Hey Humans,
I am working/planning toward a food forest here outside of santa fe NM.
Windswept, 7,000 feet. 13inch of rain a year.
I am planning on transforming my front yard (probably more than half of or 3/4 acre homestead) into a food forest.
We have a cistern that collects our shower water and roof water on our Casita of 600sqft.
Looking to get more catchment for the 1800 sqft main house.
Our land doesn't have much of a grade, but some. i plan to swale it up! I am also thinking of ways to divert the road water (that makes small ponds when we get monsoons) into the front yard that is a bit barren.
The front yard has short clumps of native grass, four winged salt bush, some junipers, pinions, a couple low growing sumac and some aerating mounds designed by our fine furry mammal gofer/pocket moles. We have lots of deer mice around this area. They ate most of the squash seeds we planted this spring.
I also bought a little bike like seeder to put some cover crops in.
Planning on legumus trees and clovers and alfalfas to start with. I have a 50lb bag of oats and another of rye. We have a few young apricots and cherry trees i put in several years ago.
I have red clover, yellow clover and alfalfa on the way in the mail. I have daikon seeds, NM locust seeds, and a lb of black locust seeds on the way.
Hopefully before fall we will put in a large hooped greenhouse for growing year round and starting our tree nursery.
Before i swale I need a large supply of cheap or free mulch. I have been buying stray bales for 7-8 a piece but my truck broke down and before it is fixed it wuld be nice to zero in on some heavier mulch that will not blow away on top of the berms to be born.
Thing is, here in the desert mulch isn't everywhere. Or maybe it is... just need to find it.
Ideas of all kinds are welcome.
Thanks for existing.
May abundance rain forever and may all beings be fed.
Mac
