Flat ground for garden space is hard to come by on our property. Some of my flat ground close to the house is not usable due to water/electric lines and septic system. With many hills and dips on the farm, you may have to be creative and plan ahead for gardening and planning for the next year. Instead of a large garden, I have three small garden areas for vegetables, which works out well with rotating crops. Along with these main three gardens, I have three small areas I can sow in crops for chickens throughout the summer, and eventually fall crops for two feeder pigs. It does not eliminate the feed bill completely, but does give stock variety and limits garden waste.

I do not like leaving the soil bare between garden rows. Planting multiple overcrops at different times in the walking rows, such as: sun hemp, clover, and cow peas. This adds nitrogen and nutrients in the soil when tilled under at the end of the season. Also, I only like to shallow till, aprox 3-4 inches deep, and slightly mound up rows. Not having bare soil lowers nutrient loss and promotes worms in the garden. I go through 3-4 bags of wood chips and 3-4 bales of straw a year to use as soil cover in-between crops, this can also help with weed suppression.

Most crops are started in trays to maximize garden space. I use Earths Ally and Neem oil for pest control, both are for organic gardening. You may have to spray more often but it’s better than using something toxic.