White Swan Acres

NEW HOLLAND, PA There is, indeed, a swan which resides at White Swan Acres. It is part of the farm, mentioned Daniel S. He said it was here before he started farming the land seven years ago. This particular swan is a distinguished figure that has an itinerary of its own and has little influence on the operations of the farm. But its abiding connection to the land gives vitality to the folks who live or visit here. The swan is a creature for the mythos, grist for conversation and strikingly beautiful to observe. On a muggy morning a few hours after sunrise, Daniel S., who operates White Swan Acres, already had drops of perspiration above his brow. He was crouched down on a bed of golden hay among the fragrant tomato plants picking the plump, red fruit. The tomatoes grow in tunnels with open sides, stretching for about a hundred yards under a white, semi-opaque canopy. For his first few seasons Daniel tried to grow the tomatoes in direct sunlight but found that they couldnt hold up to the sometimes harsh growing conditions of Central PA. The variety of tomato Daniel has selected prefers cooler and wetter climate but were chosen because they hold up better to disease. With a strict prohibition on chemicals organic farms select plants that have developed a natural resistance to blight. Daniel has a deep concern with matters of blight, pests and climate which he develops more with each year. He has been growing tomatoes every summer since the first one in 2004 and has experienced some

crop failures. The hot houses were devised to shade the tomatoes and prolong their harvest season. Another solution was to start seeding the tomatoes in a greenhouse starting in February. After six weeks he transplanted them and has just begun to pick their fruit. Daniel has been hustling all spring with planting and weeding and offered an aphorism: If you run while planting, youll run twice as fast during harvest. This is an insight to the unrelenting work required of a successful crop. Daniel knows he will be hustling even more as the season progresses, but its a tacit part of working the land. To alleviate this particular stress he can call on his network of farmers to provide extra manual labor needed for harvest. There is a bittersweet element to being so focused on ones own land. It doesnt allow much for visiting other farms and speaking with farmers to compare methods. If he cant make it to other farms Daniel would at least prefer to see photographs. They can be the essential tool of clarity that is needed. Nonetheless, each summer contains lessons which Daniel gleans from the 50 acres at White Swan, 20 of which is under his direct stewardship. As he strolled by a Roma tomato plant, Daniel eyed a Tomato Horn Worm clinging to the underside of a vine. They can damage the plants through their ceaseless foraging. To get rid of the worms Daniel relies on the parasitic wasp which is the natural predator the worm, wheras a conventional farm might use insecticide. At present, there are blackberry and raspberry bushes that are coming on. As Daniel toured the property he snagged a few berries to sample. The blackberries were tart and will become sweeter in

the next week and then picked. Daniel noted that there will be some berries that are sweet-as-sugar but wont make it to market because they are over-ripe. These are consumed on-site as they are picked not a bad incentive for the toiling work. While tomatoes are the primary crop, the berries could be considered a secondary. To further diversify his acreage, Daniel has chosen to grow onions, sweet corn, cantaloupe, watermelons, sweet potatoes and fall radishes. The cantaloupes and watermelon will soon be arriving in the shares. He has buckwheat planted to attract the honey bees which he has started keeping and use as a cover crop. At the edge of White Swan there was a small group of trees that were hosting a brood of singing cicadas. Cicadas are as permanent to the land as the swan even though their time above ground is brief. The fruit and vegetables have a longer life above ground and the trees longer yet. Throughout the year they all go through their changes. These are the rhythms of the land. And though they dont all contribute directly to the yield, they offer a sense of place.