Quote:
Originally Posted by habitat_gardener
I came across some interesting videos featuring Helen Atthowe in Montana. She uses living mulch between rows of vegetables, and mows the mulch periodically, but does not weed. At one point she mentions that mallow -- usually considered a weed -- turns out to be a good nitrogen scavenger. When it's cut back, it adds more N than legumes or hay, about 80 pounds N per ton. Here's one of the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJk4R1xpMC8&feature
She also mentioned that because of the living mulch, she gets earlier peppers and tomatoes than anyone else at the farmers market, and the plants are healthier and more vigorous. |
That is almost the exact same as I was proposing actually. The main differences being paper covered in mulch instead of black plastic, and the addition of the possibility of animal husbandry with the inclusion of either feathernet electric fencing or chicken (and or rabbit) tractors in a managed intensive rotational grazing model, instead of only mowing the cover between rows. It makes a second (or third) income stream on the same land simultaneously.
But if you watch both part 1 and part 2 and get that in your head. Then watch this play list:
Short version
or this play list:
long version
Then take the two methods (from Helen and Joel) and combine them, add in companion planting techniques and sheet mulching, then you should be able to get an idea of the method I eventually will try to develop.
I saw Helen Atthowe's Biodesign Farm vids on her technique last year and that is one of the inspirations I had for the Redbaron technique I am trying to develop. I also have known about Joel Salatin's PolyFace Farm for many years, and always though it was great, but missing vegetable crop production. For a few years I have been churning the thought in the back of my mind on how to properly add crop production to Salatin's model, or animal husbandry to no till sheet mulching crop production, all in a scalable commercial model.
Needless to say after watching Helen Atthowe's Biodesign Farm vids, I had my AHA moment. Now it is just to put it all together and prove it can work!
I will start small and try to add each element one by one so I don't get overwhelmed. However, in my heart of hearts, I think it will work and really increase production per acre and profit per acre of farmland WELL over anything conventional could possibly even come close to. At the same time it should maintain a sustainable ecology that actually IMPROVES over time. We will see.
PS. I am still looking for volunteers for year one. Hint Hint
