DeLand farmer proves small can be huge

BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
Down on the farm — Farmer Richard Marshall, center, accepts honors from George Johnson, a district conservationist of the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Michele Moen of the Volusia Soil and Water Conservation District. Marshall was recognized for his water-saving methods in growing citrus and fern on his small farm.

Richard Marshall’s making it, and saving water, too

By Al Everson
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Apr 4, 2009 - 10:52:05am

A DeLand man has answered the old question: “How are you going to keep ’em down on the farm?”

While academics, economists and politicians have talked for years about the query posed in that World War I-era song, Richard Marshall of DeLand is defying the naysayers. He’s making a living on land he acquired from his parents.

The 14-acre farm just southwest of the DeLand city limits is a sort of experiment, where Marshall is perfecting new ways of using less water. Half of his farm is a citrus grove where he experiments with ways to use fewer chemical fertilizers and toxic insecticides.

“This grove uses a fraction of the chemical fertilizer that the uninformed grove-owners are using,” Marshall said.

His goal is to farm “by a balance of nutrients.”

Marshall is a full-time farmer on his relatively small farm. A graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in engineering, he now makes his living on his land. His water-saving and reduced-chemical methods decrease his expenses, as well as minimizing environmental impacts.

“I really like the idea of living in harmony with the natural balance,” he said.

Marshall’s grove is a revival of citrus farming that was devastated by the Christmas 1983 and January 1985 freezes.

Those freezes, followed by the Christmas 1989 freeze, were devastating to grove owners. Thousands of acres of citrus in Volusia County were not replanted. Some of the land was sold for commercial or residential development.

Marshall, by contrast, cultivates approximately 1,000 trees that produce a variety of eye-appealing and tasty citrus.

“We ship this fruit all over the United States,” he said, pointing to bags full of grapefruit and oranges, and to jars of honey made by bees that pollinate his trees.

Marshall also grows tree fern and foliage for the floral industry.

To get such a prize harvest, Marshall is relying on tensiometers, or special sensors that measure the moisture of the soil. The tensiometers are connected to his irrigation system, and sprinkling stops when the soil moisture reaches a necessary minimum level determined by careful record-keeping.

“Farmers don’t irrigate any more than they have to,” Marshall said.

Reduced irrigation not only saves water, but also the diesel fuel used to operate pumps.

The tensiometers were installed with a federal grant of $2,150 under the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).

George Johnson, the district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), helped Marshall get the grant. The NRCS is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Everybody thinks USDA programs are for large corporate farms, and that’s not the case,” Johnson said.

About 25 other Volusia County farmers are using or have applied for EQIP grants, he added.

To make certain his trees remain healthy, Marshall’s soil is routinely tested, as are the leaves of the citrus trees. The analyses, done by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, show Marshall whether he needs to add fertilizer, and if so, which types.

“The natural micronutrients are like zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium and iron,” Johnson explained. “The macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.”

Marshall takes pride in the health of his citrus trees.

“A healthy tree will survive pests, injury and cold weather,” he said.

Toxic pesticides are not part of the regimen on Marshall’s farm. Several years ago, he brought some manatee citrus-tree snails from a grove in Brevard County to his own grove. These snails, which control pests, give the leaves a shiny and waxy appearance.

“I put two on each tree,” he said. “There are snails all over this grove.”

The use of the snails to control pests is yet another step in farming with natural methods. Marshall uses the term “semi-organic” to describe his effort.

“I can’t say organic, because citrus is not native to Florida,” he said.

Citrus originated in China. The first citrus trees were brought to Florida by Spanish settlers, while Florida was part of the Spanish Empire.

And they’re producing food today at the Marshall farm.

“This is a success story,” Johnson said.

Marshall’s efforts to increase crop yield with less water and the careful application of nutrients into the soil have been recognized by the Volusia Soil and Water Conservation District. Michele Moen, a member of the Soil and Water Conservation District’s elected board, presented a certificate to Marshall in March, praising his stewardship of the environment and his small-farm success.

“People think you have to own 500 acres to make a living, and that’s not true,” Moen said.

— al@beacononlinenews.com

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