Market Farming

[Richard Robinson <rrobinson AT nasw.org>]

On 1/28/2011 at 8:08:00 AM, KAKerby AT aol.com wrote:

> No more than an acre, and we'd be doing transplants of warm-season crops such

> as cucurbits and sweetcorn.  That might sound odd for sweetcorn, to do

> transplants.  But our window of opportunity is pretty short for sweetcorn so

> a lot of growers here start it in trays inside, then put them out around May

> 15th.  

> Another idea I had was to cut the dead standing hay as early and as low as

> possible, say Feb 15 or March 1st, thereby creating the mulch (the field was

> fallow last year).  Then let the existing grasses and the soil's existing

> weed seedbank send up whatever growth is going to come on through that mulch,

> because I know there'd be at least some growth (possibly a lot).  Right after

> that first cutting, I could turn my chicken army in there to peck down

> whatever new green materials come up.  Leave them there for two months or so

> to really hammer hard on any fresh new greens and deposit their little

> packets of fertilizer at the same time.  Then pull them off, plant the

> transplants through the mulch, and let the transplants root down through the

> mulch and into the soil below.  I'd still have my 90day window between manure

> application and harvest, and that would put some fast-acting nitrogen into

> the mulch pack.  The timing would have to be careful, but I would think hard

> grazing pressure for two months from the birds would at least set back the

> weeds a fair amount, and reduce whatever would be left so the transplants

> have a chance to get going.  What I'm not sure of is whether bird poo

> deposited on top of the mulch would do anything for the crop growing below

> the mulch, and/or if my timing would be too close or not sufficient for

> everything that needs to happen.  Figured I'd pencil it out first, and make

> those mistakes on paper before trying it in the field.

 

Two things I'd add to the list for consideration. First, after mowing the standing hay early on, till up your planting rows, and keep them tilled. Second, everywhere else, lay down cardboard mulch over the cut hay and chicken poo, weighted down with whatever you have. The mulch will do a pretty good job of preventing hay regrowth, until it breaks down, and you should find the soil beneath softer and easier to work after.

  Richard Robinson
 www.nasw.org/users/rrobinson/
 Hopestill Farm
 www.hopestill.com