Farm Layout
What’s Next Overview
We have been filling out forms and generating a game plan for this year. The coronavirus is a bit of a monkey wrench. I was originally going to try to have produce for sale in late summer and fall. I am not so sure that matters as much now. With this virus now potentially dragging into the summer (and we are hearing a second wave??), seasonal Homer traffic will likely be significantly affected.
The upside is that as I continue to research this, I am realizing how much I still don’t know. It might not be a bad idea to concentrate on land preparation this year. We have two fields that are waist high fireweed.
We need to layout the beds and clear those areas of the fields. An early purchase will be a compact tractor and several attachments. We will take down the fireweed with a flail mower. We’re going to follow that up with a rotary plow to turn the soil and create the raised beds. Next we will add soil amendments (based on soil sample results), fertilizer, and compost. We will work the top several inches of the beds with a PDR (precision depth roller).
If we steer clear of selling produce this year, then we will plant cover crops and use landscape fabric for the walkways. We will keep a small plot as a personal garden.
We have a small “once lived in” cabin on the property and a decent sized workshop. I’m thinking about using the cabin as an incredibly “dinky barn” for the field tools and tractor attachments for now. A barn and a small bunk house are on our to do list. It’s difficult to find affordable housing during the tourist season. Farms with room/board have an easier time attracting help.
My next project will be determining what crops to grow and coming up with a rotation schedule. When we hit production, our goal will be to have every bed always growing something. This will mean quick bed turnovers and calculated harvests for a steady flow.
Be well and green dreams!
Leave a Reply