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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Overly optimistic permaculture attitudetowardsland

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  • From: "Margaret & Steven Eisenhauer" <eisenhauerdesign@earthlink.net>
  • To: "'permaculture'" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Overly optimistic permaculture attitudetowardsland
  • Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:57:10 -0500

Scott,

WAG is the proverbial "wild ass guess". I use cover cropping and have been
witnessing the importance of keeping the ground growing something everywhere
rather than bare earth cultivation. This last year I discovered that my
sweet corn grew better where it was "weedy" (companion planted with native
volunteer plant doctors) than where I was cultivating it during a very dry
spell we had. The soil had more moisture where the corn was growing with
other plants. I realize that the more root mass in the soil the more life
is going on and when I mowed the co plants it fed my crop. I am also
producing bio char in a gasification boiler I have installed that goes into
the compost for soil amendment. This will be a new thing and I have high
hopes for all those little carbon batteries/or space stations for microbes
that I will be spreading around.

Thanks for your note.

Steven.



-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Scott Vlaun
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 3:00 PM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Overly optimistic permaculture
attitudetowardsland

A couple of ideas come to mind that might help keep that expensive
fertility in place.

The right cover crop combination can go a long way keeping fertility
on the site with the extra benefit of hosting pollinators, etc.

Also biochar application is purported to help hold nutrients over
time, along with the bonus of sequestering atmospheric carbon. We
have a small trial going but nothing to report yet, although plenty
are singing the praises.


What's WAG?


Scott Vlaun
Moose Pond Arts+Ecology
Design Solutions for a Sustainable Future

450 Main Street, Studio 2
Norway, Maine 04268
http://www.moosepondarts.com
207-739-2409 Studio




On Dec 3, 2009, at 9:14 AM, Margaret & Steven Eisenhauer wrote:


I suspect all these fertility imports are unsustainable in a post oil
world.
So how do I garner fertility without employing a tremendous amount of
overhead, and the work to apply these materials?

I am looking at the farm organism model whereby there are many players -
plants/animals/microbes/people - all of which will do work for food
with the
potential result of balance and resource availability/fertility.
This is
systems modeling but with the added WAG that goes along with learning
from
experience and often failing.

It is not easy or cheap - So my hat is off to those that are trying new
things and letting us know about it!







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