Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com>]

Mark,

 

The principles are the same whether in a garden or a farm. It is just a matter of scale. It can be done by hand or using small tractor and equipment.  People are doing it.  Use drip irrigation.  

 

The solution to your soil problem is simple. Add organic matter.  Either grow it and leave it on top of the ground or bring it in.

 

Ken

 I'm not too far from you, about 90 miles south.  I'm a dry land farmer in cotton country.  I have been trying to work my way into organic vegetable farming for around 7 years - and believe you me, I have tried.  The biggest problems I face are equipment, material availability, and man power.  Oh sure I could grow a little postage stamp garden organically, but to supply local stores and farmers' markets is a whole nother ball park.  Insects, weeds, soil fertility, and the like all have to be managed somehow and if you can't find what you need, at a reasonable price, whatcha gona do?  Small garden techniques just can't be used.  I've tried to get what I need to go organic and borders on impossible.  Maybe it's because I live on the ragged fringes of civilization that makes it so hard.  I'd love to hear how you can grow more than a hand full of veggies organically around here.  I did notice that much of you wording revolved around  the prefix "mini".  Maybe that's what we need first, the materials to grow more than a small plot.  We need an organic farming infrastructure first.  You can't build much more than a small wood shed without a strong foundation.

 

My two cents.

 

TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone 7b