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Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping
- From: KAKerby AT aol.com
- To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
- Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping
- Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:45:46 -0400 (EDT)
For many years I've followed the relatively simplistic "leaf, root, flower,
fruit" rotation, but it left me unsatisfied in a lot of ways.
Specifically, I could probably find brassicas that would meet all four
categories, at which point it wouldn't truly be a rotation. Plus it didn't
really allow for soil-building cover crops. So I've been shopping for a
new rotation plan.
While keeping an ear open for such things, I was really impressed with a
presentation I saw last year, about Eric and Ann Nordell's "Weed the Soil, Not
The Crop" rotation plan. They started off with an overgrown hay field,
which is one of the scenarios we're potentially dealing with here. In very
general terms, they have a four-year cycle which features the following cycle on
every one of their planting areas:
1) overwintering cover crop
2) late veggies
3) winter-killed cover crop
4) early veggies
So with that, half their growing area is always in cover crop, with the
other half distributed between early and late veggies. Not only does that
rotate crops in space and time, it also spreads the workload out and gives them
the chance to include cover crops that they might not otherwise have been able
to use.
I have been mulling how best to put that into use here. The plan is
to develop a rotation in my own planting beds to mimic that system, starting
this fall. We're working this year to convert over some areas used as
livestock paddocks into growing areas. My hope is that I'll get the
critters moved in the next few weeks, then have this summer to take down
fencing, set up planting beds, then this fall start with planting the cover
crops. We'll see if I actually get any of it done.
I'd be curious to know if anyone else is using their system, and how it is
working out. I'd also generally love to hear about anyone's rotation plan,
and what works/what doesn't.
Kathryn Kerby, always looking for more good ideas
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA
Ruminations - essays on the farming life at
frogchorusfarm.com/weblog.html
In a message dated 6/12/2012 8:21:56 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
barkingcatfarm AT mindspring.com writes:
|
-
[Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping,
Barking Cat Farm, 06/12/2012
-
Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping,
Andy Fellenz, 06/12/2012
- Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping, pech, 06/12/2012
- Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping, Richard Stewart, 06/12/2012
- Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping, Carla Maness, 06/12/2012
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping, KAKerby, 06/12/2012
-
Re: [Market-farming] Crop rotation & triple cropping,
Andy Fellenz, 06/12/2012
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