SUSTAINABILITY,

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities.

Characteristics of this type of agriculture include:

• Conservation and preservation. What is taken out of the environment is put back in, so land and resources such as water, soil and air can be replenished and are available to future generations. The waste from sustainable farming stays within the farm’s ecosystem and cannot cause buildup or pollution. In addition, sustainable agriculture seeks to minimize transportation costs and fossil fuel use, and is as locally-based as possible.
• Biodiversity. Farms raise different types of plants and animals, which are rotated around the fields to enrich the soil and help prevent disease and pest outbreaks. Chemical pesticides are used minimally and only when necessary; many sustainable farms do not use any form of chemicals.
• Animal welfare. Animals are treated humanely and with respect, and are well cared for. They are permitted to carry out their natural behaviors, such as grazing, rooting or pecking, and are fed a natural diet appropriate for their species.
• Economically viable. Farmers are paid a fair wage and are not dependent on subsidies from the government. Sustainable farmers help strengthen rural communities.
• Socially just. Workers are treated fairly and paid competitive wages and benefits. They work in a safe environment and are offered proper living conditions and food.

In 1990, the US government defined sustainable agriculture in Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683, as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

The confusion with sustainable agriculture is that the definition is more a philosophy or way of life than a strict set of rules, and farmers can interpret the meaning differently. In addition, there is no legal obligation to follow any of the criteria for sustainability, so food can be labeled sustainable when in actuality it isn’t. Many terms that describe this type of food, such as natural or cage free, do not have a legal or clear definition (though the USDA is currently working on this). For example, cage-free chickens might not be raised in cages, but they could be raised in overcrowded conditions in indoor barns, which is still inhumane. See our Sustainable Dictionary for an explanation of these confusing labels.

That said, we must stress that the vast majority of sustainable farms are run by family farmers who are hardworking, honest and sincere people. They work all hours of the day and night to bring you the freshest, tastiest, best quality food available. Read on to find out how you can reconnect with your food and eat more sustainably.

If at any point you become confused, please remember that changing to sustainable eating is a process and will take a little time. Sustainable Table has been created to help make this transition as easy as possible and to guide you through any confusion.

Sustainable agriculture is more a way of life than a law or regulation. Each step you take benefits both you and your family, and helps preserve and protect the planet for future generations.

Question What is sustainable Agriculture?

Question,Inca tribes contribution to conservation of nature?

Proof of sustainability can only come from the past,time is needed to supply that proof and 1000 years of productive methods surely qualifies as such

Incas teraced gardens survive up to today.

The knowledge in itself is a contribution

And the Incas where the least prolific,the altitude limiting their opertunities,

They went down to the Amazonean jungles for their medicinal plants.

The Olmecas and other jungle civilizations had far more to offer.

All South & central American civilizations  utilized Nature`s forces and principles with their very sophisticated agriculture ,Methods probably even superior to what most farmers practise today.

And we in turn try to copy some of those when we speak of Permaculture

  The Aztecs utilized the edge effect to the utmost,with their chinampas
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

They used compost .enriched with
human excrement, from the public toilets on the bridges
going in to the city, with the rich mud from the lake bottom
to build the soil of their Chinampas
                                                               (photo above,chinampas today)

                                                               (photo below chinampas from the past)


Their contribution to nature can be equated with their economic and responsible approach to agriculture

For example an Aztec warrior was only permitted by law ,to eat 3 tortillas .a woman only 2 ,a child one or a half ,

The reason for this was that corn occupies a lot of land so they had limits imposed by the rulers on the lands available for corn ,
this certainly helped Nature .

These tortillas were not the ones we see today unless ones goes to the indigenous people (/i did )they were as big and thick as a plate .
                                                 
Also their religion was Nature based so they had a lot of respect for everything connected , so they were not inclined to destroy it

The Inca had similar religions and with similar respects included ,their farming was on Tarazed gardens that harvested water ,and they used composting this improved the soils and contained more humidity so the surrounding environment must have benefited as well.

 
Today the Central and South American  jungles are the richest with the greatest variety of food producing and medicinal plants ,that i have ever seen or heard about.

Surely this must be left overs of these Ancient civilizations agriculture

to find out what is Permaculture,check both mine and Permaculture Bellas answers in this question.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

   
Amazon farming technique may fight global warming
American Chemical Society

http://earthissues.multiply.com/links/item/209/Amazon_farming_technique_may_fight_global_warming

Fifteen hundred years ago, tribes people from the central Amazon basin mixed their soil with charcoal derived from animal bone and tree bark.

 Today, at the site of this charcoal deposit, scientists have found some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world. Now this ancient, remarkably simple farming technique seems far ahead of the curve, holding promise as a carbon-negative strategy to rein in world hunger as well as greenhouse gases.

At the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, scientists report that charcoal derived from heated biomass has an unprecedented ability to improve the fertility of soil — one that surpasses compost, animal manure, and other well-known soil conditioners.

They also suggest that this so-called "biochar" profoundly enhances the natural carbon seizing ability of soil. Dubbed "black gold agriculture," scientists say this "revolutionary" farming technique can provide a cheap, straight-forward strategy to reduce greenhouse gases by trapping them in charcoal-laced soil.

"Charcoal fertilization can permanently increase soil organic matter content and improve soil quality, persisting in soil for hundreds to thousands of years," Mingxin Guo, Ph.D., and colleagues report. In what they describe as a "new and pioneering" ACS report — the first systematic investigation of soil improvement by charcoal fertilization — Guo found that soils receiving charcoal produced from organic wastes were much looser, absorbed significantly more water and nutrients and produced higher crop biomass. The authors, with Delaware State University, say "the results demonstrate that charcoal amendment is a revolutionary approach for long-term soil quality improvement."

Soil deterioration from depletion of organic matter is an increasingly serious global problem that contributes to hunger and malnutrition. Often a result of unsustainable farming, overuse of chemical fertilizers and drought, the main weapons to combat the problem —compost, animal manure and crop debris — decompose rapidly.

"Earth's soil is the largest terrestrial pool of carbon," Guo said. "In other words, most of the earth's carbon is fixed in soil." But if this soil is intensively cultivated by tillage and chemical fertilization, organic matter in soil will be quickly decomposed into carbon dioxide by soil microbes and released into the atmosphere, leaving the soil compacted and nutrient-poor.

Applying raw organic materials to soil only provides a temporary solution, since the applied organic matter decomposes quickly. Converting this unutilized raw material into biochar, a non-toxic and stable fertilizer, could keep carbon in the soil and out of the atmosphere, says Guo.

