Ready for growing season

With so many beautiful days this winter, we have been able to get a lot done.  Our plot is ready to go:  New fence with rabbit guard, new gate, 100 yards of mulch spread throughout and our overhead irrigation system to mimic nature! 

One of the keys to sustainable farming is trying to mimic nature as close as possible.  By spreading mulch with leaves and organic matter like it is found in nature we are able to reduce our need to water and we don't have to destroy the ground by tilling it up, thereby depleting the nutrients in the soil. 

Therefore, since the mulch holds in all the moisture we are able to overhead water our plants and not have to worry about inefficiencies as traditional farmers do.  We also water much less often. 

The overhead watering not only mimics nature, but it also strengthens the plants and helps protect them from damage caused by storms and wind.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So What is "Ahavah" Anyway?

Image
As most of you know, the name of our farm, "Ahavah," means "Love," but that's the English translation.  So what does "Ahavah" actually mean and why did we name our farm this? One of the coolest things about the Hebrew language is that every letter has meaning.  The words themselves are the descriptors. Look up the word "Love" in the English dictionary and you will find something similar to this: "a  (1)   :  strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties  maternal  love  for a child   ( 2 )   :  attraction based on sexual desire  :  affection and tenderness felt by lovers  After all these years, they are still very much in  love .   ( 3 )   :  affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests: love  for his old schoolmates b   :  an assurance of affection : give her my  love"  (Mi...
Read more

Our Farm Pledge to YOU!

Image
                                   Ahavah Farm is a Values-Centered-Farm and This is Our Pledge to You! Go to www.ahavahfarm.com to learn more about our farm and how you can be a part of it! Farming is so much more than just growing calories. For us, it's about growing absolutely pure. About repairing our earth and caring for our resources. It is about putting love into our food, our employees, our animals and our community. Take a few minutes to read our public pledge here, leave a comment and be an active part in Ahavah (Love) to make a difference. ü   We pledge to never compromise on the purity of our food.   This includes the use of any chemicals or anything synthetic (even if it is certified “Organic”).   ü   We pledge to use microbiology, composts, green manures (plant residue) and other organic matter to build and sustain healthy soils. ü ...
Read more

The REAL Cost of Free-Range, Soy-Free, Organic Chicken Eggs

Image
When you don't get government handouts, don't force-molt your hens, don't keep your hens in battery cages, don't mess with the hen's natural laying cycle by not using lights in the winter etc., but feed the  hens pure, organic feed while allowing them to roam the land free as a bird (pun intended), the real cost for eggs is much higher than you would expect.  According to David Robinson Simon, author of "Meatonomics" (2013), the real cost of organic eggs should be $13.00!   Our eggs? They are $7.00 per dozen, here's why... Here's our own personal math for the cost of our eggs: Cost of feed per week per hen...........$0.86 (2.1 lb per week X $0.41) Eggs laid per week per hen..................2.96 (% productivity X 52 Weeks) Number of hens to make a dozen...... 4.054 Cost of feed per dozen eggs...............$3.48  Cost of egg carton..............................$0.33 Cost of Labels (2)...............................$0.30 Cost of utiliti...
Read more