Ray Bauml is one of my heroes. To me, Ray was the spirit of organic agriculture. He was gentle and encouraging, wise and practical, and he always had a twinkle in his eye. He passed away July 22.
Ray was a long-time organic farmer from Marysburg, Sask. He began farming with his father in 1950. He converted to organic farming in 1987 and it became a passion for him. He was joined by his nephews in 1990. At that point the farm supported five families.
Ray was an innovative producer, growing quinoa, buckwheat and millet, as well as the more traditional wheat, oats, barley, flax and lentils. He used green manures such as forage pea and mixtures of yellow sweetclover and red clover.
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Ray was pivotal in establishing the organic producer-certifier group Organic Crop Improvement Association, Chapter 5, often referred to as the Marysburg Chapter.
He also participated in organizing an important marketing co-operative for organic grain.
Ray was an example and a mentor to many, from local farmers to people who became leaders in the organic community, and to me.
He was honoured by his local peers when they nominated him as Outstanding Organic Farmer of the Year and by Organic Connections, which presented him with an Organic Pioneer award.
Although Ray would not accept the term expert, he shared with the organic community and was a sought after speaker at organic meetings and workshops and at Organic Connections.
Some of Ray’s advice has become folk wisdom. For instance, a new organic producer approached Ray, worried about a grain field yellow with wild mustard. Ray suggested he go fishing for two weeks. By the time he got back, the blooms would be off the mustard and the problem wouldn’t look nearly as bad.
Wild mustard is common on organic farms. Some years it is hard to control because it continues to germinate throughout the season after controls are possible. Its vibrant blooms are hard to miss and it can be the talk of coffee row.
But sometimes it looks like more of a problem than it is. Often a strong and healthy crop lies just beneath the yellow display.
Ray’s approach was eminently sensible. He took life as it came and didn’t let challenges keep him from enjoying life. He understood working with nature rather than against it.
Ray’s advice was often simple and practical. At one organic meeting we were talking about beneficial soil organisms such as mycorrhizae. They help plants access water and nutrients that would otherwise be out of reach to plant roots. They are often found in abundance in established organic fields.
One producer asked what could be done if these organisms had been destroyed by intensive chemical use. Ray told us that when he brought a new field into organic production, especially if he felt fertility would be an issue, he would go to one of his better fields, dig up a couple pails of soil, and shovel it out on the new field.
In this way, he was inoculating his new field with the beneficial organisms suited to his location and management.
Ray was always gentle with his comments. Once I was talking to a group of producers about the benefits of alfalfa in rotations. Three or four years of alfalfa generally controls weeds like Canada thistle. The mowing sets the weeds back, and the competition from the more vigorous crop prevents them from fully recovering. Rather than challenge me during my talk, Ray came up to me after and quietly suggested that, yes, alfalfa worked well for Canada thistle, but it could really increase a quackgrass problem.
I enjoyed attending meetings with Ray. He could be irreverent while still respectful. He had perspective that was wise, yet practical. I always learned more if I sat near Ray. And it was more fun.
We in the organic community have been blessed with many gifts. Ray’s example, and now his memory, are among the more precious of these.
Thank you, Ray.
Brenda Frick, senior research and extension associate for Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at the University of Saskatchewan, welcomes comments at 306-966-4975 or organic@usask.ca. OACC articles are archived at www.oacc.info.