"Speaking in terms of fertility and productivity, the soil quality will be improved. It is a long-term effect. After you apply it once, it will be there for hundreds of years," according to Guo. With its porous structure and high nutrient- and water-holding capabilities, biochar could become an extremely attractive option for commercial farmers and home gardeners looking for long-term soil improvement.

The researchers planted winter wheat in pots of soil in a greenhouse. Some pots were amended with two percent biochar, generated from readily available ingredients like tree leaves, corn stalk and wood chips. The other pots contained ordinary soil.

The biochar-infused soil showed vastly improved germination and growing rates compared to regular soil. Guo says that even a one-percent charcoal treatment would lead to improved crop yield.

Guo is "positive" that this ground-breaking farming technique can help feed countries with poor soil quality. "We hope this technology will be extended worldwide," says Guo.

"The production of current arable land could be significantly improved to provide more food and fiber for the growing populations. We want to call it the second agricultural revolution, or black gold revolution!"

He suggests that charcoal production has been practiced for at least 3000 years. But until now, nobody realized that this charcoal could improve soil fertility until archaeologists stumbled on the aforementioned Amazonian soil several years ago.

Biochar production is straightforward, involving a heating process known as pyrolysis. First, organic residue such as tree leaves and wood chips is packed into a metal container and sealed. Then, through a small hole on top, the container is heated and the material burns. The raw organic matter is transformed into black charcoal. Smokes generated during pyrolysis can also be collected and cooled down to form bio-oil, a renewable energy source, says Guo.

In lieu of patenting biochar, Guo says he is most interested in extending the technology into practice as soon as possible. To that end, his colleagues at Delaware State University are investigating a standardized production procedure for biochar. They also foresee long-term field studies are needed to validate and demonstrate the technology. Guo noted that downsides of biochar include transportation costs resulting from its bulk mass and a need to develop new tools to spread the granular fertilizer over large tracts of farmland.

The researchers are about to embark on a five-year study on the effect of "black gold" on spinach, green peppers, tomatoes and other crops. They seek the long-term effects of biochar fertilization on soil carbon changes, crop productivity and its effect of the soil microorganism community.

"Through this long-term work, we will show to people that biochar fertilization will significantly change our current conventional farming concepts," says Guo.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



    Biochar fund to fight hunger, energy poverty, deforestation
, and global warming
March 10, 2008 Biopact, a leading bioenergy web site, has announced the creation of a "Biochar Fund" to help poor farmers improve their quality of life without hurting the environment. Biochar — a farming technique that adds charcoal obtained from the pyrolysis of biomass to poor, acidic soils — has been hailed as a way to simultaneously sequester atmospheric carbon and improve soil fertility. By intensifying agricultural productivity, biochar could help reduce the need to clear forests and ecosystems for cropland while offering farmers diversified income through carbon credits.

Restoring soil carbon can reverse global warming
, desertification and biodiversity loss
February 21, 2008 Restoring the ability of soil to store carbon by promoting native grasses and vegetation can help reverse global warming, desertification and biodiversity loss, says an Australian researcher. Land use change — including deforestation, bush fires, and soil degradation — accounts for roughly 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but land management practices can be used to reduce emissions. While reforestation and avoided deforestation have garnered a lot of attention of late, restoration of other forms of vegetation can dramatically increase the capacity of degraded landscapes to store carbon.

Ancient Amazonian technology could save the world
May 17, 2007 Terra preta, the ancient charcoal-based soil used by ancient Amazonians to create permanently fertile agricultural lands in the rainforest, is getting serious consideration as a means to fight global warming and meet domestic energy demand, reports an article in Scientific American.

Pre-Columbian Amazon supported millions of people
October 17, 2005 Controversial evidence uncovered over the past decade suggests that the Amazon rainforest was once home to large sedentary populations of people. Besides the well-known empires of the Inca and their predecessors, the Huari, millions of people once lived in the forests and shaped the environment to suit their own needs.

   
Amazon farming technique may fight global warming
American Chemical Society
April 11, 2008

The Forest Garden	Score 86%
310 votes, Feasibility 75% Originality 74% Humour 31%

After thirty years of study, research and practical experience in Agroforestry (see previous item), Robert Hart established a small model forest garden on his farm on Wenlock Edge, a model that could be repeated many thousands of times even by those who possess only small town gardens.

'The Forest Garden can enable a family to enjoy a considerable degree of self-sufficiency, with minimal labour'

The Forest Garden can enable a family to enjoy a considerable degree of self-sufficiency, with minimal labour, for some seven months of the year, providing the very best foods for building up positive health. It is a miniature reproduction of the self-maintaining eco-system of the natural forest, consisting entirely of fruit and nut trees and bushes, perennial and self-seeding vegetables and culinary and medicinal herbs.

Robert Hart wrote: 'It is no good waiting for the Powers-That-Be to take decisive action in the infinitely serious crisis caused by wholesale forest destruction, curbed and restricted as they are by blind prejudice and vested interests. Those who care, the ordinary people, should take action themselves to restore the earth's depleted forest cover, even though they may live in cities.'

Once established after about two years, the Forest Garden is self-perpetuating, self-fertilising, self-watering, self-mulching, self-weed-suppressing, self-pollinating, self-healing and highly resistant to pests and diseases. The only work required is pruning, controlling plants that seek to encroach on each other, and mulching with compost once a year, after the herbaceous plants die down in the late autumn. It is:

- Self-perpetuating, because all plants are perennial or active seed-seekers, such as borage and cress; self-fertilising, because deep-rooting trees, bushes and herbs draw upon minerals in the subsoil and make them available to their neighbours, and because the complex should include edible legumes such as lucerne, which inject nitrogen into the soil.

'Self-watering, because deep-rooting plants tap the spring-veins in the subsoil'

- Self-watering, because deep-rooting plants tap the spring-veins in the subsoil, even at times of drought, and pump up water for the benefit of the whole eco-system.
- Self-mulching and self-weed suppressing, because the scheme includes rapidly spreading herbs, such as the mints, and perennial vegetables, such as Good King Henry, which soon cover all the ground between the trees and bushes and thus create a permanent mulch. In fact, one main problem is to check their pervasiveness in the interests of less dominating plants.
- Self-pollinating, because all the fruit and nut trees are chosen to be mutually compatible for pollinating purposes - unless self-fertile - and also because the scheme includes many aromatic herbs and vegetables such as tree-onions and wild garlic, which undoubtedly exert curative influences on their neighbours.
- Resistant to pests and diseases, not only on account of the aromatic plants but also because any complex consisting of a wide spectrum of different plants does not allow the build up of epidemics such as is formed in monocultures.

