market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Market Farming
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- From: STEVE GILMAN <stevegilman AT verizon.net>
- To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage
- Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 20:18:43 -0500
On Feb 2, 2007, at 10:34 PM, market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
I suggest you take it from the top and reread the post -- the last line IS well explained and not at all contradictory. To wit: 1. Farming and gardening systems that RELY on herbicides and/or extensive tillage and cultivation severely impact soil fertility and exacerbate erosion by oxidizing organic matter, wiping out microorganisms and destroying soil aggregation -- negatively affecting the ag system's sustainability. (Midwest soils that were some 20" deep in the 1800's, now average under 4" -- gone to global dust and silt in rivers and deltas.) 2. Using sod, cover crops, green manures, etc. in rotations are necessary to protect soil from erosion and build soil fertility. 3. If you're going to farm or garden ecologically on any scale that precludes heavy mulching, however, some degree of tillage/cultivation is necessary to open the sod and reduce weed competition to produce crops AND to build soil organic matter. 4. And further, heavy mulches/no-till doesn't work in colder climates because they keep the soil too cold to plant. Tillage/cultivation is not "bad" per se -- it's a GOOD way to incorporate cover crops and build soil fertility, for example. Overuse of tillage, or using methods featuring a constantly open soil (a la herbicides) is a losing proposition, however. Steve |
-
Re: [Market-farming] winter weather
, (continued)
- Re: [Market-farming] winter weather, Errol Castens, 02/15/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage, Bill Bradshaw, 02/08/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage, Tradingpost, 02/08/2007
- [Market-farming] Adios, Tillage is tillage, Tradingpost, 02/08/2007
- [Market-farming] Let the "tillage is tillage" thread die, Liz Pike, 02/08/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage, Sharon and Steve, 02/08/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage, Tradingpost, 02/08/2007
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Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage,
Home Grown Kansas!, 02/04/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage, Tradingpost, 02/04/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage, Tradingpost, 02/05/2007
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Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage,
Brigette Leach, 02/06/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is tillage, Willie McKemie, 02/06/2007
- Re: [Market-farming] Tillage is Tillage, Tradingpost, 02/07/2007
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