Hello Gardeners I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow! Dr. Buz Kloot was talking to community garden organizer Michael Dantzler of Eastover and me at the Jason Carter Farm field day. He suggested that we read the One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka. Danztler was already familiar with it but had to bone up. One quote I found is important to keep in mind as we explore new farming techniques like no-till and cover cropping. This is what Fukuoka said, “I believe that even ‘returning to nature’ and anti-pollution activities, no matter how commendable, are not moving toward a genuine solution is they are carried out solely in reaction to the over development of the present age. As we heard over and over at our field day program, In all the work done in testing new farming techniques, the bottom line is that farmers must make a profit if they are to stay in business.
Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.