The scheme is very highly intensive, making use of all seven 'storeys' found in the natural forest for the production of economic plants. These 'storeys' are:

- The 'canopy' formed by the tops of the higher trees;
- The planes of low-growing trees such as dwarf fruits;
- The 'shrub layer' comprising bush fruits;
- The herbaceous layer of herbs and vegetables;
- The ground layer of plants which spread horizontally rather than vertically, such as creeping thyme;
- The vertical layer occupied by climbing berries and vines;
- The 'rhizosphere', shade-tolerant root-plants.

In order to achieve maximum economy of space, these devices are employed:

(1) Some of the vegetables and herbs are grown on mounds, erected in accordance with the German Hugelkultur system.
(2) Full advantage is taken of fences for training climbing berries, such as the Japanese wineberry, and fan-trained plums.
(3) An apple hedge has been created according to the French Bouche-Thomas system, in which the trees (Allington Pippins) are planted diagonally so that they grow into each other.
(4) A hardy Canadian Brant vine is trained over the tool shed and another is to be trained up an old damson tree.

There is a 'family tree', comprising three compatible varieties of English eating apples, Sunset, Discovery and Laxton's Fortune, grafted on to a single root stock.

Conventional horticulturalists will object that food plants cannot achieve full productivity when planted in such close proximity to each other. But, as the natural forest and even the herbaceous flower border demonstrate, many plants thrive best when grown close to plants of other species. The reasons for this are contained in the science of plant symbiosis, about which very little research has been undertaken, since Ehrenfried Pfeiffer invented his system of 'sensitive crystallisation'. This is a study which must be extensively developed if Agroforestry is to attain its full potential.

'Conventional horticulturalists will object that food plants cannot achieve full productivity when planted in such close proximity to each other'

The Forest Garden's produce is health-promoting: just as in the 16th and 17th centuries, when England produced an amazing number of men of exceptional hardihood and genius, a standard article of diet was a salad, called 'sallet' or 'salgamundy', comprising a wide variety of cultivated and wild vegetables, fruits and herbs.

As for the Forest Garden helping restore the earth's forest cover, if ten trees were planted in a hundred thousand gardens, that would amount to a million trees. Quite a forest!

Robert Hart died in March 2000. A booklet entitled 'The Forest Garden' by Robert Hart is available from the Institute for Social Inventions (£3-50 incl. p&p, or order online), and a full-length book with colour photos, 'Forest Gardening' is published by Green Books (£7-95, ISBN 1 870098 44 7). There are now at least four Forest Gardens modelled on his.

A link to

An Experiment in Back Yard Sustainability

Mar 23, '08 11:37 AM by Elizabeth for everyone

Peak Moment 51: Tour Scott McGuire's "White Sage Gardens" in the back yard of his rental home -- a demonstration site for suburban sustainability. He ponders, "How might a household produce and preserve a significant portion of its own food supply?" Composting, a water-conserving greenhouse, and seed-saving are all facets of this beautiful work in progress. [www.whitesagegardens.com]


Dansk Español Italiano

Why Perennials

Sitting on a coach on the way home from London, I was eating a meal that included roasted chestnuts. Opposite me were a couple of people eating sandwiches. I started to think about the different foods we were eating. Nutritionally they were somewhat similar, both chestnuts and wheat being good sources of carbohydrate, though the chestnuts are rather lower in protein. I then thought about the work involved in growing, harvesting and utilizing each of these foods.

With the sweet chestnuts all you have to do (once the trees have been planted and are old enough to bear fruit) is come along in the autumn and harvest the seeds - the plants will continue to yield for possibly hundreds of years without any help from you. With the wheat, however, it is quite a different matter. Here the ground must be cultivated every year in order to prepare a seed bed; the seed must then be sown; a method found of controlling the weeds; fertilizers added in order to achieve satisfactory yields; fungicides and insecticides applied in order to control pests and diseases and then large machinery used in order to harvest the crop.

This is all so much extra work, particularly when you consider that, even with all this effort put into growing it, the yields of wheat will still be less than the yields of chestnuts could be from the same area of ground. It made me wonder why on earth people had fallen into the trap of growing annual crops.

When you go on to consider the wider effects of growing annual crops such as wheat compared with tree and other perennial crops then the issue seems to move from the farcical to the totally ridiculous. Not only have we given ourselves so much extra work for lower returns, we have also devised a method of growing our food that is extremely damaging to our environment and to all the plants and creatures that live in it (which includes us of course).

Let me try and explain this in more detail and, as an example, let me first look at a field of wheat and then compare this with a woodland.

Annual monoculture

Annual crops, grown in conventional systems, demand that the soil is cultivated. The very act of cultivating the soil serves to destroy organic matter, kills much of the soil fauna and leaves the soil at risk of erosion from wind and rain. The soil structure is damaged and, with continued cultivation, the sub-soil becomes very compacted and is unable to drain properly or allow roots to penetrate and obtain their nutrients. When it rains soil is washed away. Just go and stand in a country lane on a wet day and you will see all the muddy water flowing along the sides of the lane. This is our valuable top soil, being carried off to streams and thence to the sea.

In a field of wheat all the plants have the same nutritional requirements, their roots occupy the same levels in the soil and will only be able to obtain nutrients from this one level of the soil. Any nutrients that have been washed lower down into the soil will be lost to the plants and will eventually find their way into the water system either to be washed out to sea or to pollute our drinking water. Genetically very similar, these plants are all susceptible to the same pests and diseases and all have similar climatic requirements. If one suffers, they all suffer. The system is dependent on large inputs of fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides etc. The soil is little more than a medium to hold the plant up, and even this it is becoming less able to do well as soil structure and depth are destroyed. The Fenlands, for example, are losing 30 mm of topsoil every year.

A field of wheat is like a desert to most of our wild animals and plants - the intensive growing regime means that very few species of plants will be able to grow in the field and thus there will be very few animals that will be able to survive in and around the field. In the edition of The Guardian newspaper dated 12/08/94 there was an article about the declining population of some of our commonest species of birds. Apparently, in the period between 1969 and 1991 tree sparrow populations declined by 85%, corn bunting by 76%, grey partridge by 73%, turtle doves by 75% and skylarks by 50%. The article went on to blame current agricultural practices that have seen hedgerows destroyed, meadows ploughed up and fields harvested before the birds had a chance to finish rearing their young. It said that the dawn chorus, that enchanting time of the morning when the air is alive to the sound of bird song, is heard no more in many parts of E. Anglia, where an eerie silence now greets the dawn.

It can be argued that yields of wheat have increased dramatically in the last 100 years, from around 1 ton per acre at the beginning of the century to 3 tons or more now. But is this sustainable? No it is not! In fact when you take into account all the energy that is expended in making the farm machinery, in fuelling it, in making the fertilisers etc. and all the other things that need to be done in order to produce the food, far more energy is actually used up in growing the food than the food itself yields in energy! This ridiculous state of affairs is only possible due to the current abundance of fossil fuels, but how long are they going to last?

