Tierra Lucero
2008
Developing Food and Energy Sovereignty
2008
THE OMEGA DAIRY ENERGY RESEARCH FACILITY
The time for clean, localized energy production is now, and the cows at Omega Dairy agree. They’re helping to fuel waste-to-energy systems, including manure bio-digesters and algae-to-biodiesel production. The results of Omega Energy research are public domain.
Click here to say “Moooo . . . ve over, Big Oil!”<br clear=“all”>
TAOS SUNDAY FARMER’S MARKET
A new Farmer’s Market has been organized in Taos! Get ready for a delicious summer season and a chance to support all the growers and producers in our community:
- Farmers
- Ranchers
- Market gardeners
- Resellers
- Others involved with agricultural pursuits
Click here to find out more, or get involved!<br clear=“all”>
<br clear=“all”>
2001-2007
THE HOME GARDENS PROJECT
Wow! Look at that harvest! Tierra Lucero has built over 50 raised-bed gardens in Taos for disabled low income residents, elders, schools and other non-profit organizations.
Click here and get inspired to start a Home Gardens Project in your community!
Also, check out our Green Thumb Gardening Handbook for simple home growing instructions.
<br clear=“all”>
TAOS PUEBLO AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS
The staff of Tierra Lucero have been honored to work with the Taos Pueblo on many agricultural projects over the years. The Taos Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited village in the Northern Hemisphere.
Click here for a description of past work, and how you can get involved with the Red Willow Sustainable Education Center.<br clear=“all”>
TIERRA LUCERO COMMUNITY FARM AND CSA
Our four season farm in El Prado provided countless people with the opportunity to experience the whole cycle of food production; from seed and soil to kitchen and plate!
Click here to find out why local agriculture is so important and why fresh, organic food JUST TASTES BETTER.
<br clear=“all”>
PERMACULTURE EDUCATION
What is Permaculture? A sustainable design system, a philosophy, a way of life. One of the most beautiful Permaculture demonstration sites was the home of Tierra Lucero for many years.
Click here to learn more and enjoy photos of this hidden oasis.<br clear=“all”>
WORKSHOPS<br clear=“all”>
VOLUNTEER, SERVICE LEARNING and INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Research into Food and Energy Sovereignty
IMPORTANT THINKERS, WRITERS & BOOKS
Michael Pollan
In Defense of Food — by Michael Pollan
When is food really food, and when is it just “foodlike”? Is the nutrition industry making us sicker? If a packaged product says it’s “healthy” — should we put it back on the shelf?? These strange-but-true questions and more are answered by Michael Pollan in his latest book, a must-read for anyone interested in why our diet is killing us, and what we can do about it. The answer is simple; eat food.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma — by Michael Pollan
From the Michael Pollan website:
What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, how we answer it today, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, may well determine our very survival as a species.
Eric Schlosser
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal — by Eric Schlosser
Fast food. It’s a multi-billion dollar American empire and a global menace. What is it doing to our health, our cultures, our economies? Award winning investigative journalist Eric Schlosser dives head first into the grease and toxic chemicals (and that yummy flavoring), emerging with the shocking truth about what most Americans — children in particular — are eating every day, and why the rest of the world has good reason to worry.
Click here to read an excerpt from Fast Food Nation.
Click here to read the book online.
Vandana Shiva
Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability and Peace
A leading voice in the struggle for global justice and sustainability, here Shiva describes what earth democracy could look like, outlining the bedrock principles for building living economies, living cultures, and living democracies. These ideals, which Shiva calls Earth Democracy, will serve as unifying points in our current movements, an urgent call to peace, and the basis for a just and sustainable future.
Click here to read the book online.
Wendell Berry
The Books of Wendell Berry
Naturalist, farmer, thinker, writer. Wendell Berry’s prolific output includes essays, poems and books, many of which contain the seeds of a gentle radicalism that can change the way see ourselves in the world. (See links to some of his essays below).
<br clear=“all”>
ARTICLES
What is Food Sovereignty?
Food sovereignty is increasingly being promoted as an alternative framework to the narrower concept of food security, which mostly focuses on the technical problem of providing adequate nutrition. For instance, a food security agenda that simply provides surplus grain to hungry people would probably be strongly criticised by food sovereignty advocates as just another form of commodity dumping, facilitating corporate penetration of foreign markets, undermining local food production, and possibly leading to irreversible biotech contamination of indigenous crops with patented varieties. U.S. taxpayer subsidized exports of Bt corn to Mexico since the passage of NAFTA is a case in point.
The Long Emergency — by James Howard Kunstler
“What’s going to happen as we start running out of cheap gas to guzzle? A few weeks ago, the price of oil ratcheted above fifty-five dollars a barrel, which is about twenty dollars a barrel more than a year ago. The next day, the oil story was buried on page six of the New York Times business section. Apparently, the price of oil is not considered significant news, even when it goes up five bucks a barrel in the span of ten days. That same day, the stock market shot up more than a hundred points because, CNN said, government data showed no signs of inflation. Note to clueless nation: Call planet Earth.”
The Pleasures of Eating — by Wendell Berry
Many times, after I have finished a lecture on the decline of American farming and rural life, someone in the audience has asked, “What can city people do?”
“Eat responsibly,” I have usually answered. Of course, I have tried to explain what I mean by that, but afterwards I have invariably felt there was more to be said than I had been able to say. Now I would like to attempt a better explanation.”
Food Freedom vs. Food Slavery — by Vandana Shiva
Monsanto through the U.S. government, is trying desperately to reverse its failing fortunes by creating markets for its genetically engineered crops (GMOs) through coercion and corruption.
Global Problems, Local Solutions — by Wendell Berry
If governments fail to protect their citizens, then those citizens must protect themselves by developing local economies.
