NO TILL MARKET GARDENING UProoted Farm | Chatham, MI€¦ · UProoted Farm? Website: Email: [email protected] Phone: 321-794-4130 Instagram: @uprootedfarm Facebook: @UprootedFarm

NO TILL MARKET GARDENING

UProoted Farm | Chatham, MI

Don’t Fall Victim to the Dogma

● No till systems definitions are susceptible to

jargon and word salad.

● I think of no till concepts as tools in a toolkit I

can employ or not employ as needed in my

personal farming context.

● I believe in avoiding dogma and absolutes.

● The idea of “no till” seems to have fallen

victim to the same problems you see in

permaculture and biodynamic communities.

Tillage System Definitions for the Market Garden

We’ll Cover: ● Tillage Based System● Low-Till or Minimal

Tillage System● No-Till System

What We’re Not Covering:● Conventional Agriculture

No Till Systems

Tillage System Definitions for the Market Garden

HEAVY SOIL DISTURBANCE

● Pulverizing soil

crumb/structure

● Inversion of soil layers

● Compaction of soil profile

TILLAGE BASED SYSTEM

● Rototilling

● Rotary Plow

● Subsoiling

● Heavy machinery in

growing area

Tillage System Definitions for the Market Garden

MEDIUM SOIL DISTURBANCE

● “Gentle” mixing of soil

● No to very slight inversion

of soil layers.

● No to light compaction of

soil.

LOW TILL/MINIMAL TILLAGE SYSTEM

● Power harrowing

● Broadforking

● Light machinery

● Avoid walking on beds

Tillage System Definitions for the Market Garden

LITTLE TO NO SOIL DISTURBANCE

● Soil is never disturbed

● Light scratching/raking of

soil surface during bed

turnovers.

● No compaction of soil

NO TILL SYSTEM

● Light machinery for bed

turnover only

● ie: Flail mower, or other

mowing tool, tilther

3 Key Elements of No Till Market Gardening

1. Disturb the

soil as little

as possible

2. Keep the soil

planted as

much as

possible

3. Keep the soil

covered as

much as

possible

Tools & Techniques

● PAPERPOT TRANSPLANTER

● TILTHER

● HAND

WEEDING/CULTIVATING

● BED FLIP TECHNIQUES

Tools & Techniques

● INTERPLANTING

● INTERSEEDING

● LEAVING ROOTS FROM

PREVIOUS CROP

● COVER CROPS

Tools & Techniques

● COMPOST MULCHING

● WOOD CHIP MULCHING

● ALL OTHER MULCHES

● COVER CROPS AS MULCHES

● TIGHT PLANTING

ROTATIONS

CHALLENGING

Plants with a powerful root

system or that are densely

planted. Have a tendency to come

back.

Flail mow, hand pull, mow and

mulch or tarp.

Examples:

ARUGULA, baby kale, salad

greens

Helpful Links from No-Till Growers Podcast:

https://www.notillgrowers.com/blog/2019/6/12/turning-over-beds-in-no-till-a-collection

https://www.notillgrowers.com/blog/2019/3/18/how-to-flip-baby-greens-beds-no-till

EASY

Root vegetables and plants

that are completely removed

during harvest.

Examples:

Onions, beets, carrots, radish

MODERATE

Plants that leave a stump – I

think it’s better to leave the

stump.

Use a flail mower or hand cut.

Examples:

Salanova, head lettuce, kale,

broccoli, tomatoes, peppers

Efficient Bed Turnovers Are Key

THE FARMER

● Background & Skills

● Financials

● Philosophy & Purpose

● Personality &

Temperament

● System choices

THE LAND

● Climatic conditions

● Elevation & terrain

● Soil chemistry &

structure

● Existing assets

● Environmentally

sensitive?

THE BUSINESS

● Sales

● Available Markets

● Marketing Strategy

● Cost

THE INFRASTRUCTURE

● Existing assets

● Season Extension

● Wash/Pack

● Irrigation

● Tools

● Machinery

In farming, context is everything.

No till techniques are part of the

toolkit.

Benefit Analysis - Practicality

- Reduce weed pressure- Extends season- Saves steps and time (sometimes)- Reduced washing

- Can be more work- Dependent on large amounts of inputs- Hasn’t proven to be scalable...yet???- Cost

Benefit Analysis - Ecological

- Ecologically sound (Regenerative)- Increases soil fertility- Improves soil structure- Promotes soil life- Lessens runoff

- May not be scalable - Inputs might need to come from far away

Benefit Analysis - Ideological

- Personal beliefs factor into your choices- Don’t need to “quantify” your choices

- Could contradict practicality- You might fall victim to the dogma

The Players and Influencers in the No-Till World

Charles DowdingNo Dig

https://charlesdowding.

co.uk/Connor Crickmore

Neversink Farm

https://www.neversink

farm.com/Jesse Frost

Rough Draft Farm

No-Till Podcast

Richard PerkinsRidgedale Farm

Permaculture

Book: Regenerative

Agriculture

No Till Example

Ridgedale Permaculture

Richard Perkins

● Huge amount of compost &

mulch every 4-5 years

● 4-6” of compost on beds

● 8-12” of wood chips in the

paths

● Weeds 3 times a year

Questions?

First Year Farming

Presentation January 15, 2020

Watch the recording at:

https://mediaspace.msu.edu/m

edia/t/1_49m5ng26

Want to learn more about

UProoted Farm?

Website: www.uprootedfarm-mi.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 321-794-4130

Instagram: @uprootedfarm

Facebook: @UprootedFarm

Reach out!