Woodland systems

Let us now look at a native woodland. Who feeds this with artificial fertilisers? Who sprays fungicides? Who applies the herbicides and why isn't everything eaten up by insects? Year after year the woodland produces masses of plant growth feeding a host of mammals, birds and insects. A wide range of plants grow side by side, sometimes competing but more often occupying subtly different niches in the woodland. For example, some plants will have deep root systems and these will obtain many of their nutrients from deep down in the soil in areas beyond the reach of other plants. When their leaves die in the autumn many of these nutrients will be made available to other members of the plant community. Other plants will have shallower root systems and these will obtain their nutrients from nearer the soil surface. Similarly, there will be gradations of height in the woodland, some of the plants will be tall trees, some will be small trees or shrubs, there will be climbers making their way up the trunks of the trees, smaller perennials able to grow in the shade of the trees will be found on the woodland floor. Some of the smaller plants will come into growth early in the year, before the trees have leafed out, and will complete most of their life-cycle by early summer. Thus there are different niches for plants to occupy in the soil, above the ground and in time.

The canopy of trees creates a sheltered and more stable environment inside the woodland. Temperature fluctuations are less extreme than in an open field, there is less wind and frost and so plants are less subject to the vagaries of our weather. Because of all the different available habitats there is a wide range of creatures able to live in the woodland and the more diverse the numbers of species that live in an eco-system, the more stable it becomes. The force of the rain is broken by the trees and the rich carpet of organic matter in a woodland absorbs the rain and allows it to drain into the soil and enhance the water table instead of running off into the rivers and thence to the sea, taking valuable soil and nutrients with it.

There are various fungal and bacterial activities taking place on the root systems of the woodland plants which increase the abilities of plants to take up nutrients from the soil and also produce nutrients for all the plants to utilise. Recent research has demonstrated that the greater the diversity of plants growing in an area then the greater the total amount of growth that takes place. Thus we see that a woodland is not only self-sustaining and highly productive, it can also lead to a gradual build-up of fertility, unlike annually cultivated soil which needs constant inputs if it is to remain fertile.

The value of diversity.

By growing a number of different species together so that there isn't a large planting of one single species, insects that seek out plants visually may be confused by the different shapes of plants and be less able to find the species that they are looking for. If you can imagine a few pest insects arriving at a large wheat field, once they have landed on one wheat plant no matter what way they move they cannot avoid moving on to the next wheat plant simply because they are totally surrounded by them. Heaven on earth for the insect and ideal breeding conditions for it. The result is a very rapid population explosion usually only controlled by an expensive regime of chemical sprays. If, on the other hand, the field contains a diversity of plants, as is found in a native woodland, the insect is going to have to work much harder to find the next host plant and it is also going to be much more at risk from predation, both because it has got to move about a lot more and also because this diversity of plants offers more places for its predators to live in. The result is far less damage to the plants and a more balanced population of pests and predators.

There was an article in the Spring 1994 edition of 'Kew' magazine. It was talking about a group of chimpanzees that live in a small area of forest, called Gombe, in Africa. The forest is a reserve and is surrounded by cultivated land. The article continued:-

'Outside Gombe, the local people are struggling to live off perhaps 30 different types of foods, mostly introduced species of plants grown in drought conditions on easily eroded soils.... But the chimps seem to be expert botanists, knowing exactly where and when the next crop of fruit will be. There may be only six major plant foods each month but, over the year, more than 150 species are used. Some of the fruits they eat are delicious and they can certainly teach us a great deal about a balanced diet and preventative health-care. But although a lot is known about the chimps' social behaviour, our understanding of their botanical knowledge and its significance to us is in its infancy. Few of their food plants have been tested for nutrients or medicinal properties.'

It seems that the chimpanzees are more intelligent than we are!

Selecting the plants.

Of course, if you try to depend on a typical British woodland to provide you with all your food for the year, then you are either going to die fairly quickly of starvation, or you are going to have to learn to eat a lot of rather unpleasant tasting foods such as acorns. It is quite probable that neither of these possibilities appeal to you - but there is an alternative. It is possible to plan out a woodland, using the guidelines that nature has shown us, but using species that can provide us with tasty fruits, seeds, leaves, roots and flowers. When well designed, such a system can:-

• be far more productive than a field of annuals
• produce a much wider range of foods
• require far less work
• require far less inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides
• provide valuable habitats for wildlife
• be very pleasing aesthetically.

It all comes down to selecting the right mixture of species .There are over 5,000 species of edible plants that can be grown outdoors in Britain and about 2,100 of these can be grown in a woodland so there really is no lack of variety to choose from.

The main difficulty is that people have been selectively breeding the traditional annual crops over a period of thousands of years. In that time the cultivated plants have often changed dramatically from the original wild species (cauliflowers, brussel sprouts and cabbage all derive from the same wild plant) whilst the taste and yield has also undergone great changes. Thus the cultivated lettuce was derived from a bitter tasting poisonous plant and the wild ancestor of carrots has a thin woody root that really does not make very pleasant eating.

This selective breeding, however, has also had a number of disadvantages. We might have ended up with a lettuce that has mild flavoured leaves that go well in a salad, but we also have a plant that is very susceptible to pests and diseases, whilst it also requires a lot of attention when growing since it is unable to compete with most other plants. Thus if anyone wants to eat lettuce all the year round they have to sow seed on at least 10 occasions over the year - which means preparing the soil, weeding, watering if the weather is dry, trying to prevent the plants running to seed if the weather is hot and trying to prevent them rotting if the weather is wet. We also have to supply nutrients and organic matter to the soil if we are to produce a good quality plant. Even with all this attention, we will produce a plant that is considerably lower in nutrients than the wild plant it was bred from.

Most of the perennial plants that we recommend for woodland plantings have never been selectively bred for yields, flavour etc. Thus the harvest might be lower than you would expect from cultivated annuals, or it might be more fiddly - but all the plants on the lists below produce very tasty crops. Once established these plants will continue to yield their harvests for many years with very little work on behalf of the grower. Not only that, but they will tend to suffer far less from pests and diseases, will not require much in the way of fertilising and will be far more resilient to the vagaries of the weather. Since many different species will be able to occupy the same area of land, overall yields can be much higher than from annual plants. There is also a lot of scope for careful selective breeding in order to produce more productive and easier to harvest cultivars. Any selective breeding, however, should always take into account any potential negative effects on the plants.

A woodland garden.

