Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Oranic gardening.

Anyone follow Eliot Coleman or Jean Martin Fortier, and employ their ideas for small sustainable market gardens?

Nope, not me. I don't garden for profit, yet. Perhaps when retired. I'll check into your references though. Not quite ready to jump through hoops while still employed and doing other things besides the garden.

Good luck,

Geno

Geno, Check out the season extension techniques, even if it's on a small, relaxed scale. Check this out as well. https://vimeo.com/28055108.

While I try to be as organic as possible, we have way too many pests here to be organic all the way. Getting bees so I have to really start watching what I do more careful. miles

Coleman was one of the young lions who worked long and tireless with .gov, in establishing the "Organic Certification" protocols.

These protocols are now clearly a JOKE, co-opted by slobs for hire, the remnant of what was once a strong and effective USDA.

His later writings are lookin' pretty candid on how much he and his peers REGRET the overarching additional (and un-needed) .gov CONTROL that bright and starry eyed effort yielded.

No flame, and I can "dig" his basic philosophical proposals.

Fortier ? ......Good grant writer, and Quebec is one of THE best places on the planet to tie one's ag operation into a host of different subsidies. Glad to see a powerful and dynamic push taking place for co-op based local distribution, though equally sure that it would be a mite to socialized for this old rounder.

BOTH Fortier and Coleman are operating in climatic and geological environments so DIFFERENT from the area I've chosen as to be only of passing interest. They have SOIL , to start with, and LOTS of moisture.
Here,.... We are just now seeing the return of normal monsoonal patterns ( hopefully 'twill remain so for a while).
I don't care HOW much organic material one spreads on TOP of the brick hard alkali clay base here,....without DEEP tillage one will not get a deep bed,...I've dig to many test holes and looked at plow sole soil horizons here to think otherwise.

GTC

Miles, bees are fascinating. We started keeping bees last year, getting ready to do splits and raise some queens from one of our hives. Experimenting with pest issues and organic as well. Am finding that some certain vegetables are more prone to pests than others (lacinto kale is a magnet for aphids, while red russian is not). Also, just pulling up heavily infested plants and feeding to the chickens. Enjoy the bees. Take care. Tim.

Cross, yes, the organic cert. is a joke. We have chosen not to go that route. Don't want the paperwork and regulation. It sounds like you have some tough growing conditions, as do we. Using hoop houses, mini hoops, sq. ft. methods, etc. has opened up a whole new world for us here in the high desert. Good luck with the soil building, and check out Gabe Brown from North Dakota, as well as Paul Gautschi from Washington. They are both doing amazing things with soil building. Take care, and have fun. Tim.