Instant-Mix Imperial Democracy: Buy One Get One Free — by Arundhati Roy
In these times when we have to race to keep abreast of the speed at which our freedoms are being snatched from us, and when few can afford the luxury of retreating from the streets for a while in order to return with an exquisite, fully formed political thesis replete with footnotes and references, what profound gift can I offer you tonight? ( *Ed Note:This is a terrific speech)
In Distrust of Movements — by Wendell Berry
I HAVE HAD WITH MY friend Wes Jackson a number of useful conversations about the necessity of getting out of movements — even movements that have seemed necessary and dear to us — when they have lapsed into self-righteousness and self-betrayal, as movements seem almost invariably to do. People in movements too readily learn to deny to others the rights and privileges they demand for themselves. They too easily become unable to mean their own language, as when a “peace movement” becomes violent. They often become too specialized, as if finally they cannot help taking refuge in the pinhole vision of the institutional intellectuals. They almost always fail to be radical enough, dealing finally in effects rather than causes. Or they deal with single issues or single solutions, as if to assure themselves that they will not be radical enough.
Profits for Justice — by Michael Shuman and Merrian Fuller
“Now that the religious right dominates all three branches of the federal government, one of the few avenues still open for creative progressive initiative is business. . . Gandhi understood that the key to freeing India was to transform his fellow citizens into economically productive agents by spinning their own cloth and taking their own salt from the sea. Martin Luther King Jr. implored African-Americans to form their own credit unions and community development corporations. The secret to being as radical as we want to be — and as radical as we need to be — is to finance the revolution ourselves.”
The Future of Food, the Future of Taos — by Victoria Linden and Bob Pedersen
“There is reason to believe that a time may be coming when we, you and I, will need to grow our own food. Or at least to live in a community where a significant quantity of food is being grown locally, and consumed locally. Why? Because there are real and present dangers to our national food supplies that are not being addressed by our government.”
“The Pleasures of Eating” - by Wendell Berry
Having just discovered that I am not allowed to print this article without permission, I have removed it from this site until permission is granted. In the meantime . . .
The Pleasures of Eating—by Wendell Berry
Get Your Hands Dirty!
If you’re interested in helping to organize or promote the new Sunday Farmer’s Market in Taos, click here.
A community organization with a global vision
Tierra Lucero was founded in 2001 in Taos, New Mexico, on the western slope of the magnificent Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains.
Over the years our projects have evolved in line with our mission; to create energy sovereignty for our community through the local production of food and fuel. We seek to develop and demonstrate models that can be used by communities in the U.S. and around the world.
The problems our work address include:
- The decline of small scale sustainable farming and agricultural knowledge passed on to future generations
- The consequent decline of human health through lack of access to nutritious, organic foods
- Depletion of agriculturally viable soil through the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
- Environmental pollution from large scale dairies and feedlots, including groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas production
- Lack of personal and community strength and autonomy due to dependence on unsustainable, environmentally damaging energy production
As the current energy, health and economic crises deepen, the world will be increasingly searching for answers. We want to be prepared to provide them by putting in the time and effort now — not when it’s too late to make peaceful transitions to the use of new technologies and economic systems. Additionally, we don’t want to rely on a top-down structure for the solutions we need. In other words, we don’t believe anyone is going to “save” us — we all need to create a path forward, toward a sane and sustainable future.
Co-Founders
Bob Pedersen and Victoria Linden
Executive Director
Bob Pedersen
Board of Directors
Victoria Linden
Ryan Rose
Chris Pieper
Shawn Duran
Tierra Lucero Supporters, Partners and Volunteers
Using Profits for Peace and Justice
“Gandhi understood that the key to freeing India was to transform his fellow citizens into economically productive agents by spinning their own cloth and taking their own salt from the sea. Martin Luther King Jr. implored African-Americans to form their own credit unions and community development corporations. The secret to being as radical as we want to be—and as radical as we need to be—is to finance the revolution ourselves.”
— “Profits for Justice” by Michael Shuman and Merrian Fuller
The vision behind launching Mountain Rich Soils, LLC, in 2005 as a seperate for-profit entity was not only to provide the the highest quality soil products available, but also to secure personal financial support for the directors of Tierra Lucero, so that we can put all our non-profit funds directly into our programs.
When we read “Profits for Justice” by Michael Shuman and Merrian Fuller, we decided to take it one step further.
25% of profits from sales of Mountain Rich Soil’s organic soil products will directly support Tierra Lucero’s sustainable community agriculture projects.
How else does Mountain Rich Soils support a sustainable community?
- We offer a 30% discount on product to local commercial organic growers to further support sustainable agriculture.
- We use Bio-diesel, a renewable fuel, in our production and distribution equipment
- We pay a living wage to our employees
- We do not use toxic chemicals in any of our products
<br clear=“all”> LOOK FOR THE MOUNTAIN RICH SOILS LABEL IN REGIONAL GARDEN CENTERS!
Click here for a full list of Mountain Rich Soils products and services
Or, stop by our retail outlet in Taos and say hi!
Organic Gardening: A small-scale solution to a large-scale problem
“The food industrialists have by now persuaded millions of consumers to prefer food that is already prepared. They will grow, deliver, and cook your food for you and (just like your mother) beg you to eat it. That they do not yet offer to insert it, prechewed, into our mouth is only because they have found no profitable way to do so.
--Wendell Berry
Tierra Lucero believes that organic community farming is a fundamental component of a sustainable future for any community with land left to grow on.
For 4 years we’ve been demonstrating regional sustainable agriculture methods for the Taos area, growing a wide variety of crops, including:
*Asparagus *pole and bush beans *broccoli *cabbage *chiles *cucumbers *garlic *radishes *spinach *corn *summer and winter squash *beets *turnips *carrots *tomatoes *salad green *cooking greens *peas *onions *potatoes *zucchini *flowers and culinary and medicinal herbs.
Our gardens have incorporated a tree nursery with over 300 fruit, evergreen and deciduous trees.
<br clear=“all”>
Modern sustainable methods include:
<ul compact type=“disc”>
<li>Micro-irrigation for water conservation on all of our permanent no-till raised beds.</li>
<li>Traditional flood irrigation in our “three sisters” (corn, beans and squash) field. </li>
<li>Non-fossil fueled, solar heated greenhouse for four season growing.</li>
<li>Non-chemical solutions to pest problems.</li>
<li>Composting.</li>
<li>Increasing use of traditional farming methods such as waffle gardens, and cultivation of native food varieties.</li>
</ul>
<br clear=“all”>
Where does the produce go?
