To: "'permaculture'" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Keyline system, raised beds, tractor implements & other pics of my farm, 4 acres in production
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2006 09:41:14 +0700
G'day Lawrence,
Hope all is well with you. Interesting set of photos...Looks like you have
an interesting system on the boil.
What size Keyline Plow shanks do you have and what depth will you be
operating them at? Also do you have a topo plan/design of the site?
Ciao,
Darren Doherty
www.permaculture.biz
-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Lawrence F.
London, Jr.
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 5:40 AM
To: permaculture; Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group; Growing
Small Farms; triangle@lists.carolinafarmstewards.org
Subject: [permaculture] Keyline system, raised beds, tractor implements &
other pics of my farm, 4 acres in production
Regarding the large production raised beds I use that I have written about
in the past:
Here are shots of raised beds on the 4 acres I have in vegetable production
on my farm produced using a John Deere 3020
tractor, a Roll-A-Cone hiller-bedder, a Howard Rotavator, a tillage tool
(spring shank cultivator)
and a 3 bottom plow. I have Three Yeomans plow shanks which will be mounted
on the 6' toolbar pictured below
(YeomansPlowToolbar.jpg) and applied to the entire acreage when soil
moisture in low enough to avoid compaction.
I farm on a number of converging slopes so erosion is a problem, access by
tractor is also. I plan to build small
temporary earth dams across all the beds on all slopes at 100' intervals to
limit erosion. I have lined the bottom edges
of widest slopes with dozens of 5' round bales to catch nutrients and soil
and limit nutrient-rich water loss - this is
shown in: catchment-erosioncontrol.jpg. The tall, long raised beds were
prepared on the flats and along the slopes on
the contour; they usually contain all rainfall and dispense it gradually
during dry times, by capillary action to the
growing beds. During heavy rains the beds look like chinampas. At the lowest
point on the West side of my property,
below the driveway, I have constructed a small wet-weather water
impoundment. This fills with nutrient-rich water
overnight in a large rain. I have planted duckweed, cattails, papyrus and
water lillies in it. The duckweed seems to
have taken off as of today. Frogs breed readily in this nurturing
environment - have had only one mosquito bite all
summer thanks to them - the tadpoles love the duckweed - the cattails are
sprouting new growth 2 weeks after planting.