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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Market-farming Digest, Vol 97, Issue 43

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  • From: Steve Gilman <stevegilman AT verizon.net>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Market-farming Digest, Vol 97, Issue 43
  • Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:36:04 -0500

Hi all,

Here's a write-up of a "biostrip intercropping" method developed back in the 1990's that uses between-the-bed pathways as a resource for mulch material and an ongoing habitat and pollen and nectar food supply to breed up beneficial insects for definitive biocontol of pests.


best,
Steve
On Feb 21, 2011, at 1:22 PM, market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:23:33 -0500
From: Benjamin Shute <benjamin AT heartyroots.com>
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] mulching pathways
Message-ID:
<AANLkTikz9J-iwtojjyeTLmhy+Q_3oFhWciQd=kwADiKW AT mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

On our 20 cultivated acres we sow dutch white clover and perennial ryegrass
between our plastic mulch beds (which are flat beds not raised beds).  We
mow them regularly--  when we were using a cheapo push lawn mower we needed
to mow almost weekly or else the weeds would get big enough that it would be
a nightmare to mow.  Now we have a walk-behind string trimmer that lets us
mow once every two weeks, and can do a good job getting the weeds that sneak
up next to the edge of the mulch because the string trimmer can reach over
the edge without tearing the plastic (usually).

I know of a large organic veggie farm that straw mulches between plastic
mulch, but they have large equipment to make their own straw and to shred it
into the paths.  They still end up hand weeding their paths when weeds poke
through.  But they also say they get a huge fertility boost in following
years from the contributions of the straw.

--Ben

--
Hearty Roots Community Farm
P.O. Box 277
Tivoli, NY 12583
(845) 943-8699



  • Re: [Market-farming] Market-farming Digest, Vol 97, Issue 43, Steve Gilman, 02/21/2011

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