In 2003, we hosted a Community Supported Agriculture work-trade program. In 2004 we split our produce three ways: What we kept for ourselves, what we sold, and what we gave away. We supplied fresh produce to local free food programs such as Taos Feeds Taos and The Shared Table.
In 2005 our gardens were put on hold while we developed our Mountain Rich Soils business in Taos.
In 2006 we developed new community gardens at Apple Hill Farm on the Hondo/Seco Road, and at various other farm sites in in Arroyo Seco.
Why do we do this?
We believe that local food production is essential for every community. Cid’s, our health food store in Taos, estimates that only about 1% of their produce is grown locally. Most communities, including ours, have little more than two days worth of food on the supermarket shelves. Any serious disruption in our national food production, transportation or distribution system would be devastating.
Like many others, our rural community was long self-sufficient and able to provide its own food until very recently. It is not too late — but it may be soon — to restore our agricultural security and begin rebuilding agriculturally based community networks.
Restoring local organic growing is also the only way to effectively combat the dangers of industrial mega-farming, and the threat of untested genetically modified foods.
Last but not least — growing food is fun! Yes, it’s hard work, but the rewards are amazing. It’s a wonderful way to meet your neighbors, to get good exercise, and to experience the incredible satisfaction of eating your own gorgeous fruits and vegetables.
Have you ever tasted an organic sun-warmed, rain washed, yellow pear tomato fresh off the vine? Then you know what we’re talking about!
We encourage everyone to participate in community gardens. Every helping hand is worth a whole lot, especially during weeding season!
Donations Warmly Accepted!
Tierra Lucero is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous support of our community and like-minded people from around the country, who offer volunteer time and financial donations.
This alone makes it possible for us to continue working to increase the self empowerment, long term health, food and energy security of our community.
Your support is needed!
100% of all donations will go directly to support our projects. Project budgets and IRS 990’s available upon request.
Donations of any amount are accepted. You may donate here on our web site using the safe, secure services of PayPal, or you may contact us directly to arrange a specific gift.
<form action=“https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr” method=“post”><input type=“image” src=“https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/x-click-but21.gif” border=“0” name=“submit” alt=“Make payments with PayPal – it’s fast, free and secure!”><input type=“hidden” name=“cmd” value=”_xclick”><input type=“hidden” name=“business” value=“administration@tierralucero.org”><input type=“hidden” name=“item_name” value=“Web Donation”><input type=“hidden” name=“item_number” value=“web-01”><input type=“hidden” name=“page_style” value=“PayPal”><input type=“hidden” name=“return” value=“http://tierralucero.org/index.php/public/pp_thankyou”><input type=“hidden” name=“cancel_return” value=“http://tierralucero.org/index.php/public/pp_cancel”><input type=“hidden” name=“cn” value=“Leave us a message!”><input type=“hidden” name=“currency_code” value=“USD”><input type=“hidden” name=“tax” value=“0”><input type=“hidden” name=“lc” value=“US”></form>
PayPal accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Diners Club credit cards. You may also pay directly from your checking account if you have an account with PayPal. It takes just a few minutes to do, and you can be sure that PayPal uses the most secure, state-of-the-art technology.
Here’s how it works:
Click on the “Make a Donation” button above.
That will take you to the secure pages of PayPal. If you already have a PayPal account, simply log in and complete the transaction. If you do not have a PayPal account, you may pay directly from your credit card, or you can create a PayPal account.
Once your transaction is verified and complete, you will automatically be returned back to this web site. You will also receive an email receipt from PayPal with a full accounting of your donation.
Please remember to keep your PayPal account information private; do not share it and do not respond to spam asking you to confirm or divulge your password.
Tierra Lucero Calendar of Events
FOOD NOT BOMBS WEEKLY MEETINGS
Please attend our meeting and volunteer to help with Taos Food Not Bombs. We will be having an organizing meeting every Tuesday night this January at 6:00 at the Loma Parda Apartments Community Room at the top of apartment complex.
The Loma Parda Apartments are located at 1200 Camino de la Cruz one mile up the road to Angel Fire (By Pass Road) or Paseo Del Canon, routes NM 585 and US 64 ( turn off Paseo Del Pueblo Sur at Taos Visitor Center and head east. )
We share food on the Taos Plaza every Saturday and Sunday starting at 2:00 PM.
We need volunteers to collect food, cook and share meals on the Plaza. We will talk about plans for events, concerts and actions this spring and summer. HELP POST FLYERS, COLLECT FOOD AND COOK FOR PEACE!
Taos Food Not Bombs Needs These Items
Volunteers to cook and share vegan meals
Plates, bowls and cups
Storage space
Kitchen
Drivers
Cooks
Rice and beans
Produce
Call 505-776-3880 if you can help.
Volunteer / Service Learning / Internship opportunities
Hello and thank you for your interest in our internship program.
We have already filled our 2006 internship position for project development. We don’t currently have any other paid intern positions. This might change soon, so please fill out the questionnaire if you are interested so we can contact you when our grant ship comes in.
If you are capable of interning without a stipend, we can offer great learning opportunities, and food throughout the growing season.
We want to thank all the fantastic folks who have interned with us for the past three years. We hope you’re all doing great! Keep on planting!
Developing Food and Energy Sovereignty
Tierra Lucero is a New Mexico non-profit organization that has worked since 2001 to demonstrate and teach sustainable systems of food and energy production.
2008 PROJECTS
<br clear=“all”>
THE OMEGA DAIRY ENERGY RESEARCH FACILITY
</b>
<br clear=“all”>
<b>THE TAOS SUNDAY FARMER’S MARKET
Contact Us
We are happy to hear from you!
