Duck, duck, rice: Vermont farm models diverse method of raising sustainable grains

Boundbrook Farm's agroecology system for growing rice relies on mulard (French for ‘mule-like’), a hybrid, non-fertile duck, to control weed growth and provide fertilizer, eliminating the use of pesticides or other chemicals. The ducks are released into the paddies about seven to ten days after the rice seedlings are transplanted, allowing time for the roots to take hold. Image courtesy of Boundbrook Farm.

FERRISBURGH, Vermont — The home that farmer Erik Andrus built with his wife, Erica, sits on a slight rise above a stretch of fields that have been subjected to a variety of agricultural pursuits. Outside his kitchen window, the outline of rice paddies is now part of the evolving story of a farmer who is … Continue reading Duck, duck, rice: Vermont farm models diverse method of raising sustainable grains