We promote soil health by:
Mulched sweet potato beds.
- Incorporating organic matter in the form of leaves, compost, and cover crop residue to encourage healthy soil ecology.
- Using natural products to provide plants with macro- and micro-nutrients (e.g. OMRI-certified composted chicken manure, fish emulsion, sea kelp, locally produced compost).
- Designing hilled beds to minimize erosion and prevent ponding of rain and irrigation water around crops.
- Maintaining grassy buffers around bed edges to reduce erosion.
No synthetic fertilizers are used on our land.
Pest control methods
Pollinators enjoying beautyberry blossoms.
We continually build the organic matter in our soil to produce healthy plants and attract fewer pests. We also plant and encourage propagation of other plants on the property that attract and support populations of beneficial insects. We often leave biodiversity strips between beds to supply food and cover for beneficial insects. We do not apply synthetic chemicals to our crops.
Weed control methods
Crimson Clover cover crop.
We manage weeds by hand-pulling, tillage and mowing. We also use mulches for weed suppression.
No synthetic chemicals are applied to our land.
No synthetic chemicals are applied to our land.
Content © Dancing Pines Farm
Images © J. Lelekacs
Images © J. Lelekacs
