farm. I would plant different cultivated rose seeds that I found in my area or wild roses I found on vacation. I placed the seeds in … Continue reading →

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Beautiful Orderly Plants

Under a powerline ground to sawdust by the tree services of Consumers Power is an autumn olive bush which resprouted creating this one bud sport or sprout which is variegated. From a hundred sprouts only one is variegated. Variegation can … Continue reading →

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Seeds Create-For the Love of Water

“Seeds are a source of wonder. They are objects of ernest inquiry in man’s ceaseless search for understanding of living things. Seeds protect and sustain life. Seeds are wealth. They are beauty. They are a symbol-a symbol of beginnings. They … Continue reading →

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Discovery from Seeds

Sometimes its the small things that matter. Growing plants from seeds and finding traits that are inherited over time in a population of plants is a joy for me. I have no idea why I like it. I just find … Continue reading →

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Seeds: River Cane, Pawpaw, Apple, Sloe Plum, Soybean

There is always something new to learn from plants. Growing them from seeds adds to the anticipation of discovery and connection to the natural world. When I grew plants in my nursery we would sell seeds along with nursery stock … Continue reading →

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Meanwhile Back at the Grocery Store Germplasm is Found

For many years I would keep the pits of some of my favorite grocery store fruits and try to grow them at my farm. Every fruit looks so spectacular coming exclusively from California. Everything is also patented and illegal to … Continue reading →

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Waves on an Ocean: From Monoculture to Diversiculture

Going to the Ocean of Corn Where Waves of Diversity Continually Emerge Like an ocean filled with innumerable waves, there is no end to plant diversity. When it comes to a common cultivated food plant like corn, the species becomes … Continue reading →

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One Potato: Teeny Tubers on a Quantum String

Its a funny thing to talk about potato roots. It is for my audience of one. I can clear a room discussing potato roots. Need help getting rid of guests that stay too long? Let me talk to them about … Continue reading →

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