Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[<mdnagel@verizon.net>]

What are folks' thoughts about broadforks?  Do they fit in the "no-till" 
category?


-Mark Nagel
Everett, WA


>From: Nigel Kirby <naturespirit@clearwire.net>

>I would love to hear more about your gardening/farming methods Paul (and
>anyone else). I have just started market gardening this year and can already
>tell I have a lot to learn about the business. Not making very much money
>but I'm loving the work. I know I need to get more efficient and would love
>to learn from others how they are doing this and bringing in an income.
>
>I'm all for no till and would love to hear what this means to others and how
>they're doing it.
>I sheet mulched some new planting areas last fall for this season but had to
>do a lot of weeding to remove rhizominous (sp?) grasses, which I have found
>sheet mulching will not get rid of, and ended up disturbing the soil quite a
>bit. I also used a ton of mulch and can't imagine how much I would need to
>do a bigger area.
>Another area I left covered in straw all winter seemed too hard to plant
>directly into after I removed the mulch (I was hoping to see a nice layer of
>compost on the surface) so  I went through with my fork trying to crack the
>soil but without turning it.
>
>Any advice on these topics and market gardening in general would be greatly
>appreciated. I have lots of room to expand but I would prefer to use what I
>have and sell as much as I can from my existing beds.
>
>Thanks for the help
>
>Nige