Appropriate Technology On Harmony Farm 
by Meredith Coleman and Keith Richards 
(This article was originally printed in Southern Sustainable Farming, issue no. 11, July 1996, published by Southern SAWG.) 

LUMBERTON, Mississippi--In many ways, Mark and Shelley Babcock are typical of the approximately 600,000 farmers in the United States who farm less than 50 acres. They work hard, grow high dollar crops, try to hit niche markets, and hold down other jobs to help make ends meet.

They are also representative of one of the few growing segments of the farming population--those who are migrating from cities. The Babcocks moved from New Orleans to their 50-acre piece of property in southern Mississippi eight years ago with the goal of making a living full-time on their small acreage and raising produce for the rest of their lives.

Although they broke even after four years, they still supplement their farming income for now. Shelley works full-time at the Internal Revenue Service in Hattiesburg and part-time on the farm, while Mark works full-time on the farm and often takes other part-time jobs during the winter.  

Finding a Way to Sustain the Workload 

Having experimented with many other crops in the past, Mark and Shelley have settled on three main crops this year: three acres of spring tomatoes, followed by six acres of fall bell peppers, then four acres of winter cabbage. Products are chosen based on market windows and the demand time for high market prices. "For example, early May tomatoes in the Jackson, Mississippi market have higher market prices," says Mark. To hit those niches in the marketplace, the Babcocks have invested in a few pieces of appropriate technology to help them produce a greater volume and maximize the labor of one or two people.

The life cycle of their plants begins in a vacuum seeder. This $600 machine allows the Babcocks to sow each block of a seedling flat with precision, and eliminates the tasks of thinning and pricking out. Mark says one person can sow a flat--64 seedlings--in a minute. He claims he once planted 461 flats in one day with the help of this machine and two other people.

Then, the newly-sown flats are moved to one of two home-made greenhouses to give the tomato plants an early start in the spring and, with sides rolled up, to shade pepper plants in the summer. "The greenhouses protect young bell pepper plants from the intense heat and also enhance plant reproduction," Mark says.

Mark built each 20' x 80' greenhouse for about $300-400 in materials. First, he painted a large circle on the ground in the size of his frame. Then he used a simple pipe crimper to bend 3/4" EMT pipe into a half circle hoop patterned on the paint. Once he had made enough hoops, he bolted them together with long straight pipe using electrical joints. The racks for seedling trays were constructed out of wood slotted and glued together to make an upside down "T". Fans for the greenhouses came from local poultry houses; when poultry farms upgrade, they sell their old fans for next to nothing, according to Mark. He bought the outer plastic covering from a wholesale supplier.

When it comes time to prepare soil beds for the young plants, the Babcocks use a bedder attached to the three-point hitch on their 40 HP tractor. The bedder not only beds up the soil, but it lays down a drip irrigation line and black plastic, and tucks in the edges of the plastic with soil. Mark says it takes a little adjusting early on, but once you get it set, it really works well.

The drip line irrigation system helps them produce higher yields and the black plastic serves as an effective weed control. Mark notes that the dark bottom coloring of the plastic prevents photosynthesis and destroys weed growth, reducing the use of chemical herbicides and multiple passes with a cultivator. "Plastic culture also retains vapor, decreases water usage, and reduces growing time from 14 to 21 days," he adds. The biggest drawback, as other farmers have discovered, is removing it and finding an ecological way of disposal at the end of the season. 

Planting by Machine Made All the Difference in the World 

Transplanting is done with the help of a Water Wheel Transplanter, purchased last spring for $2,000. Lee Whiddon, an older neighbor, usually operates the tractor while Mark and Shelley ride on the two rear seats, dropping plants in the pre-dug holes. "Planting by machine made all the difference in the world in how much we could get done," says Mark. It also helped save their backs. "My wife gave me hugs and kisses for buying this."

Both the tomatoes and peppers are planted in single rows on the beds. The Babcocks bought broom handles for $.10 each to use as stakes. Lines of twine are then weaved around the plants and stakes into a Florida weave trellising system to support the fruit. After the season is over, Mark bundles the stakes and drops them into a solution of bleach to rid them of lingering diseases.

Lack of labor is most acute during harvest time. This spring, the Babcocks invested $28,000 in a packing shed and packing line so they could sort and pack their tomatoes and peppers more efficiently. Mark says, "That was probably the best decision we made this year." Instead of having to pack their tomatoes all day, they picked from 5 to 8:30 each morning, then moved into the shade to pack and sort for a few hours. By mid-afternoon, one person could deliver the boxes of vegetables to market, while someone else could tend to the peppers in the greenhouse and other chores.

The Babcocks market a large portion of their produce through the state-owned Bassfield Packing Shed. Set up by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture, the packing shed assists small farmers with marketing, packaging, and processing. "The facility has been the difference between success and failure," says Mark. "They found markets for our peppers last year, let us use the packing line--and even provided helpers for free--and provided boxes at cost." Through a revolving fund, growers also receive a percentage of their sales upon delivery.

Still, when wholesale prices drop below the cost of production at the peak of the season, Mark makes sure they have other outlets. He is selling a small portion of their crops direct to consumers at the Green Market in New Orleans and at their farm. And he's always searching for new crops and new niches in the marketplace. If he built 10 more greenhouses, Mark thinks he could grow winter bell peppers to compete with the peppers coming out of Holland.

"Living modestly has allowed us to farm, and its been a good process," says Mark. "Financially we're doing fair, yet the ideal is to totally farm." Mark and Shelley are finding the way.