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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Sustainable market growing
  • Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 08:45:33 -0600


My guess is the best way to find out also depends on the area. What are
others growing around you? And are they crops that can be marketed locally
at retail? What's hot at the local farmers markets? My suggestion also is
not to judge by what grows in tractor rows, but how does it do in wide rows
or raised beds with legume cover crop rotations to build soil. Further, are
they crops that can be produced longer by season extension techniques?

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.
--Henry David Thoreau
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 8/11/2006 at 9:55 AM Norma Sutton wrote:

>Hi Paul,
>I have a question for you. What is the best way to find out which crops
>grow best in the area you are in? I've been trying a few rows of
something
>different each year to see how well they do in my area, but is there a
>better way then the way I'm doing it?
>Norma
>
>
> Here's what we know, for starters.
>>
>> 1. Building healthy soil can double or triple production for the same
or
>> lower input costs and labor.
>> 2. You can achieve healthy, humus-rich, productive soil at much lower
>> cost
>> with the right cover crops and/or composting free materials or what's
>> produced onsite.
>> 3. The resulting healthy soil needs much less irrigation, drains
better,
>> and makes crops more resistant to weather and pest problems without
>> chemical inputs.
>> 4. Intelligently used, no-till techniques and mulch can slash equipment
>> costs, energy costs, and labor.
>> 5. Permanent layout of wide rows or raised beds concentrates inputs in
>> the
>> growing areas instead of aisles you walk on. No monster tractors needed.
>> You don't waste money fertilizing or weeding ground you walk on. This
>> layout alone can double production or better.
>> 6. Best selection of crop seed and varieties for the climate and market
>> improves chances of having good crops and selling them. This is a hard
>> lesson for those who think they know what they want to grow. It may not
>be
>> what people want to eat in Peoria or Tuscon.
>> 7. Cutting the cost of inputs and labor with sustainable practices
means
>> a
>> wider profit margin, healthier plants, and tastier, healthier eating.
>> 8. Season extension techniques can grow more and longer, producing more
>> for the space available without increasing all other costs.
>> 9. With your available space more productive and lowered input costs,
>you
>> get that wider profit margin on more produce volume.
>> 10. Of course selling direct to regular customers gets you the retail
>> price
>> without wasting time at a farmers market (though it's a good place to
>> locate regular customers).
>>
>>
>> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>> -------------------
>>
>>







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