posted 2 years ago
Hello!
I am reorganizing my annuals and changing location closer to the kitchen. I want to use the corridors between tree rows and having more access to everything, more in a “pekarangan” or “milpa” style
As I want to maximize and take the challenge of gettin all or most of my calories from the land, I am making my numbers and need some guidance. I knew Jeavons work, but I was not following his guidance. Anyway, I think I need to follow some method - even I might tune it later - and this biointensive seems a logical approach.
He insists in the 60-30-10 rule and the number of beds per person. Also I know that in some of his work talks also about “income crops”. Anyway, lets go with the 60-30-10. I was reflecting how could I adapt it to what I have
10% is for vegetable crops, 4 beds per person. This makes sense, although I can use some of the tree rows for growing some crops underneath them. But I think I will follow this to a T. I might add some perennial vegetables to another plot.
30% is for high calorie root crops. And he suggests 12 beds per person. As I am planting different nuts, chestnuts, oaks and others, I think that some of my high calorie root crops could come from tree crops. In fact, I expect this. It will take years, though. But we - or I - should aim for having more from trees. So 6-8 per person. And some of this can also go with the trees, no beds needed (like sweet potato, I can use it as a ground cover)
60% is for “carbon crops” as I understood, many of them are for consumption - like corn- but also many are for biomass, compost etc. 24 beds per person. I do have lots of trees, and also planted many grasses in between tree rows, for biomass. So with the increasing amount of chop and drop that I have, and with the fact that we dont eat a lot of grain in the house, I was thinking that this could be adapted to 8-10 beds maximum. Also, part of this can be interplanted between tree rows - this year I planted all the corn in the tree rows.
What do you think, does it make sense?
And, also, I found “temperate climate planning” but I was wondering if some of you could have some mediterranean or warmest climate planning, just for inspiration
Gracias!