Soil management on commercial produce farms tends to entail some combination of tillage, cultivation, herbicides, plastic mulch, and fertilizer. A new generation of farmers are inventing ecological approaches that reduce or eliminate these inputs and their negative consequences. While most folks have heard about no-till farming and soil health by now, there is less clarity about the scalability, efficiency, and profitability of these concepts within context of local food systems.

This workshop is hosted by Rose Hill Farm, located on a 125-acre family farm and wildlife habitat that currently grows about 10 acres of summer produce and 10 acres of willow coppice in the village of Roseville, Ohio. Our approach emphasizes cover crops, no till planting techniques, perennial hedgerows, and a multi-year strategy to balance the chemistry of soils and regenerate their biological function.

This workshop will investigate four minimum tillage, zero herbicide cropping situations:

(1) a small-scale intensive market garden

(2) extensive fields of sweet corn, green beans, and pumpkins

(3) strip tillage for melons and strawberry

(4) “planting green” into living cover crops.

Participants will learn about the composition, timing, and sowing of cover crop mixes; tools and equipment for crimping, tarping, planting, and weeding with cover crops; soil testing protocols and sources of fertility; and planting willows and hazelnuts for multi use hedgerows. We will discuss benefits of no-till as well as challenges we face on our farm. We would also like to learn from your experience.

Participants will enjoy fresh produce from the farm after the workshop!

Parking: Please park in the front field to the right as you come in the driveway.

Rain plan: This is a rain or shine event unless there are thunderstorms, in which case we will reschedule.