Market Farming

[Sojourner <sojournr AT missouri.org>]

Michael Belluso wrote:
> 
> Hello to All,
> 
> I am new to the group and wanted to say thanks for
> being here.  So much info in one place is great.
> 
> Question:  I'm looking for a source of seed for bee
> forage and cover crop.  My wife and I have about five
> acres of tillable land.  I do not have a tractor, so
> bailing is not a good option.  Any suggestions would
> be appreciated.  Thanks.
> mb :-)  ymbelluso AT yahoo.com

Go to:

http://www.mertus.org/gardening/cat17/frame-cat.html

And look under the heading "grasses" and "Native plants and seeds" for
suppliers.

It depends on what sort of soil you have.  If you're looking for a cover
crop some good choices are buckwheat, clover, and alfalfa.  Of the
three, buckwheat is the easiest to maintain - simply mow once the seed
heads have set and it self-seeds readily.  I don't know if you can do
that with the alfalfa or any of the clovers other than white dutch
clover.  Buckwheat will not fix nitrogen; the clovers and alfalfa do. 
If you have heavy clay soil buckwheat is the best cover crop I have ever
used for improving the soil and preparing for some of the other, better
cover crops (better in improved soil but most won't do near as well in
heavy clay).

Here's the Apis Newsletter website for more info about bees:

http://gnv.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/APISHTM/apis.htm

An article describing how bees can help increase strawberry crops by
increasing pollination and spreading a beneficial fungus:

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/press/1999/bees.html

An article on plantings for bee forage in the pacific NW:

http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/tilth/bees.html

I've got a slew of beekeeping sites if you want them.

Holly ;-D
Contrary Peasant