The first thing that you need is a woodland. If you are fortunate enough to already have a few mature trees then you can begin straight away planting out the other plants of the woodland. If you do not have some trees already, then it is best to plant the trees first and allow them to grow for a few years to become established before putting in the other plants. There are a number of general points to remember when deciding whether or where to grow a woodland garden.

1. It is possible to grow trees almost anywhere in Britain (97% of the land used to be covered with trees before people started chopping them down). What is important is to choose the correct trees for the site - if planting right by the coast, for example, then you need to select species that can tolerate the strong salt laden winds. Once the trees are established they will provide shelter from the elements so that other less tolerant plants can be grown amongst them.
2. You do not need large areas of land on which to grow your woodland. By choosing small trees it is possible to have a mini-woodland even in a small back yard.
3. Be clear in your mind what crops you want to grow and then choose the appropriate species.
4. Plant the sun worshippers on the sunny side of the woodland - most fruit-bearing species crop better when grown in full sun.
5. Taller trees should be towards the north side so that they do not shade out the smaller species
6. Be aware of the vigour of each plant and plan accordingly. If, for example, you plant a very strong-growing climbing plant into a small tree then it is very likely that the tree will be smothered by the climber and die.

There is no space in this leaflet to talk about the plants that can be grown in this woodland system - if you would like more information on these then please ask for our leaflet titled Woodland Garden Plants. However, I would like to list just a few of the plants that you could be growing to supply food all the year round.

Seeds

Araucaria araucana (Monkey puzzle); Caragana arborescens (Siberian pea tree); Castanea sativa (Sweet chestnut); Cephalotaxus drupacea harringtonii; Corylus species (Cobnuts and Filberts); Juglans regia (Walnut) and Quercus ilex (Holm oak) all bear well at least in parts of Britain.

Fruits

There is such a wide range here that I can only mention just a very few of them. Actinidia deliciosa (Kiwi fruit); Amelanchier alnifolia (Juneberry); Cornus species; Crataegus species; Elaeagnus x ebbingei; Malus sylvestris domestica (Apple); Prunus domestica (Plum); Pyrus communis (Pear); Ribes species (Gooseberries and currants) and Rubus species (Raspberries and blackberries) will provide a succession of fruit all year round.

Leaves

Allium ursinum (Wild garlic); Campanula persicifolia (Harebell); Cryptotaenia japonica (Japanese parsley); Fagopyrum dibotrys (Perennial buckwheat); Montia sibirica (Miner's lettuce); Myrrhis odorata (Sweet Cicely); Rumex acetosa (Sorrel); Tilia species (Lime trees); Urtica dioica (Stinging nettles) and Viola odorata (Sweet violet) are just a few of the species to choose from and between them you should be able to pick fresh leaves all the year round.

Roots

Erythronium species (Dog's tooth violets); Lathyrus tuberosus; Lilium lancifolium (Tiger lily); Medeola virginica (Cucumber root) and Streptopus amplexifolius are some of the more interesting root crops that you could grow.

A woodland is not the only place in which to grow perennial crops of course, there are many other habitats in which they can also be grown. For more information on this see some of our other leaflets such as The Edible Lawn, Edible Pond and Bog Garden Plants and Edible Ornamental Plants.

Database

The database has more details on these plants: Actinidia deliciosa, Allium ursinum, Araucaria araucana, Caragana arborescens, Castanea sativa, Cryptotaenia japonica, Elaeagnus x ebbingei, Fagopyrum dibotrys, Juglans regia, Lathyrus tuberosus, Lilium lancifolium, Malus sylvestris, Malus sylvestris domestica, Medeola virginica, Myrrhis odorata, Prunus domestica, Pyrus communis, Quercus ilex, Rumex acetosa, Streptopus amplexifolius, Viola odorata.

Groundbreaking report offers holistic remedies for famine relief and environmental protection in developing countries

