Northeast/Mid-Atlantic
https://www.nofamass.org/event/keeping-the-soil-covered-tarps-cover-crops-mulch/
EST
June 1, 2024
9:00 am
June 1, 2024
12:00 pm
Many Hands Organic Farm: Bear, MA
Partner
NOFA Mass
Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge of Many Hands Organic Farm “aim for the highest possible fertility, a no till scenario, increased soil organic matter, and high nutrient density, disease and insect resistance, and as few weeds as possible.”
Sound too good to be true? Join us at a hands-on workshop on their farm to discuss their experience 10 years into no-till management, a bit about their problems with this modality as they have evolved over the years, and the solutions that they have implemented.
Julie and Jack will lead participants through a hands-on exploration of their on farm practices:
We will show how we use cover crops pre, post and during the season, tarps throughout the farming year, and myriad sources of mulch.
We will demonstrate the use of our bale chopper, mulch some broccoli with chopped straw or hay and leaves, take down some cover crops and use a pre-plant soil drench for planting of tomatoes in the next 2-3 days.
We will remove tarps from some of our sweet potato beds and prepare the beds for planting similar to the tomato beds.
Finally, we will undersow inoculated (with biocoat gold) crimson clover in our mulched collard beds and apply a transplant drench to the beds.
This event is a good fit for farmers exploring ways of building soil health on organic farms.
In-Person