General Inquiries:
info@tierralucero.org
If you are having trouble with our Pay Pal donation page, please email:
info@tierralucero.org
Bob Pedersen
Executive Director
growfoodnow@tierralucero.org
Victoria Linden
Project Manager
info@tierralucero.org
Martha Fielding
Organizer: Taos Sunday Farmer’s Market
sundaymarket@tierralucero.org
Tierra Lucero
PO Box 932
Taos, NM 87571
The Permaculture Project
“Great changes are taking place. These are not as a result of any one group or teaching, but as a result of millions of people defining one or more ways in which they can conserve energy, aid local self-reliance, or provide for themselves. All of us would acknowledge our own work as modest; it is the totality of such modest work that is impressive.”
--Bill Mollison, author of “Permaculture: A Practical Guide to a Sustainable Future”
Tierra Lucero’s Executive Director, Bob Pedersen, is a certified Permaculture designer and, along with Tierra Lucero’s staff, interns and volunteers, he believes strongly in the principles underlying the worldwide Permaculture movement.
PRIME DIRECTIVE OF PERMACULTURE
The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children.
PRINCIPLE OF COOPERATION
Cooperation, not competition, is the very basis of future survival and of existing life systems.
ETHICAL BASIS OF PERMACULTURE
1. Care of the Earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply.
2. Care of people: Provision for people to access those resources necessary to their existence.
3. Setting limits to population and consumption: By governing our own needs, we can set resources aside to further the above principles.
Tierra Lucero offers workshops in Permaculture design philosophy and methods, networking with local Permaculture instructors and utilizing established and developing demonstration sites.
Tierra Lucero staff helped develop a beautiful 15 acre Permaculture demonstration site in El Prado, just north of the Town of Taos. Our work is currently focussed on the development of the Red Willow Center at Taos Pueblo.
**********************************************************************
Permaculture demonstration site
<div align=“center”>
</div>
Tierra Lucero staff helped to develop a Permaculture demonstration site located on 15 acres along the Rio Lucero stream in El Prado, NM, just north of the town of Taos.
Over ten years in development, the site was originally a treeless, boggy field, overgrazed for 100 years and, thankfully, unsuited to conventional development.
Bill Mollison, founder of Permaculture, also helped design the site.[back to top]
Thanks in part to a grant from the Fish and Game Department (Partners for Wildlife), today the land has incorporated:
<ul>
<li>Five large interlocking trout stocked ponds</li>
<li>Over 500 native and heritage trees, shrubs and grasses</li>
<li>An exquisite martial arts temple built of strawbale, adobe, and sustainably harvested timbers from Lama Mountain. </li>
</ul>
As are all Permaculture projects, the land is a work in progress. There is always another step toward further sustainability and self-sufficiency, toward more beauty and abundance.
**********************************************************************
Permaculture Links & Resources
Here are a some of the web resources that we have found useful. Please contact us if you would like to offer additional suggestions!
[url=http://www.permaculture.com/]http://www.permaculture.com/[/url]
International Institute for Ecological Agriculture
[url=http://www.permaculture.co.uk/]http://www.permaculture.co.uk/[/url]
Permaculture Magazine
[url=http://www.permacultureactivist.net/]http://www.permacultureactivist.net/[/url]
The Permaculture Activist Magazine
[url=http://www.permacultureinternational.org/]http://www.permacultureinternational.org/[/url]
The Permaculture International Journal
[url=http://www.thefarm.org/permaculture/]http://www.thefarm.org/permaculture/[/url]
The “Crazy Palestinian’s” Permaculture page
http://www.agamanawa.com/
Nawa Institute serves as an instrument for the strengthening, preservation and furtherance of indigenous knowledge and ancestral traditions, and to ensure the self-determination and human rights of indigenous peoples.
Tierra Lucero and Omega Energy
Tierra Lucero will help to facilitate information sharing, education workshops, facility tours and internships for the Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility.
Company Profile
Co-founded by Bob Pedersen and Victoria Linden in 2001, Tierra Lucero has offered numerous educational and hands-on projects in Northern New Mexico to facilitate the reestablishment of local, organic agriculture, including:
• An 15 acre wetlands Permaculture demonstration site
• A 3 acre, 4 season, organic CSA farm
• The Home Gardens Project: building over 50 backyard and community gardens
• Seasonal agricultural internships
• Volunteer and service learning group programs
• Development assistance to the Taos Pueblo Red Willow Sustainable Education Center
The organization is now focused on developing the Sunday Farmer’s Market in Taos, NM, and raising funds for the Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility, which will eventually supply algae biodiesel to the Taos community, as well as expertise in dairy and biofuel development that may allow for the installation of a similar production facility in Taos.
The Omega Dairy
The Omega Dairy has provided a location for the Energy Research Facility. They will field test algae cake as a feed supplement for Jersey Cows, monitoring the health of the cows and the milk/cheese quality. <br clear=“all”>
<br clear=“all”>
Company Profile
The Omega Dairy is located 10 miles south of Dalhart, in the Texas Panhandle. The dairy is a 500 Jersey cow milking operation, on line since February, 2008, with an additional 450 acres of farmland currently producing alfalfa, corn, wheat, sunflowers and sorghum under 4 center pivots. A composting operation is already underway.
This facility was built and is owned by Thomas White, owner of West Texas Dairy Construction, LP. Tom operates the Omega Research Facility under a lease agreement with Omega Dairy, with a permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to Omega Dairy.
Management
Born in into a dairy family, manager Curt Miersma has a lifetime of experience working with cows, and he’s done it all; milking, feeding, breeding. He makes sure feeding efficiencies are at their best, which means the manure production at the back end will be consistent.
With he and his fellow dairymen already hurting from skyrocketing feed and energy costs, Curt understands the need to utilize animal wastes. When he initially heard about biodigester technology, he thought it was a great idea but the initial investment was outrageous. In his experience, nobody is willing to partner with a dairyman on obtaining this technology without “cutting his throat on the deal.” Curt is very enthusiastic about the mission and development of the Omega Dairy Research Facility.
Curt constantly monitors the inputs to the cow’s feed, and he’ll be assisting the Omega Research Facility in setting up the parameters for the algae cake feeding, and monitoring the nutritional results.
