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  • From: "Karen Sutherland" <ksutherland AT hampshire.edu>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Re: Planting and Managing 3 Acres of vegetables
  • Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 16:33:17 -0400

Brian's post stirred me to reply even though it's not answering his
question, but takes off from it.

We grow (organically) 4+ acres of mixed tree and root crops, herbs and
vegetables by hand (cutlass, mostly) in the rampant growth weed & vine rainy
tropics. "We" is basically 2 full time paid workers, and my partner and me
(immeasurable time, including marketing work). It is not enough and the
more vegetables we grow, the more it is not enough. Am still working on
figuring out the dynamic relationships and best balances throughout the year
between costs (labor, inputs, etc.) and income from space devoted to
vegetables vs the tree and root crops, as well as the best mixes of
vegetables to grow at different times throughout the year, given amount of
work and space required, risk factors (both cultural and market), potential
return, soil/plant health, need for purchased inputs, etc. etc. What is
clear to us is that the mix is important for ecological/sustainable reasons,
as well as for cash flow and work flow throughout the year, and for
maintaining a reliable customer base.

If anyone has suggestions for this kind of analysis, I would love to hear
them.

If we were not on such a steep slope, we would probably use a "swiper" (aka
string type bushwhacker) periodically to keep the unplanned growth down and
working as a mulch between the trees. (I am worried about injury to a
swiper operator's back working on slope.) Does anyone know if "swiping" on
hills is really potentially more damaging to backs?

Thanks for your help.

Best wishes,

Karen Sutherland
Roots Farm
Organic Produce
Fruits, Roots, Vegetables & Herbs
Cockrane, Dominica

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Steve Diver
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 9:48 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Re: Planting and Managing 3 Acres of vegetables

Brian -

There are plenty of practical ideas for equipment, tools, and
techniques to handle three acres more efficiently.

But.... I'm interested to hear the current methods and tools
you are employing to handle three acres of production "by hand."

For example, how to you prepare soil for seeding and transplanting,
how do you incorporate cover crops and soil amendments, what crops
you are raising, the spacings for rows and beds, tools and techniques
used to establish crops and keep weeded, mulches used, where
do you live geographically and climatically, etc.

Steve Diver
http://www.attra.ncat.org

>Does anyone use small farm equipment to farm their land? We
>are doing three acres of vegetable by hand, and it is tough.
>
>Thanks in advance for anyone who responds.
>
>Brian Bauer
>Dixie Farms







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