permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
From:   steved3602002 <steved@ipa.net>

IFOAM 1988 had a classic article on herbal leys,
and then the authors published a full journal
article in Biological Agriculture and Agriculture.

Woodward, Lawrence and Lyndall Foster. 1988. The use
of herbal leys in modern British organic farming systems,
p. 421-431. In: Patricia Allen and Debra Van Dusen
(editors). Global Perspectives on Agroecology and
Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Vol. 1. Proceedings
of the Sixth International Scientific Conference of
IFOAM. Agroecology Program, University of California,
Santa Cruz.

Foster, Lyndon. 1988. Herbs in pastures. Development
and research in Britain, 1850-1984. Biological Agriculture
& Horticulture. Vol 5, No. 2. p. 97-133.

Also see:

The Clifton Park System of Farming, and Laying Down
Land to Grass
by Rober Elliot (Faber and Faber, London; 1953; 261 pp.

Via Journey to Forever
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/elliot/cliftonToC.html

Via Soil and Health Library
http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010128elliot/010128toc.html

Stapledon, Sir R. George and William Davies. 1948.
Ley Farming. Faber and Faber, London.
http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/01aglibwelcome.html

Yes there's some good ideas embedded in those writings.

But on the flip side, I wouldn't recommend spending too
many $$ for seed when you have plenty of broadleaf
diversity under foot; i.e., it's already there.... pasture
biodiversity. It's in the seed bank and the mystery
of plants that emerge from the earth... when you provide
the right conditions... via grazing management,
inoculations, alchemy.

The freaky thing is when your pastures look weedy and
trashy.... but you keep on... in spite of your neighbor's
scorn.

The cows and steers thrive on this diversity, it's
good for their health.

Steve Diver