West Texas Dairy Construction
West Texas Dairy Construction will be designing and building the infrastructure of the Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility.
Company Profile
West Texas Dairy Construction was founded in 1984 in the Stephenville, Texas area, building dairies throughout Texas and New Mexico. In the early 2000’s Tom White came onboard to help with construction in the expanding area of the Texas Panhandle. With his 30 years experience in the construction industry, and as a registered Professional Engineer, Tom added a new design dimension to the abilities of the Company. Tom bought the company in 2001, and began building dairies in Dalhart, Texas.
Tom and his son Brandon (pictured here) take pride in making the highest quality product they can. They value the dairy as much as the dairyman does. Each dairy is a fresh, unique design, built to suit the dairyman. Tom and Brandon understand that a dairy is a complex integration of systems that must work seamlessly together to maximize production and efficiency. They are always looking for ways to increase efficiency and lower energy costs for the dairyman.
“West Texas Dairy Construction wants to incorporate biodigesters into our future designs. We want to show dairy owners that manure doesn’t have to be a pollution problem; it can be a profit center. Through simple technologies, we can do away with the harmful by-products of cows and create a carbon neutral footprint for dairies.” — Brandon White
LGI technologies
LGI Technologies will be installing and testing algae bio-reactors and processing equipment on the Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility.<br clear=“all”>
Company Profile
Though actually owned by his two young children, engineer and inventor, Alfonz Visolay (pictured here) is the genius behind the work.
In 1970 Alfonz worked with Learjet Corp. on an idea to produce algae-based fuel. But at the time, gasoline was still plentiful and cheap, and renewable energy projects languished. Now the time has come to put his technology to use and his expertise is becoming widely coveted, as discussed in this recent article in the Abuquerque Business Journal<br clear=“all”>
The Omega Energy team is honored to be working with Alfonz and his family. Their desire for positive global change is inspiring, and their equipment is very colorful!
Alfonz’s algae bio-reactor and processing equipment was recently on display at Ecoversity in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is considered Best Available Technology by California Edison Power Company.<br clear=“all”>
High Plains ACT
High Plains ACT manages the Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility composting operation, and will be managing the facility’s integrated waste-to-energy processes. <br clear=“all”>
50% of ACT profits will be donated to Tierra Lucero for continued funding of the Omega Research Facility and related projects.<br clear=“all”>
Company Profile
Co-owned by Tom White and Bob Pedersen, High Plains ACT was formed in February, 2008, to provide high quality soil amendments and microbial inoculants to the agricultural industries of Dalhart, Texas and beyond.
High Plains ACT incorporates the equipment and proprietary formulas of Bob’s former company, Mountain Rich Soils, LLC.
PRODUCTS
Compost
Our humified compost is produced with dairy manure and other regional ingredients to maintain proper carbon to nitrogen inputs and heating cycles.
Every batch is inoculated with the correct balance of beneficial microorganisms.
Microbial Inoculants
We produce a variety of concentrated formulas of aerobic bacteria, fungi, and higher level soil organisms.
They are safe, effective, and can be used as a soil drench and a foliar feed.
Click here to learn more:
Understanding Compost Tea
Dairy Bedding
Our dairy bedding is made with finely ground, pre-inoculated wood products
<br clear=“all”>
<br clear=“all”>
Click here for the High Plains ACT brochure
Waste to Energy
Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) refers to any waste treatment that creates energy in the form of electricity or heat from a waste source. Such technologies reduce or eliminate waste that otherwise would be transferred to a “greenhouse gas” emitting landfill. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Most WtE processes produce electricity directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels.
Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility Goals
The Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility wants to share systems knowledge while protecting the existing patents of facility participants. This means sharing how the different renewable energy technologies work together, modeling their integrated use for other agricultural communities, and helping to get the technology into their hands.
Though ultimately a profitable business model is our achievable goal, the participants at Omega envision a future of more decentralized energy production where energy costs are sustainable both economically and ecologically. To achieve this, the profit motive will be expanded to include the triple bottom line — economic, environmental and social — understanding that we all “profit” from a stable and safe world.
We believe it will be people like us, skilled, dedicated, concerned and passionate, who will provide many answers to the food and energy crises the world is facing today.
LONG TERM GOALS OF THE OMEGA ENERGY RESEARCH FACILITY
Sharing Knowledge
The motivation of the creators of the Omega Dairy Research Facility is to share the knowledge of small waste-to-energy production by developing:
- A comprehensive website with user interface and teaching capacity
- Educational programs for students to understand energy production and help develop the next generation of biofuel researchers, engineers and trained technicians.
- Tours of the research facility
Helping Underdeveloped Communities
Omega will be available for consultation and its associated businesses will be available for contracting to build similar facilities.
Through grant funding and investment strategies, Omega and its associated businesses will be able to fund the development of similar facilities in underdeveloped areas and in farming communities in the United States and throughout the world.
Creating the Green Collar Work Force
Training is necessary to develop a skilled work force within the industries of science, agriculture, and energy who can further the development of sustainable energy production. The Omega Dairy Research Facility can offer many opportunities for businesses interested in training the “Green Collar” work force.
Questions Answered at the Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility
- How much methane and CO2 can be produced by 500 cows?
- How much algae can be supported by 500 cows?
- How much electricity can be produced by 500 cows?
- How much oil and bio-diesel can be produced from the above process?
- What nutrient value will the resulting compost provide?
- How much cropland can be supported from the compost and microbe tea of 500 cows?
- What cost/benefits are associated with compost and microbe tea applications to center pivot agriculture?
- What is the nutritional and economic value of algae cake as animal feed?
- What are the operational costs of a facility like this?
- What are the market potentials for the products and services developed?
- What income can this facility produce?
Past problems, future solutions
Rising fuel costs
The need to end our dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels is emerging as the number one priority of the 21st century Diesel is a major expense to dairies and farms, and is currently selling for nearly $5/Gal
Problems with current biodiesel production
The use of corn, soybeans, oil-palm and other agricultural crops to produce forms of biodiesel is causing economic and environmental havoc, causing deforestation and driving up food prices world-wide. Algae production does not compete with agriculture or require soil for growth, uses considerably less water than conventional agriculture and its growth and productivity is 30 to 100 times higher than crops like soybeans.
