Description
Book SynopsisPractical No-Till Farming is the ultimate guide to getting started with organic no-till growing methods. Coverage includes pros and cons of different no-till methods, customizing no-till for your farm, detailed how-to for each method, relative costs, handling pernicious weeds, and boosting soil health and crop yield.
Trade Review"Andrew Mefferd's new book is a no-nonsense breakdown of no-till market gardening that gets straight to the point and stays there. Mefferd's a gifted writer who smoothly communicates not only the principles that guide no-till gardening but the technical details in a way that makes you keep reading. Practical No-Till Farming is arguably the most devourable technical manual I've come across. A great read and an even greater asset to organic flower and vegetable growers everywhere."
— Jesse Frost, author, The Living Soil Handbook
"This is a book I wish I had when I was starting out. Even now it helps clarify what the big deal is about no-till, how it's being defined, and how folks are actually making it work."
— Josh Volk, author, Build Your Own Farm Tools and Compact Farms
"If you want to start farming but don't think you have enough money for land and machinery, this could be the book for you. If you're thinking about transitioning from conventional tillage to no-till farming, this could be the book for you as well. If you're looking for a practical, down-to-earth book that explains both the whys and hows of no-till market gardening, this definitely is the book for you."
— John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia
Table of ContentsPart 1: The Why of No-Till
INTRODUCTION
Who This Book Is For
Tilling Was Once the Only Answer
Enthusiasm and Skepticism for No-Till
Becoming a No-Till Farmer
Defining No-Till: What Counts as Tillage Anyway?
New Adaptation for Old Methods
The Promise of No-Till
THE POWER OF THE SOIL
Putting a Face on the Soil
Soil: Where the Microbe Magic Happens
Taking Care of Our Livestock
Soil Life Drives the Success of No-Till Systems
Soil Testing
Healthy Soil Can Lead to Healthier Farmers
FARM SIZE
Farming as a Career
NO-TILL: A GATEWAY METHOD
Evolution of Your Farm
Small Can Be Beautiful
NO-TILL VS. TILLAGE
Tillage: The Agricultural Reset Button
Tillage: An Ancient Practice We Might Want to Avoid
THE DISADVANTAGES OF TILLING
Breakdown in the Nutrient Cycle
Weeds
Hard Work and Time-Consuming
Physical, Chemical, and Biological Disadvantages
THE ADVANTAGES OF NO-TILL
Advantages for the Environment
Fungus: The Perennial Roots of the Soil
Soil and Water Can Do Their Jobs
Increase in Organic Matter
Advantages for Growers
THE DISADVANTAGES OF NO-TILL
Fields Are Slower to Warm in Spring
Systems Can Take Some Time to Become Established
Some Methods Are Hard to Scale Up
Some Pests Can Flourish in High Residue
Perennial Weeds
Part 2: The How of No-Till
GETTING STARTED: PRINCIPLES, TECHNIQUES, AND TOOLS
Start with a Soil Test
Clearing the Deck: Getting the Soil Ready
Establishing New Fields
Sod Bustin', No-Till Style
Reduce the Weed Seed Bank First
TARPING
Occultation
Solarization
Tarp Timing
Decomposition Rates
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MULCHES
Non-Decomposing Mulches
Applied Organic Mulches
MULCH GROWN IN PLACE
The Roller/Crimper Method
Roller/Crimper Cons
Winter-Killed Cover Mulch Crops
Planting through a Cover Crop Mulch
Which Crops Work Best in the Roller/Crimper System?
GETTING STARTED AND CROPPING STRATEGIES
Composting in Place
Compost as Mulch
Ways to Improve Land and Exhaust the Weed Seed Bank
CROPS TO FOCUS ON
GOING FROM CROP TO CROP
Dealing with Residue
Planting
Flowers in No-Till
CASE STUDY: GROWING HEMP
APPENDIX
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
