Do less, produce more, and grow the soil life that feeds crops using chemical-free, organic no-till methods customized to your farm
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.
Yet there are many ways to do no-till, including mulching with compost, cardboard, straw, silage tarps, and more. Plus plenty 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
- Assessment of common no-till methods, including pros and cons, materials, and the relative costs
- A decision-making matrix for 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, Andrew Mefferd, veteran farmer, author of The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution, and editor of Growing for Market magazine, brings you the ultimate guide to getting started with no-till farming.
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, traveling internationally consulting with researchers and farmers on the best practices in organic farming. Before that he worked on the research farm at Virginia Tech, doing field work researching how organic no-till vegetable production compared to tilled organic production. He has worked on farms in Pennsylvania, California, Washington State, Virginia, Maine, and New York State. He now farms in Cornville, Maine.
