Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Dianne Palmer-Quay <R_DQuay@compuserve.com>]

My DH and I are debating the how-to's of a rainwater collection system.  We
are thinking of setting up a 1000 gal above ground tank (bought used, I
hope) to hold roof run-off.  The tank would be about 3 ft higher than the
closest (which is also the highest) point of the garden. We are looking for
resources on shunting the first few gallons to keep the water cleaner and
how to calculate if the drop is great enough to run a t-tape drip
irrigation system and if algae growth is going to be a big problem.  Any
input?  This would be to water 1000 sq ft of vegetable beds and a few fruit
trees and small fruits.  It could possibly also be used for animal
watering.  I have another 2000 sq ft of garden at another location on a
well, but I am on city water at home.

I am also looking for a lazy way to reseed ground after a chicken tractor
moves on.  The chickens are on very sandy ground and broadcasting seed
(even if rain is expected) does not seem to work (or maybe birds come and
eat it - this is also borrowed ground so I don't observe it daily).  Any
ideas?  Does anyone know if sheep can be used to "plant" broadcasted seed
by stepping on it with their pointy hooves as they browse? I saw a passing
comment on this somewhere and I wondered if it was true.

Finally, does anyone know anything about root cellar type storage in the
South?  My crawl space is about 74 degrees now (outside highs are the upper
90's) which is where I am storing the surplus potatoes and winter squash
from this year's garden.  But that temperature is too warm (according to
the books).  Any ideas how I could create a cooler space without a
refrigeration device?

I have a 1.25 acre shaded yard with a garden, a few blue-, black-, rasp-
and gooseberry bushes, several grapes (I need to make jam this weekend),
several fruit trees, two Angora rabbits (my teenage dd is a handspinner)and
a dog.  Soon we will be adding two Shetland sheep wethers (for the same dd)
and hopefully a dairy goat (for me).  We also raise about 100 broilers a
year for ourselves and friends.  On borrowed (and sunnier)land I have a
larger garden plot and two chicken tractors of a dozen hens each (my
teenaged ds' business).  I am pleased with my progress in vegetable
gardening - now I need to learn how to really handle fruits.  I have been
gardening here in this sand over clay soil for 6 years and the soil is
looking good in much of the garden, but I want to get more efficient at
using cover crops and green manures (and how to use a scythe!). 

Dianne in SC