Rising electricity costs
Electricity costs are projected to double in three to five years. Additionally, electrical shortages are pending in Dalhart, TX due to increased load demands from irrigation and dairy growth. Electricity produced by burning methane from biodigesters stabilizes dairy energy costs and increases the reliability of the existing grid.
Growing waste streams
All dairies and feedlots produce manure and will require methods to capture the resulting carbon dioxide and methane. in a way that meets increasingly stringent regulation. Processing manure through a biodigester captures the methane and carbon. Composting manure before applying it on the land eliminates nutrient run-off and ground water contamination, and is more effective for over all soil and plant health than raw manure. Composting also creates higher value products that can be sold outside of the Dalhart area.
Lagoon off-gassing and groundwater contamination
Dairies, feedlots, hog farms etc, all have manure lagoons that are Federally regulated, required water catchment that also release enormous amounts of methane because they’re stagnant and anaerobic. Omega will be creating a series of controlled, aerated tanks, each with unique biological configuration to accelerate natural processes.
High animal feed costs
Dairy farmers today are paying skyrocketing costs in feed; an average of $4.30 per head, per day, the highest cost on the dairy. The production of algae cake for feed supplement could take that cost down. Nutrient values will need to be further tested, but dairymen are very interested in its use because the algae can be used without chemical processing and is likely a very viable, lower cost feed.
Increasing regulations
A carbon tax or similar mechanism to discourage CO2 emissions will significantly increase the economic competitiveness of low-carbon and carbon neutral energy such as biodiesel. “Carbon credits” are awarded to processes mitigating the release of methane and CO2.
Lack of open information and progress
Though a relative handful of renewable energy research projects exist, results have been guarded by Universities, government agencies and private enterprises. This is highly unfortunate, coming at a time when unprecedented collective effort is needed to identify appropriate technologies and transition to renewable energy systems. Meanwhile, no large-scale economically viable strategy for algae biodiesel production has been unveiled.
The Omega Energy Team
The Omega Dairy Energy Research Facility will be open to interested individuals and organizations with the same purpose and goals. As more research projects take place at the facility, time and equipment will need to be scheduled to accommodate the different projects.
The following businesses are currently contracting for testing and development of technology:
The Omega Dairy
West Texas Dairy Construction
LGI Technologies
High Plains ACT
Tierra Lucero
What is Food Sovereignty?
“Food sovereignty” is a term originally coined by members of the international movement known as Via Campesina, in 1996 to refer to a policy framework advocated by a number of farmers, peasants, pastoralists, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, women, rural youth and environmental organizations, namely the claimed “right of peoples to define their own food, agriculture, livestock and fisheries systems,” in contrast to having food largely subject to international market forces.
Via Campesina’s seven principles of food sovereignty include:
Food: A Basic Human Right.
Everyone must have access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food in sufficient quantity and quality to sustain a healthy life with full human dignity. Each nation should declare that access to food is a constitutional right and guarantee the development of the primary sector to ensure the concrete realization of this fundamental right.
Agrarian Reform.
A genuine agrarian reform is necessary which gives landless and farming people – especially women – ownership and control of the land they work and returns territories to indigenous peoples. The right to land must be free of discriminationon the basis of gender, religion, race, social class or ideology; the land belongs to those who work it.
Protecting Natural Resources.
Food Sovereignty entails the sustainable care and use of natural resources, especially land, water, and seeds and livestock breeds. The people who work the land must have the right to practice sustainable management of natural resources and to conserve biodiversity free of restrictive intellectual property rights. This can only be done from a sound economic basis with security of tenure, healthy soils and reduced use of agro-chemicals.
Reorganizing Food Trade.
Food is first and foremost a source of nutrition and only secondarily an item of trade. National agricultural policies must prioritize production for domestic consumption and food self-sufficiency. Food imports must not displace local production nor depress prices.
Ending the Globalization of Hunger.
Food Sovereignty is undermined by multilateral institutions and by speculative capital. The growing control of multinational corporations over agricultural policies has been facilitated by the economic policies of multilateral organizations such as the WTO, World Bank and the IMF. Regulation and taxation of speculative capital and a strictly enforced Code of Conduct for TNCs is therefore needed.
Social Peace.
Everyone has the right to be free from violence. Food must not be used as a weapon. Increasing levels of poverty and marginalization in the countryside, along with the growing oppression of ethnic minorities and indigenous populations, aggravate situations of injustice and hopelessness. The ongoing displacement, forced urbanization, repression and increasing incidence of racism of smallholder farmers cannot be tolerated.
Democratic control.
Smallholder farmers must have direct input into formulating agricultural policies at all levels. The United Nations and related organizations will have to undergo a process of democratization to enable this to become a reality. Everyone has the right to honest, accurate information and open and democratic decision-making. These rights form the basis of good governance, accountability and equal participation in economic, political and social life, free from all forms of discrimination. Rural women, in particular, must be granted direct and active decisionmaking on food and rural issues.
Food sovereignty is increasingly being promoted as an alternative framework to the narrower concept of food security, which mostly focuses on the technical problem of providing adequate nutrition. For instance, a food security agenda that simply provides surplus grain to hungry people would probably be strongly criticised by food sovereignty advocates as just another form of commodity dumping, facilitating corporate penetration of foreign markets, undermining local food production, and possibly leading to irreversible biotech contamination of indigenous crops with patented varieties. U.S. taxpayer subsidized exports of Bt corn to Mexico since the passage of NAFTA is a case in point.
Tierra Lucero Board of Directors
Biodigesters
BIODIGESTERS: Anaerobic and Aerobic
ANAEROBIC
Anaerobic biodigesters convert organic wastes into a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer and biogas, a renewable source of electrical and heat energy. They can be used in a backyard garden, a village farm, or on an industrial scale. There are currently 87 digesters in use by dairies in the United States.
How Does it Work?