Regenerative farming practices, local knowledge and regionally appropriate technology favored over biotech and industrial agriculture. By Dan Sullivan
Photos by Nathan McClintock
Some key findings of the IAASTD Report • Development and sustainability must go together. • Agriculture is as complex and diverse as the various cultures and landscapes in which it takes place. • Science and technology have increased production while failing to address social and environmental consequences. • Agriculture impacts biodiversity and ecosystem services, climate change and water resources. • Solutions moving forward must consider modern science and technology as well as local and traditional knowledge. • Policy and market incentives must encourage sustainable choices that appeal beyond personal benefit. Business as usual is no longer an option. • Choices made at this juncture in history will determine how we protect our planet and secure our future. • The adverse consequences of the new global economy have had the most significant negative impact on the poorest and most vulnerable. • Agricultural knowledge, science and technology must be retooled to address the needs of the rural poor and small-scale farmers in diverse ecosystems. • The mounting crisis in food security is like nothing we’ve seen before. • The new bottom line must take into account relationships among production, social and environmental systems. • Knowledge systems combined with human ingenuity and a shift to nonhierarchical development models can meet the challenge of increasing productivity while protecting the environment and preserving human dignity. • Climate change may have the most adverse consequences where the potential to improve productivity is lowest. • Agricultural practices and policy must empower marginalized stakeholders to sustain the diversity of agriculture and food systems, including cultural dimensions. • Food, fiber and fuel must be produced in a manner that enhances environmental and cultural services. • New priorities in science, technology, institutions, development and investment must recognize and address the multifunctionality of agriculture within diverse social and ecological contexts. • Farming communities, farm households and farmers are producers and managers of ecosystems. • Institutional changes should benefit those who have historically been served the least by agricultural knowledge, science and technology and must improve their access to food, land, water, seeds, germplasm and improved technologies. • Organic, fair-trade and other value-added mechanisms should be encouraged locally and provided markets for locally and for export. • It is critical to assess the potential environmental, health and social impacts of any technology. • Appropriate technology can help rehabilitate degraded land, reduce environmental and health risks associated with food production and consumption and sustainably increase production. • Success will require reprioritized, redirected public and private investment in agricultural, science and technology, supporting policies and institutions, acknowledgment and utilization of traditional and local knowledge, and an interdisciplinary, systems-based, holistic approach to knowledge gathering and sharing.		Diabou Balde (foreground) and Carrie Miner walk Diabou's Systems of Rice Intensificatin (SRI) fields. The rice transplants are spaced further apart to boost food production, which seems counterintuitive. The increased space per plant actually triggers the development of secondary shoots that produce grain. So while the number of plants may be fewer in SRI, each plant generally yields more. Agribusiness-as-usual was dealt a swift blow in Johannesburg April 7 as 57 nations signed onto a groundbreaking action plan that set a bold new course for developing nations to feed themselves while also addressing pressing environmental concerns. The report, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) Global Report, was commissioned in partnership with the United Nations after a group of biotech companies asked the World Bank what it thought of genetic engineering technology as an agricultural strategy for developing countries. Ironically, the ensuing report roundly rejects biotechnology and modern industrial farming as a viable solution to the problems confronting the developing world, such as soaring food prices, hunger, social injustice and environmental degradation. The report instead calls for a major paradigm shift that would place strong focus on small-scale farming and agro-ecological farming methods to feed local communities, address social inequities and protect the environment while scaling back broadly on energy-intensive, chemical agriculture and addressing trade imbalances that hurt the rural poor. “Decades of industrial agriculture and harmful economic policies have contributed to massive chemical pollution, loss of biodiversity, water scarcity and climate change, and to the destruction of farmers’ livelihoods when Northern governments dump cheap subsidized produce overseas,” said Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, senior scientist at Pesticide Action Network and a lead author of the IAASTD report. “This (and unfair trade regulations) has trapped rural communities in persistent hunger and poverty. The problem comes back to deep structural inequities in and between our societies that must be reversed.” By integrating livestock more intensively into their crop production systems, farmers in Thiawène have created an economic safety net for themselves, while improving food production and food security. The good news, she said, is that the report concludes we have options, Investment in organic farming practices, ensuring poor farmers have control over resources, creating more equitable trade agreements and increasing local participation in decision-making are a few. “What remains is for governments to take action before it’s too late.” “This marks the beginning of a new, real Green Revolution,” said Benny Haerlin of Greenpeace Germany. “The modern way of farming is biodiverse and labor intensive and works with nature, not against it.” Authors of the report included more than 400 scientists from around the world representing a variety of disciplines, with input coming from governments, major research institutions, industry and the public at large, including farmers, the rural poor and other traditionally underrepresented members of society. “Agriculture is not just about putting things in the ground and then harvesting them," United Nations Environmental Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner proclaimed at an intergovernmental plenary outlining the plan in Johannesburg. “It is increasingly about the social and environmental variables that will in large part determine the future capacity of agriculture to provide for 8- or 9-billion people in a manner that is sustainable.” Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are among a handful of countries that have yet to endorse the report, with the U.S. repeating allegations coming from the agrochemical and biotech industries some months before that the report was unbalanced. Those defending the process said the report’s lack of support for further industrial and globalized agriculture—and for modern biotech in particular—was based on intensive, peer reviewed assessment of empirical data by development experts and scientists across a wide variety of disciplines. These experts, they say, were chosen by the same governments and companies now calling the report biased. Abderahmane Sow (his son pictured here) intercrops his bananas with a variety of other crops, including sugar cane, corn, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, and eggplants. The many benefits he sees in this system are backed up by research worldwide that has demonstrated synergistic relationships between intercrops such as improved yields and reduction in pest and weed pressure. “This assessment is by far the most comprehensive and rigorous report of its nature, involving more than a thousand practitioners and scientists from all over the world,” said Rodale Institute International Program Director and IAASTD co-author Amadou Makthar Diop, PhD. “The scientist in the sub-Saharan Africa report are, in majority, Africans who have capitalized on many years of experience in research, extension and training in agricultural and rural development. Those industrialized governments who are still hesitant should realize that it is time that they listen to the voice of whom they want to help. This is critical if we want development aid and assistance to be effective.” Bob Watson, PhD, director of the IAASTD, and the World Bank’s chief scientist at the time the project got under way, echoed that plea in a press release sent out following the Johannesburg meeting. “To argue, as we do, that continuing to focus on production alone will undermine our agricultural capital and leave us with an increasingly degraded and divided planet is to reiterate an old message. But it is a message that has not always had resonance in some parts of the world. If those with power are now willing to hear it, then we may hope for more equitable policies that do take the interests of the poor into account.” IAASTD executive summary Full IAASTD Global Reports

Successive plantings of lettuce grow under a window screen for protection from the excessive heat.

Compost in Place with No-Till Gardening

Written by Jane Sickon
Photography by Jim Kennedy

Many of us who garden are quite familiar with the concept of raised bed gardening - particularly those of us who have dirt that glows red with clay. We're also extremely familiar with composting - we have compost piles or bins hidden out of sight, full of leaves, grass clippings and the vegetable scraps from our kitchens. We wait, if somewhat impatiently, for that stuff to turn into the "black gold" we then spread on our gardens and cover with shredded bark or other mulch we must truck in to our gardens.

But there is another way. This way puts to an end the annual process of tilling our garden plots! What's this you say? No more wrestling with that bucking machine or breaking our backs as we till our plots with hand tools? How can this be?

It's developer, Ruth Stout (1884-1980) called it "no dig, no work" although even exponents of her methods, like Pat Ruggiero and Howard Markham of Fluvanna, admit there is no gardening without work - this method just involves less backbreaking work than most. It's a method based on nature's own way, the "no-till" or "permanent mulch" method, and it's amazingly simply.

"Think about it," Pat challenges. "Think about how the leaves fall from the trees and land at their bases. Nobody comes to rake them up. They just stay there and decay - and they begin to feed the trees, those big, healthy trees. No one fertilizes them. No one cleans away the leaves and makes the forest floor neat and tidy but the trees flourish."

Pat and Howard both grew up in farming communities but had worked and lived most of their lives in Northern Virginia. They knew they wanted to retire to a place where they could garden and when they saw this seven acre property in Fluvanna, with its south facing slope, they knew this was it.

"We became very interested in no-till gardening shortly after we started gardening here," Pat explains. "We tilled the beds the first year, and again the second year, but no more - we just pull the mulch aside, plant, and pull the mulch back again." And, indeed, the mulch is never removed - it is simply added to and over-planted with cover crops in the off-season.

"Our favorite cover crops are bearded oats, field peas and hairy vetch," reveals Pat. "We broadcast the seeds, take the rake and tamp the mulch that is in place so the seeds to settle in, and let them grow." The oats and peas come up almost immediately and they grow and flourish until the frost kills them. The vetch grows a little but it's the oats and peas that take over the "resting" beds during the fall. When they die, Pat and Howard do not pull the cover crops up by their roots. The plants will simply fall over by themselves and there they will remain. In the early spring the vetch takes over and grows until the couple is ready to plant their food crops. Then the vetch is cut down to act as mulch and eventually it, too, composts in place.

Even when their vegetable crops are finished, the plant remains are composted in place. Pat says that when it comes to the corn stalks, Howard will use the chipper/shredder and grind the stalks down before returning them to the plot where the corn had grown. "You could just throw the whole stalks on the ground and they would eventually turn into compost but they're awkward to work around. It's easier just to break them up and give them a head start," she says

"No-till gardening is based on improving the soil," Pat explains. "We keep the soil covered with organic matter. Soil microorganisms (the "microherd" as they're affectionately known among some organic gardeners) feed on the organic matter, mixing it into the soil, and eventually the soil changes. That's how Nature tills the soil. Because vegetable plants have a high nutrient requirement, we also add our own finished compost at planting time. Depending on the vegetable, we might add 1/2" compost over the whole bed, or we might just add a shovelful in each planting spot."

