Guiding Principles for a Garden in Tune with Nature

Posted in Exhibitions, The Edible Garden on July 20 2010, by Plant Talk

Soil and Seasons Are Key, Says Stone Barns Farm Manager

Jack Algiere is the Four-Season Farm Manager at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. He co-curated one of The Edible Garden’s Celebrity Chef Kitchen Gardens with Dan Barber, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Blue Hill.

As we dance our way through the seasons, Dan Barber (pictured left with me) reminds me often that I (the farmer) lead the way. If this is so, I have learned all my moves from watching and imitating the nimble flow of nature. Whether the tarantella or a tomato salad, the principles remain the same: communication and respect.

Understanding the fundamentals of the soil and the seasons is key to growing delicious food for nourishing and inspiring meals. At Stone Barns, we rely on several principles to maintain balance in our ecosystem, and these principles can guide the home gardener as well.

First, recognize that the whole of nature exhibits diversity and change. In the garden we replicate this through a balanced rotation of diversified crops. My preference is to diversify by plant families such as the nightshade, legume, mustard, or chicory.

Second, all systems must have a mechanism to restore what has been lost. As we eat our vegetables, we eat the soil and all of its parts. Adding compost and other raw materials such as kelp and rock powders to the soil in moderation helps to recycle the elements we remove and to restore the biological balance.

Third, plant material grown entirely for the soil encourages invaluable physical, chemical, and biological attributes. Cover crops such as grains, legumes, mustards, and broadleafs enrich the garden system in ways that no mechanical substitute can match.

Finally, selecting the most desirable plant varieties will ensure the greatest—
and most delicious—reward for the care and respect you’ve given your soil ecosystem. Take time to learn about the varieties you choose.

Balance, nourishment, rest, and inspiration lead to the satisfying experience of growing and eating with the seasons.