As organic waste breaks down it release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat at 23 times the rate of carbon dioxide. A biodigester or biogas system is a waste-management solution that traps methane, making it available for heating, cooking, or electricity generation, and reducing emissions that contribute to climate change.
Biodigesters also create anaerobically processed manure. As waste is processed in a biodigester, it is sterilized by methane-producing bacteria; over 90% of protozoa, cysts and disease-causing bacteria, such as E. Coli, are killed. The effluent that remains after gas production can be used to create a high quality organic soil amendment by reinoculating it with aerobic organisms.
According to the non-profit AIDG that builds biodigesters in developing countries:
The use of smaller scale biodigesters is already widespread in developing countries, particularly India, Nepal, China and Vietnam. Biodigesters help families and villages by providing a cheap source of fuel, preventing environmental pollution from runoff from animal pens, and reducing diseases caused by the use of untreated manure as fertilizer. Biogas is a sustainable substitute for the propane, kerosene, and firewood that many rural families in developing countries use for their domestic energy needs. For those families that buy their fuel, a biodigester can save them hundreds of U.S. dollars every year. For those that gather their own firewood, it can reduce a family’s workload (particularly women and girls) and help prevent the deforestation prevalent in many of these areas.
AEROBIC
Biological water filtration systems
Whereas anaerobic digesters process solids, the Omega Energy aerobic digesters process nutrient rich liquids, using aerobic bacteria, plants and other aquatic life in a tiered, gravity fed system of 3000 gallon tanks. These tanks process the water that runs through the Omega Dairy’s “flush” system, into the manure catchment lagoon.
The end result is reduced greenhouse gas emissions, a clean pond, and several products needed for the algae bioreactors and local agricultural applications.
Green Thumb Gardening Handbook
General Gardening Instruction
(Particularly suited to Home Gardens Project members in Taos, NM)
INDEX
<!-- Intro Preparing the Beds Planting Succession Planting Transplanting Thinning Weeding Pests and Diseases Harvesting Cooking and Nutrition Composting -->
[url=”#top” name=“plant”></a>
Intro
Gardening can be an art, a science, a hobby, a profession, and a passion. However you approach it, remember that it is best learned by doing. So jump in there, make mistakes, discover what works best, and enjoy yourself. Remember to:
- Check your garden every day. Look for pests, overly dry or waterlogged soil, diseased plants, and food to harvest.
How to tell: If your soil is too wet or dry. Stick your finger in it! Often the top of the soil will look bone dry but if you scratch the surface, you’ll find it is moist. Don’t rely on your eyes. It should NOT look silty like riverbed soil. If it does, or if there is mold growing on top, it is too wet!
<a ][back to top][/url]
<h3 id=“prepare”>Preparing the Beds</h3>
*Weed the beds thoroughly before planting. A heavy winter mulch of straw should help keep spring weeds down, but there are always some to deal with! Make sure to get the roots. *Use compost or fertilizer when necessary, usually at the start of each growing season. Mid season fertilizing is best done with a liquid soil drench. Compost is usually added to the soil before planting.
- If you can avoid turning the soil completely, that’s a good thing. Soil develops structure, and turning the soil (and tilling it in a field) destroys that structure.
- If you must turn the soil, be gentle and try not to compact it by stepping on it or watering it with a strong hose spray.
- Rake the beds smooth and even.
- Mulch with a layer of straw even if you haven’t planted yet, to keep the top soil later from drying out and blowing away.
Planting
- Know your last spring frost date! For Taos, it’s generally considered June 1, but we can get frosts much later. Ask your neighbors if they garden and when they like to plant.
- Pay attention to the weather patterns and the climate in your yard in particular. Does your garden sit in a particularly warm or cold spot? Will it need more frost protection than plants in other areas?
- Read the seed packet before planting and follow its directions where they are applicable.
- If you are planting in the square-foot method, follow the instructions for square-foot plant spacing.
- If you are planting in rows, follow seed packet instructions. Think of how big the plant will get and give it enough room.
- For planting depth, read the seed packet directions. You might want to plant a bit deeper than the packet calls for so the seeds don’t dry out in the spring winds.
How to tell: How deep to plant seeds. Generally, the bigger the seed, the deeper you plant. Most big seeds will be planted no deeper than 1/2 to 1 inch deep, and most small seeds will be planted around 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch deep.
- Lightly tamp the soil down over the seed with your hand. Don’t press too hard!
- Lightly mulch the bed with straw. This keeps the plants warmer and the soil surface moist.
How to tell: How thickly to mulch. Mulch should be thick enough to protect the plants and cover the bed, but not so thick that sunlight and air can’t get through, or the seedlings rot under the wet straw. There should be plenty of open spaces, and you should be able to see the soil beneath.
- Water the newly planted seed bed thoroughly with drip irrigation. If you have to use a hose, spray lightly to avoid disrupting the seeds. Don’t let the water make puddles. Spray evenly and saturate the bed.
Important tip: Newly planted seeds need to stay consistently moist to germinate. They need more water than when their roots are established. Don’t let the soil dry out! If it is very hot and windy, set your drip timer to come on three times a day for 10-15 minutes each. Check the soil regularly until the seeds are germinated and standing up strong. Then lower your timer setting to twice a day for 15 minutes or less if it’s raining.
- Cover the beds with row covers to protect the seeds and young plants after they germinate.
Succession Planting
- The best way to get the most out of your garden is to plant in successions throughout the season. Always leave some room in your garden for later plantings, or just plant something new after you pull out old plants that have bolted or that you have fully harvested.
Plants that can be sown every
2, 3, or 4 weeks include:
- Salad greens
- Carrots
- Beets
- Radishes
Plants that like spring and fall plantings include:
- Peas
- Broccoli (preferably from transplant)
- Cauliflower (preferably from transplant)
- Spinach
- Turnips
Plants you plant only once a year include:
- Melons
- Tomatoes (from transplant)
- Corn (sweet corn: 2-3 plantings possible)
- Beans
- Squash
- Onions (from transplant)
- Pepper (from transplant)
- Eggplant
- Garlic
Some plants can over-winter after being planted in late summer or
early fall, including:
Spinach, Salad greens, and perennial flowers planted for next spring.
