Author Archives: Biologicalenrichment

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About Biologicalenrichment

I started a farm in the early 1980’s called Oikos Tree Crops. It was once a 13 acre pasture and with the help of many worldwide plants became a forest. Today I am dedicated more than ever to finding, preserving, creating and disseminating a wide variety of food plants. At my farm I explore new plants and healthy ways to raise them. I currently focus my attention on my seed repository while providing seeds and bring these new discoveries to the public at large. 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.

One Tree Crop

My father and his friend from the post office had this idea back in the sixties. It was not easy to get anyone to agree. Out of a dozen potential partners only one remained in the end. It was 140 … Continue reading

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Grow A Guitar

I own two soprano recorders that are made out of fruit wood. One is apricot and the other is pear wood. The pear wood recorder is a Hohner that I purchased when I was in high school. I brought it … Continue reading

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Regeneration Through Dissemination

Like my family’s Christmas tree farms of yesteryear, most tree crops are planted in long rows of a single species to maximize production. At my 13 acre farm, I did not have the luxury of both time and money to … Continue reading

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The Plum That Lives in a Farmer-less Field

There has never been a greater example of a species of fruit that could be grown as a species of fruit without employing the cultivar based system of fruit growing. The above image is one of the first beach plum … Continue reading

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Asparagii of Unknown Origin

It’s not pretty but it’s asparagus. You may not have eaten it when you were a child. Here was this quasi-gelatinous long green alien stalk of unknown origin. “Who would eat this?”, you would ask yourself? If you did dare … Continue reading

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Simply Making the Plant World More Diverse

One of easiest ways to increase plant diversity in the natural world is to look for potential species that can reproduce and increase on their own without burning, mowing or herbiciding everything to near death. The same can be said … Continue reading

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Now That’s A Grape

Its interesting in that grapes are so widely consumed in so many forms, yet if you mention woody agriculture or tree crops, they are not considered in the same life saving way as a tree. Vitis is vine in Latin. … Continue reading

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Purpurea

Purple pigments in plants attract attention. Probably the most well known purple plant is the purple leaf Norway maple. It is produced from seed as well as varietal selections with intense purple coloration. You still see it in the nursery … Continue reading

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Meet the Perennial Brassicas

It’s a common experience with gardeners to discover sprouts on old broccoli or cabbage stalks from the year before. Even the Brussels sprouts will kick out a new stem in the second year. This is because by and large Brassicas … Continue reading

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Strength in Numbers

In each individual tree, the pictures can tell the story of that individual and its family upbringing too. It is a narrative meant to enlighten those who will listen, tell us a scenario in a moment of time and what … Continue reading

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