It's a gravel pit: I want a garden

Hey all,

Looking for resources on regenerative farming in Northern Ontario. We've bought a few acres up here and some of the land is an old gravel pit. There is no soil on a large chunk of it, some mediocre soil on other bits.

The new idea this weekend from the inlaws was to buy old mouldy straw bales to provide ground cover. That's the kind of smart, money safe ideas I'm looking for. I'm mostly looking for resources. Most of what I find seems written for southern climates.

The eventual goal is bees, chickens, some ducks, rabbits, alpacas, and llamas for protection. Likely one pig. A few goats. Maybe a cow in 10 years.

I want to start slow and plan smart. Can anyone point me at some good northern-focused resources?


Thank you everyone!
~ raiin

Not sure where you are but (rural or suburban), have you looked for free mulch? Some localities in urban and suburban areas have programs to deliver woodchips from municipal and commercial landscaping for free or at a low cost.

You inlaws are onto something, old rotting "unusable" hay  will decompose and provide a boost of soil life.

I agree with any "free mulch" that you can get.  Bags of leaves or grass, woodchips that were mentioned, coffee grounds, vegetable peelings.

We have a lady on the forum who started a market garden in sand doing this exact way.