Traditional agricultural, land-management methods promote biodiversity, sustainability
OSGF
Even as technology advances, many conservation-minded farmers and landscapers are turning to traditional methods in order to protect native and heirloom species, as well as improve the overall ecological health of their land.
Experimenting with the best ways to conserve species and maintain a diverse, balanced environment, while limiting the use of potentially harmful chemicals and heavy machinery, is a major goal of the farmers, horticulturists, and landscapers who tend the land here at Oak Spring. In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 13, we are highlighting several traditional farming and land management methods, used by native peoples throughout the Americas for thousands of years, that we are proud to utilize at OSGF.
Heirloom seeds at the BCCF.
Saving Seeds
Indigenous people throughout the Americas have been saving seeds for centuries in order to preserve culturally and nutritionally important plants. For instance, a thought-to-be extinct type of ancient squash, its seeds preserved by the Miami tribe in Indiana, is making a comeback in the Great Lakes region due to efforts by area Native American tribes, just one of many seed-saving efforts currently being spearheaded by Native Americans around the country. Conserving and promoting heirloom crops native to the Virginia piedmont, and along with them their history and stories, is also an essential part of the Bio-Cultural Conservation Farm’s (BCCF) mission.
A controlled burn at Oak Spring last year.
Controlled Burns
Although burning may seem destructive, controlled burns serve as an important land management tool. Native Americans managed the land through controlled burns as a way to maintain wildlife habitat, get rid of unwanted vegetation, improved soil health, as well as promote the growth of edible and medicinal plant species. OSGF has also used this method: the landscaping team has used controlled burns (very carefully: several team members are certified in prescribed burning) as a tool to clear out invasive species and promote new growth as part of their ongoing reforestation and restoration efforts.
Companion cropping
Ever heard of the Three Sisters? Perhaps the most well-known method of companion cropping, native people throughout the Americas planted squash, climbing beans, and corn seeds together, resulting in a mutually beneficial arrangement for all three plants. The beans put nitrogen into the soil, the corn proved a climbing stalk for the beans, and shade from the squash leaves kept weeds at bay. Some farmers would include a “fourth sister,” such as the Rocky Mountain bee plant, in order to attract pollinators.
The BCCF recently practiced a form of companion cropping with their first winter squash harvest: using an alley-cropping method, they planted cowpeas and flowering buckwheat among squash and pumpkins in order to improve soil quality, attract pollinators, and ward off weeds.
Cow peas at the BCCF.
Crop Rotations
Keeping the same kind of crop in a field season after season can invite a number of problems: for one thing, pests and insects partial to a particular plant may see it as a good reason to keep coming back for more. For another, certain types of crops, such as row vegetables, require more soil nutrients than others. Indigenous people discovered long ago that cycling them out resulted in healthier plants. New crops will take over the BCCF plots soon: after the winter squash season is over, the nitrogen-fixing cow peas will be cut into the soil in order to fertilize the garlic bulbs that will be planted next.
Want to learn more about the work of the BCCF and the landscaping team? Take a spin around our website or our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages to see what they’ve been up to.
A Brewerton side-notched projectile point made of gray chert. The point was found in the excavation zone on the east side of the Tree Shop Pond by OSGF gardener Wendy Sirat in April 2017. According to archaeologist Dr. Carole Nash, the point is 4,900-3,700 years old (from An Oak Spring Garden Landscape.)
Oak Spring’s Past
Although not much is known about the people who lived on the Oak Spring Garden Foundation land prior to colonization, gardener Boyd Pauley - who worked at Oak Spring and Rokeby Farm for over 40 years before retiring in 2017 - assembled a large collection of Native American artifacts he and his family found on the Mellon properties. According Michael Gaige’s comprehensive survey of the property, An Oak Spring Garden Landscape, many of them dated back 10,000 years, with the most recent being from around 1600. Read Gaige’s research on our issuu page.
Sources:
Five Indigenous Farming Practices Enhancing Food Security. Food Tank. Aug 2017. https://foodtank.com/news/2017/08/celebrating-international-day-of-the-worlds-indigenous-peoples/
Sunmin Park, Nobuko Hongub, and James W. Daily. Native American foods: History, culture, and influence on modern diets. Journal of Ethnic Foods. Aug 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618116300750