Pat is a Master Gardener with the Virginia Extension Service's Master Gardening Program and notes that there's usually a new Master Gardening class starting every year in late January. She recommends it for anyone who wants to learn more about gardening. (Contact your local extension service for more details.)

"Soil is built from the top down," she continues. "Nature tills the soil that way and that's part of the philosophy of no-till gardening. We compost in place, perhaps adding a little more compost here and there, and the microorganisms in the soil, the microherd, feed on the compost, dragging some if it down with them, leaving behind their castings, and eventually the soil changes."

The soil in the vegetable beds has changed greatly in the seven years since they came to garden here. As Pat pulls away a small circle of matted hay and other decaying cover to show off some of her ready to harvest potatoes, she easily shoves her hand nearly wrist deep with little effort. The soil is beautiful, dark loam - the kind of soil that even Martha Stewart would envy.

"Two of the principles of no-till gardening are to make sure that there is always something for the microherd in the soil to eat," Pat explains as the teaching side of her comes out. "The plants don't access the hay and cover crops directly. The microherd does and it's their waste that the plants eat. No-till gardeners always make sure that there is something for those organisms to eat so that the plants will always have something to eat. The second principle is that the organic material that composts in place, eventually breaks down and changes the texture of the soil for the better, which makes it easier for the plant roots to develop and take in nourishment." It definitely appears that their gardening method is working well for their garden.

"We started planting from the very first year, of course," Pat says. "The crops were okay. We started with the hay (spoiled hay was a favorite mulch of Ruth Stout, the method's founder) and compost and cover crops. "But it was somewhere about the fourth year that the garden took on a new vigor - we just saw this really big change in the fourth year. This is the seventh year now and we think the garden has made another big advance this year."

The no-till gardening method has another benefit that the couple enjoys. According to Pat, it's only the northern most vegetable beds, those at the top of the hill, that must be watered every week or so. "The lower beds don't seem to need the extra water," she says. "The thatch of mulch holds in the moisture that the plants need and we don't need to water the lower beds very often. It's really a big benefit of the no-till philosophy."

The additional compost that is applied to the beds in early spring comes from their property. Leaving the leaves that fall beneath the trees on the property to feed the trees from which they come, Howard takes the leaves that blow onto the grassy areas of lawn, along with grass clippings and chipped branches that have fallen or are groomed from the surrounding bushes and trees and he composts them behind the couple's berry bushes on the northwest side of their property. The compost is used solely in the vegetable garden and not on any of the many beautiful perennial beds that surround the property. "We use the no-till method with them, too," Pat states, "but they have to rough it on their own, compared to the vegetable beds."

If the condition of Pat's and Howard's perennial beds is based on roughing it, then their vegetable beds are nothing short of a five-star restaurant for plants and there's not a tiller, man or machine, in sight.




The following diologue was a result of the preceeding article
BUILDING SOIL
Permaculture
methods         

bog55 wrote today at 2:19 PM
It all amazes me to dive through neighborhoods and see all the bags of leaves and grass clippings waiting for the garbage truck.

   
james1960 wrote today at 2:28 PM
Agreed, the only times that we bag our grass clippings is if the grass is too long to mulch properly while being cut, I confess that is more a situation of laziness. Even so, the bagged grass (and chopped up leaves) go into our VERY large compost pile. Kitchen leavings go into a drum composter, mainly so as not to attract any raccoons, skunks or other varmints.

   
bog55 wrote today at 2:32 PM
I feed grass clippings and leaves to my goats also.

   
maicelia wrote today at 2:50 PM
A local university is hosting a green business conference featuring Paul Hawken here in April.
I've signed up for a workshop in Waste Disposal. I'm like you BIG, simply can't understand people throwing away grass clippings and leaves. Maybe I can find a way to make a business of saving them for compost. Wouldn't that be great?

The previous article  was a description of Permaculture Gardening by somebody who does not know the word Permaculture,We have been doing that for years ,one treats the whole garden like a compost heap ,and any organic waste ,plus any mulch one can find is added ,i also plant for mulch ,by putting semi useful plants around the plots ,and leaving any weeds that still come up to grow (to build some -body) and then use as mulch before they turn to seed.

But my plots are basins ,NOT RAISED so that they hold more mulch and retain, as well as collect more water (this is not a good idea in places where it rains every day ) .IN CASE OF TOO MUCH WATER STAYING IN, I HAVE OVERFLOWS,often with pipes to lower parts of the garden

maicelia wrote today at 3:27 PM
You might be right, byderule. The no-till farming method probably did not come from permaculturists. I remember seeing news stories about no-till farming being used by mono-crop truck farmers. I was happy to see them, however, because even in those situations, no-till methods were less damaging to the soil. Legend has it that permaculture has its egos and purists. However, I am grateful for any movement in the right direction.

I like the idea of planting for mulch and the one about leaving weeds in as soil protectors and builders. I'm always letting them go to seed, though.


james1960 wrote today at 3:38 PM
Same here, I always seem to wait just a day or two too long before attacking the plants I don't want growing.

byderule wrote
Many people today , grow according to Permaculture ,with out using or knowing this name.
And many ancient farming cultures did as well.

Sustainable farming has been around for many thousands of years ,
the oldest known examples where in the Amazon basin more than 150.000 years ago,where they used artificial soil made with ash from burned plants ,the same way we make charcoal

The label Permaculture was invented by Bill Mollison in the 60 ties
It is the method that counts ,not what it is called
so viva to any one who pursues sustainability ,what ever they want to call it
maicelia wrote on Mar 9
In my garden here in Mexico i have lots of pathways,Most of the black soil we got today comes from 7 years of sweeping the leaves from the paths ,to the sides into the garden ,never has any organic waste left the garden ,and in the beginning we added lots as well,

In the tropics is lots of growth and all trimmings are left were they fall,when we harvest a bunch of bananas ,the pole is chopped up where it stands

james1960 wrote today at 4:02 PM
We're going to get our neighbor to use his big tiller to break up the sod in our backyard for a large garden this spring. Ours will probably be a raised bed arrangement, just a LITTLE damper here than in Mexico, but after the initial breakup and tilling in our compost we shouldn't need to do much if any tilling as long as we keep the soil tended properly. Where I grew up, less than 10 miles from where I am now, the soil was mainly clay, you could forget about doing anything with it if you didn't have a power tiller (or team of horses)!

byderule wrote And don`t be too quick to give up on a bad base ,
I have build a garden on a slope on bed rock in Africa, around cottages (build on the bed rock)
all the cottages had the bath room outlets into the garden,and the sewage ,was in a trench in the middle(we had to build the sides up .no digging in bed rock)

We started with a couple of Eucalyptus ,(to break up the sand stone rock )
then dumping a lot of hay and manure ,and planting shallow rooting bushes and trees
5 years later there was a garden ,with flowers and grass around the cottages.

