Fields of Study

Some of the fields of study that the MO Farm Tour hopes to explore...

Major Categories

1.  Food & Water

2.  Clothing & Textiles

3.  Shelter & Materials

4.  Health & Fitness

5.  Tools & Equipment

6.  Energy & Power

7.  Transportation

8.  Communication

9.  Ecology & General Science

10. Industry & Machinery

11. Recycling & Salvage

12. Business & Marketing

1. Food & Water

• produce

  • heirloom & hybrids

  • companion plantings

  • cover crops

  • "dry farming" - interesting fact:  it is illegal to irrigate vineyards in France (crops should be planted where they naturally belong)

  • natural pest controls

• herbs - culinary & medicinal

• livestock - from breeding to butchering

  • beef & dairy cattle;  oxen

  • bison, buffalo, & beefalo

  • draft horses, mules, donkeys

  • pigs - esp. acorn foragers

  • goats, llamas, alpacas

  • sheep - wool & hair

  • rabbits

  • poultry - chickens, ducks, turkeys

  • aquaculture - incl. closed loop systems

• grains

  • stone-milling

  • breadmaking

• dairy

  • raw milk, cream, butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt

  • trees

    • lumber, furniture, windbreaks, shade, fruiting

• hydroponics & vertical crops

• soil analyses

• beer- & wine-making

• greenhouses

• CSAs & farmers' markets

• food storage, canning, dehydrating

• fencing - electric & barbed-wire

• working dogs - LGDs, herding

• water well-drilling

  • rain cachement systems 

• irrigation

• REGENERATIVE FARMING

2. Clothing & Textiles

• sewing & weaving

• looms & dyes

• ropes & knots

• wool & shearing

• flax > linen

• cotton

• leather & tanning

3. Shelter & Materials

• general construction practices

• post & beam log cabins

• cob buildings

• straw bale construction

• thatched roofs

• "tiny houses"

• trees - lumber & milling

• clay brick-making

• earthen shelters

4. Health & Fitness

• naturopathy

• fasting

• diet & nutrition

• field dressings

• ergonomics & biomechanics

• exercise & self-defense

5. Tools & Equipment

• tractors & implements

• draft animal tack

• construction, carpentry, mechanical, electrical, plumbing tools

6. Energy & Power

• wind energy

• solar - passive & photovoltaic

• water power

• geothermal

• biofuels - switchgrass pellets, ethanol, biodiesel

• storage batteries

• horse / oxen power

• insulation

7. Transportation

• horse & carriage ("coach & four")

• bicycles & trailers

• shipping routes

• ride sharing systems

• vehicle maintenance

• hot air balloons

8.  Communication

• web design & internet

• carrier pigeons

• languages - German, Spanish, Chinese, Sign, &c

• music - folk, instrumental, traditional

• smoke signals

• storytelling

9. Ecology & General Science

• weather

• astronomy

• rocks, minerals, and local geology

• farm chemistry - fuels, pesticides, cleansers

• hyperaccumulators (e.g. Alyssum murale) and phytomining - process of using plants that take up and store metals in their leaves

• beneficial plants & insects -  ladybugs, praying mantis, assassin bugs, spiders, silkworms

• vermiculture (worms)

• beekeeping

• wildlife - bats, birds, frogs, snakes, turtles

10. Industry & Machinery

• lathes

• drill presses

• welding

• blacksmithing & forges

• hydraulics

• small engine repair

11. Recycling & Salvage

• waste seperation

• composting

• outhouses w/ cedar chip receptacles

• anaroebic digesters & "Living Machines"

• repurposed materials

12. Business & Marketing

• budgets & accounting

• business planning

• cost-benefit analysis

• value-added products

  • tomato sauce, pickling, sauerkraut, switchel

  • rustic furniture

• dry goods

  • candles

  • soap

  • farm-made artworks (e.g. herbal watercolors, farm iron art)

• farmer's market operations

• intentional communities

• government regulations

• commodities / futures trading

• insurance, law & contracts

• real estate & site planning