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Do less, produce more, and grow the soil life that feeds crops using chemical-free, organic no-till methods A no-nonsense breakdown of no-till market gardening that gets straight to the point and stays there. Practical No-Till Farming
is arguably the most devourable technical manual I've come across. A great read and an even greater asset to organic flower and vegetable growers everywhere.
-
JESSE FROST, author,
The Living Soil Handbook This is a book I wish I had when I was starting out. Helps clarify what the big deal is about no-till, how it's being defined, and how folks are actually making it work. -
JOSH VOLK, author,
Build Your Own Farm Tools and
Compact Farms NO-TILL FARMING methods are taking small-scale farming by storm, promising less work, higher productivity, improved soil health, carbon sequestration, and weed control for organic growers.
There are many ways to approach no-till, including mulching with compost, cardboard, straw, silage tarps, and more-and there is no shortage of conflicting advice on how to get started.
Practical No-Till Farming is here to help, sorting the wheat from the chaff and the horse manure from the plastic mulch. Coverage includes:
- How to assess your farm for no-till options considering climate, soil, and crop selection
- Detailed descriptions of common no-till methods, including pros and cons, materials, and relative costs
- Choosing the most appropriate methods for your context
- How-to for each no-till method, including what to do and when
- Dealing with bindweed, symphylans, and other difficult weeds and pests
- Maximizing productivity of no-till beds
- Special coverage of both organic vegetable and flower no-till market farming.
Ideal for small-scale growers everywhere, this one-of-a-kind manual is the ultimate guide to getting started with no-till farming.
If you're looking for a practical, down-to-earth book that explains both the whys and hows of no-till market gardening, this definitely is the book for you. -
JOHN IKERD, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia
ANDREW MEFFERD is the editor of
Growing for Market magazine and author of
The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution and
The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook. He lives and farms in Cornville, Maine.
List of contents
Part 1: The Why of No-Till INTRODUCTION Who This Book Is For
Tilling Was Once the Only Answer
Enthusiasm and Skepticism for No-Till
Becoming a No-Till Farmer
Defining No-Till: What Counts as Tillage Anyway?
New Adaptation for Old Methods
The Promise of No-Till
THE POWER OF THE SOIL Putting a Face on the Soil
Soil: Where the Microbe Magic Happens
Taking Care of Our Livestock
Soil Life Drives the Success of No-Till Systems
Soil Testing
Healthy Soil Can Lead to Healthier Farmers
FARM SIZE Farming as a Career
NO-TILL: A GATEWAY METHOD Evolution of Your Farm
Small Can Be Beautiful
NO-TILL VS. TILLAGE Tillage: The Agricultural Reset Button
Tillage: An Ancient Practice We Might Want to Avoid
THE DISADVANTAGES OF TILLING Breakdown in the Nutrient Cycle
Weeds
Hard Work and Time-Consuming
Physical, Chemical, and Biological Disadvantages
THE ADVANTAGES OF NO-TILL Advantages for the Environment
Fungus: The Perennial Roots of the Soil
Soil and Water Can Do Their Jobs
Increase in Organic Matter
Advantages for Growers
THE DISADVANTAGES OF NO-TILL Fields Are Slower to Warm in Spring
Systems Can Take Some Time to Become Established
Some Methods Are Hard to Scale Up
Some Pests Can Flourish in High Residue
Perennial Weeds
Part 2: The How of No-Till GETTING STARTED: PRINCIPLES, TECHNIQUES, AND TOOLS Start with a Soil Test
Clearing the Deck: Getting the Soil Ready
Establishing New Fields
Sod Bustin', No-Till Style
Reduce the Weed Seed Bank First
TARPING Occultation
Solarization
Tarp Timing
Decomposition Rates
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MULCHES Non-Decomposing Mulches
Applied Organic Mulches
MULCH GROWN IN PLACE The Roller/Crimper Method
Roller/Crimper Cons
Winter-Killed Cover Mulch Crops
Planting through a Cover Crop Mulch
Which Crops Work Best in the Roller/Crimper System?
GETTING STARTED AND CROPPING STRATEGIES Composting in Place
Compost as Mulch
Ways to Improve Land and Exhaust the Weed Seed Bank
CROPS TO FOCUS ON GOING FROM CROP TO CROP Dealing with Residue
Planting
Flowers in No-Till
CASE STUDY: GROWING HEMP APPENDIX
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
About the author
Andrew Mefferd is the editor of
Growing for Market magazine and author of
The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution and
The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook. He spent seven years in the research department at Johnny's Selected Seeds and worked on farms across the US before starting his own farm in Cornville, Maine.
Summary
Practical No-Till Farming is the ultimate guide to getting started with organic no-till growing methods. Coverage includes pros and cons of different no-till methods, customizing no-till for your farm, detailed how-to for each method, relative costs, handling pernicious weeds, and boosting soil health and crop yield.