Cooking greens planted in late summer can last all winter as well!
Transplanting
- Strong sun and wind are hard on new transplants. Set out transplants on a cloudy day to reduce stress or put them out early in the morning or late afternoon. Avoid transplanting during the heat of the day, if at all possible. Provide shade and wind protecting for the transplants by using shade cloth when possible.
- Keep them in their original soil if possible to avoid damaging the roots. If the soil falls apart while you are handling the plant, be careful with the roots. (Often plants like to have their roots broken up a bit if they have become root-bound in their containers. If you see are a big clump of roots and hardly any soil, the plant is root-bound.)
- Dig a hole big enough for the plant and then remove the plant from its container and set it in the hole. Add compost to the hole first if possible.
- Don’t set the plant much deeper into the soil than it was when it was in its container. Don’t cover the stem with soil or it could rot. Also, don’t plant in too shallow so that roots are exposed above the surface. (Some plants are exceptions; tomatoes should be planted more deeply to provide stem support).
- Tamp soil lightly around the plant once it is planted and water it immediately if the soil is very dry.
Thinning
- If you need to thin, wait until the plants have their second set of leaves at least. Choose the weaker plants to remove.
- Pinch the plant out at the base of the step, don’t pull it up! This might disturb the roots of nearby plants that you want to keep growing.
- You can thin in stages if you want to. Take the weakest plants first, leaving the rest to get a big bigger before you take the next thinnings out.
Note: Many plants can be grown big enough to be thinned and eaten, such as baby carrots, beets, turnips, and greens, leaving the rest of the plants to grow to their full size. Be sure to fill in the holes left by the thinned plants with soil.
Weeding
- Remove all weeds and their roots before you plant.
- Don’t pull up weeds near seedlings or small and developing plants, you might disturb their fragile roots. Do a thorough job weeding before you plant, and wait until the plants are very established to pull weeds again. (You probably won’t be able to get the roots of a lot of weeds once your other plants are growing. Pull whatever you can.)
- Keep up with the weeds! Get your kids to weed once a week for an hour if you can. A weeded garden looks much prettier than a weedy garden, and helps to keep down pests. Plus, weeding gets you out into the garden and helps you notice how your garden is doing. It can also be a peaceful and therapuetic experience.
Pests and Diseases
Some bugs you might encounter include:
*Aphids; small usually green, transparent looking bugs. They love tomatoes, Dill, greens, Roses, Columbines and Pansies.
They suck the sap out of plants. Your plant might wilt or turn yellow and look sickly.
*Flea Beetles; small black, hopping bugs. They love many plants, especially mustard greens, Arugula, Tat Soi. They make little holes in plants and can kill small plants before they have a chance to grow.
*Grasshoppers; They can wreak havoc in your garden, one bug can decimate a whole plant over night.
*Tomato Hornworms; very large, really cool looking green caterpillars that camoflauge themselves on your tomato plants
in mid-summer and eat their leaves and stems. They can wipe out half a plant over night.
If you have destructive bugs, please don’t spray any toxic chemicals on your garden!! They are worse for you than the bugs! Sometimes there is nothing to do but pull out the infested, or diseased crops. If you do this, don’t put them in your compost pile, burn them in a bon fire so they don’t transmit their bugs or disease. But usually there are things to do:
- Keep your garden weed free.
- Don’t crowd your plants, keep air flow open. Take row covers off periodically to air out the beds.
- If you know certain bugs will show up at a certain time to eat a certain plant, don’t plant it at that time!
(Example: Flea beetles love Arugula and Tat Soi in the very early spring, so we generally avoid planting them until later
in the year so we don’t host a thriving flea beetle population that will torment us all summer). - Plants love rain so let them get rained on if there is also no hail. This might also wash off some bugs like aphids.
- Some bugs can be simply washed off, such as aphids, or picked off, such as tomato horn worms, and other destructive worms (Earth worms are, of course, beneficial and never to be killed if you can avoid it).
- Pyrythium-Rotenone is an organic bug killer that can be used if you have a really bad infestation
- Fertilize your soil and/or add compost. Healthy soil makes plants healthy which helps them to deter pests.
- Row covers will help to deter some pests like grasshoppers.
- Plant a “trap” crop nearby. Certain plants attract certain pests, for instance Dill attracts aphids. If you plant a lot of dill
near your garden, the aphids might go for the Dill and leave your other plants alone. - Some plants, like those in the Umbelum family (Dill, Carrots, Cilantro), attract beneficial insects with their flat topped flowers. In large gardens, be sure to devote 5% of your space to beneficial insect habitat. Beneficials often eat other pests. (Lady bugs love to eat aphids).
Harvesting
- Harvest in the morning or evening for best flavor, and if the food is going to be stored. If you are going to eat it right
away, harvest whever you need to. - DON’T LEAVE FOOD IN THE SUN! It will wilt immediately. Put harvested food directly into cold water if you can,
(bring a bucket out to the garden with you) wash it off, then store in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place. - Picking the fruits of many flowering plants will encourage more production, so keep picking!
- Harvest lettuces and salad greens while they’re young, before they become bitter and bolt. (Cut the outer, older leaves
of leafy greens for harvest, leaving the younger inner leaves to keep growing. For full-head lettuces, cut the entire head off, leaving an inch or two to let another head grow). - Spinach hates hot weather and will bolt fast in summer, so pick while you can!
- Keep up with your zuccini! Pick them while they’re small and tender, they grow fast and end up as big as watermelons and then no one wants to deal with them! (Though they’re good to stuff when they’re big).
- Pick your pole beans before they get old and stringy.
- Eat your tomatoes before the bugs do! Harvesting makes for more fruit!
- Turnips are nutty and sweet when young, but get bitter when they’re very big and growing in hot weather.
- Radishes get spicier as they get older. If you can’t handle them really hot, get em’ while they’re young!
Cooking and Nutrition
There are many wonderful and simple ways to prepare vegetables. Invest in some good vegetable cookbooks if you don’t already