Market Farming

[Aaron Silverman <cgrowers AT pond.net>]

I wrote a while back:
> We've now settled on mixes of grains & annual rye, for several reasons.
> This type of mix can be either grazed by other animals early in the
> spring to maintain grazing height, or mowed. Either treatment may
> stimulate the grains to "tiller"out, enhancing root growth & additional
> leaf growth. Cereal rye has some alleleopathic effects on weed seeds,
> diminishing their ability to germinate. This type of mix may also be
> established much later in the season, an important aspect in a climate
> that often sees little precipitation during the growing season until well
> into October when light levels are much diminished.
Andy Lee responded:
>I wonder if you've considered
>the "permaculture guild" as a guide for cover cropping. The guild can call
>for 3 or more plants, one with a lot of biomass, one with a lot of height
>and carbon, and the third as a N fixer. Do you see any cover crop
>combinations that will result in this kind of synergy?

Been out of town for a bit, and now getting caught up with mail...

We have been described by many folks as practicing permaculture, although 
I do not subscribe to any formal ideology - except what we call the 
ideology of practicality.

The guild Andy refers to seems a good guide for choosing cover crop 
combinations. Given our climate and production system limitations, our 
favored "guild" at the moment is a combination of cereal grains (rye & 
oats) for height & carbon, annual ryegrass (mainly for filling in the 
space between the cereal grains), and field peas for N fixing & biomass. 
This mix requires a much higher seeding rate for the peas than normally 
recommended, largely due to the usual seeding date in mid-late October, 
and the fact that we broadcast the seed, then roll the field out with a 
cultipacker. This all means our germination and establishment rate is 
lower than if we seeded earlier with a drill.

Aaron

Creative Growers
Aaron Silverman
88741 Torrence Rd.
Noti, Or. 97461
cgrowers AT pond.net
Quality Produce & Pastured Poultry