You don`t need a power tiller,just need a lot of organic waste on top,
if they want to go deeper the plants that grow there will break up what is underneath ,.

In one place i had Kikuyu (an impossible invasive grass,that roots over a meter deep) growing on gravel.
I covered the place with cardboard(to turn out the lights for the grass)
and then dumped all the stuff from the stables on top,
Hay ,and manure about a quarter of a meter high
,and planted bushes and pumpkins

the pumpkin started things of ,the bushes took hold
the grass died ,and later we planted a variety of stuff,including some food stuffs and flowers

You can make a garden on concrete if you want the principle of Permaculture is to keep going on top ,(this also happens in Nature ) do not go down ,that is to energetic.

Use a tractor to shape the land to build paths and make the terrain water receptive ,

where you want to plant you just go on top .no need to break open the soil and kill whatever organic cultures are there already .
you enhance these with mulch that softens the ground as well as being a supplement and protection against rain impact , drying out or wind erosion and the worm cultures that follow will do all the plowing for you

The garden i got here is on sand and stones ,the soil we got we build
check my photos on http://byderule.multiply.com/,in Garden
 

   
bog55 wrote today at 6:05 PM
I've talked tp American Indian tribal members who've never heard of the term permaculture who are familiar with some the concepts. It's amazing how often you find thickets of wild plums or groves of pecans or paw paws new American Indian archeological sites.

byderule wrote today at 6:28 PM, edited today at 6:33 PM
Bill Mollison ideas for sustainable farming methods came from around the world and he collated the concept.
proof of sustainability can only come from the past .

Inca terraced gardens and Aztec Chinampas produce food ,whilst bettering the soil ,for close to a thousand years .both using shape and organic supplements.
this is sustainability.

In Oaxaca the Mixtecs have an involved guild planting method that includes more than 7 species ,that depend on each other , a special bean planted a month later than the corn uses the stack for support are two of those plants ,
so was Agave ,everything was planted in lines.

So it is NO surprise to hear of native North Americans knowing about earth friendly farming as well,I am sure you will find a lot of ideas with those that were less Nomadic and stayed in permanent settlements,Like the Hopi for example..
And even Nomadic tribes planted corn in a different place each year


james1960 wrote today at 8:34 PM
The soil where we are now is EXCELLENT for growing things, we're looking to "jump-start" the process a bit. I'm also looking at putting together either a greenhouse or at least some "hot-boxes" over or near the garden area as well. (grin) Keeping an eye on the local home improvement places for sales on lumber and either glass or plexiglass.

byderule wrote  But even if you got very good soil.
It  does not stay excellent forever if we make demands on it ,
So it would not hurt to follow soil building principles ,diversity planting and organic pest control ,so that it will be better than excellent after intense use over time.with your actions having negative effects on your surroundings

What ever we do with the soil ,it should always improve to keep pace with your own increases in demand .
Read the Permaculture manual,if you haven`t already .

Jump start would be with manure ,composting ,mulching,and humidity management(water harvesting )
,you intensify growth with the building of niches,Remember cold drains ,you can help that along with design ,under the same principle you can trap heat with design ,with planting wind breaks and leaving gaps to let in and trap the heat of the Sun , .Stones absorb heat and release this at night  ,as well as produce some water with condensation . during the early hours of the morning.

You can build a garden with a difference of ten degrees centigrade, to the out side world ,hotter or colder (depending on what you need) by enclosing it.

Prince Babur build Parea daizas,this means walled gardens ,( the surrounding  walls totally changed the conditions of the inside Environment ) It is where our word paradise comes from.

We can achieve the same effect, cheaper with a thick closed border of plants and trees

jamiehume wrote today at 12:26 PM
Check out the Educational video series First Scientists. I think you will enjoy it. It is Canadian and talks abput First nations science. Excellent material on agriculture past and present.

zionsake wrote today at 12:57 PM
It's my kind of garden, but what do you do when you arrive at a new place with no trees? You can't cart a lot of compost to the site and you need to produce vegetables straight away!? Arriving there by ox waggon would help, because you could cut grass and work the manure into that to get quick compost. To use raw manure isn't such a good idea, but it can be done.

On a new property, trees and lawn were always my first priority, then shrubs and then flowers, preferably perennial - after some arm twisting from my wife. I suppose it would be good to plant trees that shed a lot of leaves - definitely not pines. My priority is the Carob because they produce pods, that I eat non-stop. They are wonderful for shade too.


byderule wrote today at 1:18 PM
Plenty of fast stuff around but please state your climate,Here we got Banana ,Papapya,bamboo ,Sugar cane,to start things of .

Scavenge mulch from the neighbors who may have bagged it ,ready for you to walk away with
.
I have gone into near by woods and raked leaves ,I know this was totally dishonest

A super tree to grow that is fast and has many assets is Paulownia ,the world bank subsidizes farmers to use this for capturing carbon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia
 Google it you will be amazed

In the very beginning if the whole place is totally barren put up some shade netting .until the shade from the trees take over .
The fastest way to produce vegetables from scratch in a barren place is trench farming
dig a trench throw in any organic waste you can get hold of ,add some sand or soil on top to speed up the composting action and kill any smells ,
And very soon you can plant some veg there.

for mulch you can use hay,leaves ,saw dust,even paper (but that looks better if it is covered with hay or leaves)

As far as immediate manure is concerned ,if you are one of these people who has to go to the toilet,

On the down side of your house ,you can direct all of  your sewage outlets into a cistern (build into the ground )made of two compartments with a hole on the bottom of the dividing wall ,
the lumpy stuff floats and will stay in the first compartment,
the second compartment has an over flow into a French drain(a covered trench filled with stones).
And above this you will get ,wet manured soil that is good for fruit trees.
You can also have dry toilets and make compost,but that takes more management.

Have all of your gray water (bath,sinks ,shower)separate ,this can go straight into the garden to supplement the irrigation
And you will be independent of municipal drainage systems in  an ecological way.

why the lawn have you got a goat (sorry occupational sarcasm) I got lots of paths and plants ,about 50/50
with many benches on the paths ,Hundreds of people have been here ,and we never missed having a lawn.http://byderule.multiply.com/links/item/22

Byderule
BACK TO MAIN PAGE.