The Red Baron Project year two

[Redbaron]

I am starting year two in a different forum because the project is growing and can now be considered a market project instead of a garden project. YEAH! For those following the project, don't worry. I still consider it an organic "green" permaculture project. But instead of "Gardening in the green", it is now becoming "Farming for market in the green"!

The first year can be found here: The Red Baron Project year one

For my project I am using these 10 principles:

Principle 1: No till and/or minimal till with mulches used for weed control
Principle 2: Minimal external inputs
Principle 3: Living mulches between rows to maintain biodiversity
Principle 4: Companion planting
Principle 6: The ability to integrate carefully controlled modern animal husbandry (optional)
Principle 5: Capability to be mechanized for large scale or low labor for smaller scale
Principle 7: As organic as possible, while maintaining flexibility to allow non-organic growers to use the methods
Principle 8: Portable and flexible enough to be used on a wide variety of crops in many areas of the world
Principle 9: Sustainable ie. beneficial to the ecology and wildlife
Principle 10: Profitable

I am still asking humbly that anyone else interested in helping to try it out themselves, even in a small test plot, and welcome them to post their results good and bad here.

“Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.”
― Thomas A. Edison

Yesterday I finally hashed out a deal with a small farm to expand my project. It used to be horse hobby farm, that no longer raises horses. In the past he has also raised wheat, chickens and calves. So there are fields ready for being put to good use. He was a customer to my tiny tomato stand last year and was intrigued when I walked him through and showed him my growing methods. I guess seeing is believing, although even he isn't 100% convinced yet. But he is convinced enough to be willing to offer his land for the experiment at no more payment than all the tomatoes he can eat and can in a year! And he is helping me in ways I never even dreamed because he not only has some farm equipment, he also has a wealth of knowledge and experience! Thank you from the bottom of my heart Carl.

I will start with 1 or 2 acres not to be overwhelmed, and there are plenty of other paddocks available for the future as my project grows. We have already walked off the first paddock and he will mow and build a cold frame in the coming days. Meanwhile I will be getting out the starting trays, seed starting greenhouses and heat mats to start that ball rolling.

As with last year, I will be posting pictures and links to those people influencing my project as the season progresses.