Mulch Ado About Nothing

Hello Permies! I'm new here

Recently I got a job as a farm assistant with a non-profit organization that grows organic produce on a historic farm in the heart of eastside San Jose. The produce is distributed throughout the community as a means of addressing food insecurity as well as providing good nutrition to low-income families in our area. Today was my first day working in the new pepper beds, and most of my time was spent hoeing a carpet of weeds! As I weeded the farm manager talked about the drought and the water crisis facing farmers.

I asked him why the beds we were working in weren't mulched, since mulching would both help to conserve precious water and suppress the weeds. He answered that this was because they till the fields with a tractor and mulch makes tilling impossible. I then asked why they don't graze their sheep in the beds rather than tilling. He said that this was due to restrictions imposed by the city against such practices.

So, being the novice that I am, I am turning to you all for advice in this matter. Is there a type of mulching, living or non, that would be appropriate for tilling?

Welcome to Permies Sarah!

I think your idea about mulching was great.

With good mulching, tilling would no longer even be needed. Not to mention less watering, weeding, and it builds super healthy soil!

Best of luck!

Steve

Sarah, welcome to Permies! Is the farm growing the food for sale part of the historic farm? Are they trying to grow things in the manner of the period of the farm? I agree that mulch would make things easier, but if the decision makers aren't interested in change, it may be difficult. I think some organic farms use sheets of plastic for mulch. They have equipment that rolls it out and probably re-rolls it when the rows or beds are done. I'm not particularly keen on plastic, but perhaps that's an option(?)

Welcome aboard Sarah. It's great that you're thinking about ways to innovate. I believe that if you step lightly, and find ways to demonstrate your ideas, you can be a positive influence. But respectfully, you need to first take a deep breath and fully understand the system in place now.

I have immense respect for organizations that grow food for people on the margins, people who might otherwise go hungry. They are quite correctly focused on production, on results, right now. If their method is to rototill, and periodically deep till, this is appropriate and effective.

Here's my suggestion for a starting point: mulch is not necessarily a barrier to cultivation. I find that mulch can be applied in a temporary way once plants have started, and raked away and stored once they are finished. This may not be "full permie" but it is practical and effective, and quite compatible with conventional cultilvation.

That's my 2 cents. Luck!

The non-profit organization I work for leases 5 acres on a historic farm that is managed by the city. They're not beholden to using historic practices. However, they do use organic practices and use permaculture practices where possible. For example, I know they sheet mulched at least part of one of the new beds.

They seem open to new ideas and methods so long as it doesn't interfere with yields or efficiency.