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  • From: <sunnfarm AT netscape.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] cover crops
  • Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:50:22 -0700

I do this all the time. I plant orchardgrass on this years corn and let it grow for two years. I don't raise livestock or make hay I just let it grow and mow it once a year. In the fall of the second year  I kill the sod with roundup or paraquat,cut it up with a disc and seed hairy vetch and plow it under the following spring. Im seeding a field today with vetch for plowing next spring and soon will seed this years corn back into pasture grass. This method builds organic matter and breaks up the weed, bug and disease cycles its also a good time to add lime.... Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.

--- rachel AT sunshinefarmmarket.com wrote:

From: Rachel Evans <rachel AT sunshinefarmmarket.com>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] cover crops
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:11:06 -0700


Just had another discussion with my husband about cover crop strategy...  looking for input.

We want to turn a one acre block over to pasture this fall, let it establish in the spring, and move a few head of beef onto it in the fall to finish them (they spend the first part of the year on another pasture).  Then leave it in pasture for all of the next year (2011) and turn it back into veggies for the next year (2012).

For all of you, does that sound reasonable, or does it not seem worth it to try and establish pasture for just 2 years?  In the end will it restore the land for veggie growing or not so much?  Is there a crop mix we can plant that will work for pasture but also fix enough N for a following veggie crop?  Or would we be better off choosing the right pasture mix, and then planting a winter crop of vetch right before veggies to fix the N (my husband hates working up a field more than necessary, largely because of our imperfect equipment situation)?

We have about 10 goats, 8 cattle we finish each year, and 3 llamas; and a variety of pastures in different conditions to move them around on.  We are in the middle of the above rotation right now on a different one-acre block.  We planted an alfalfa grass mix, but the alfalfa is beating out the grass and we're thinking it's definitely too rich for the llamas, not sure about the cows and goats.  We've just been mowing it since we planted in the spring, just now fenced it and are ready to put animals on...

Mixing veggies and animals is not easy!




--
Rachel Evans
The Sunshine Farm
37 Highway 97A
Chelan, WA 98816

509-670-8958




On Sep 15, 2009, at 9:07 AM, Shawnee Flowerfarmer wrote:

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/bjorkman/covercrops/buckwheatbrochure.html

This link deals specifically with using buckwheat as a cover crop but Cornell does extensive research on everything else...excellent information.

I have used buckwheat as weed control, green manure, and winter cover on a small scale for mixed vegetable cropping and as a nurse crop in native plant restoration.  (All done by hand-no machine help.) I try not to allow any bare soil after harvest and buckwheat is a fast germinating, versatile plant that's easy to knock down when necessary. (Just broadcast some last week in beds after potatoes.)

Shawnee, zone 5, and now, no rain at all.  
  




> 
> 
> We're getting ready to plant rye/vetch too on the fields that will be 
> summer crops next year.
> 
> Any suggestions on how to get a fall/winter/spring cover crop on land 
> that will go into early crops (planted April here, our last frost is 
> around May 10). Or do you really just have to start earlier than 
> this? Or leave it fallow. Our plan is to turn the summer crops 
> (tomatoes, corn, cucurbits) into the greens beds for next year 
> (brassicas, root crops, lettuces, etc.) which get planted in 
> successions from April through July, some of them double cropped. The 
> summer crops will go into new pasture ground we're just now breaking, 
> hopefully we'll get rye/vetch on that this week.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Rachel Evans
> The Sunshine Farm
> 37 Highway 97A
> Chelan, WA 98816
> 
> 509-670-8958
> rachel AT sunshinefarmmarket.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Sep 14, 2009, at 7:38 AM, Michael Peck wrote:
> 
> > I am getting ready to plant my first field. The land has sat for a 
> > year with weeds. I have chosen Winter Rye and Hairy Vetch to winter 
> > kill; In spring- mow & turn under. The .61 acre has been fitted and 
> > is ready to plant.
> >
> > 1- Is 2# / 1000sq ft of 78% Rye, 22% Vetch adequate?
> > I measured out a trial run and the seed seems scantly spread 
> > across the area at that rate.
> > I can get more rye, but not vetch in short order. Would it 
> > be bad to add more rye, throwing off my rye/vetch ratio?
> >
> > 2- Do I need to water?
> > I read to keep the seeds damp while germinating. There is 
> > no rain in sight.
> > I am approx. 6 weeks from first frost. Says to plant 4-6 
> > weeks before.
> >
> > 3- Should I rake the seed in.
> > I will be hand broadcasting. Some say just throw in on 
> > top. Most reading says to rake it in lightly.
> > Any suggestions.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Michael
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Market-farming mailing list
> > Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
> >
> 
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> 


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  • Re: [Market-farming] cover crops, sunnfarm, 09/17/2009

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