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Living Mulch Cover Cropping for Gardens and Small Farms: Managing an “organic matter” system

ATTRA

He would let the cover crop grow and overwinter and then plow down the following spring for green manure. Instead, I can terminate my winter cover and lightly plow it in this spring, put out my transplants, and undersow white clover. Then once again, a spring plow down and re-establishment of the white clover after transplanting.

Crop 79
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Seeing the Farm with Fresh Eyes

ATTRA

When he dug deeper (literally) he saw that the soils farmers were working with had an impenetrable plow pan layer about 6 inches below the surface, so the cotton plant roots could not access the nutrients they needed, even though the nutrients were present. The soil had lost its structure because of the way it was being managed.

Farming 40
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Can Cover Cropping Heal Abused Soil? A Mad Farm Reflection

ATTRA

But it’s generated some pretty negative outcomes, including widespread degradation of land, water, and ecosystems, leaving rural communities gutted and left to the tumbleweeds. year after year, usually with a non-cover fallow, intensive moldboard plowing, and the additions of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

Crop 52
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Natural Senescence

ATTRA

As my tomato plants were more than ready to be set out, I had to get the cover cut, chopped, and plowed into the soil in preparation for transplanting. Last May, on the 10th according to my notebook, I stared at five feet of my cover crop’s spring growth. ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

Crop 52
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Op-Ed: Keeping our Eyes on the Farm Bill

National Young Farmers Coalition

For the less familiar, it is a sprawling “omnibus” legislation that shapes production of agricultural commodities and contains provisions on agricultural research, farm credit, insurance, rural development, trade, conservation, and nutrition—notably the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

Farming 53