Project Overview
Commodities
- Agronomic: oats, potatoes, rye
Practices
- Crop Production: conservation tillage
- Education and Training: extension, farmer to farmer
- Production Systems: holistic management
- Soil Management: green manures, organic matter
Proposal summary:
At Whip Poor Will Farm, we are looking for the most efficient, highest yielding method to produce organic fingerling potatoes on raised beds using a no-till production method. Our beds average 300 feet by 6 feet by 1.5 feet, totaling 2 acres.
Why it matters: No-till agriculture is a growing method in organic production; this method limits soil compaction and helps retain moisture; reduced fossil-fuel use; reduced time and cost input; produces high yields; and improves soil's organic matter year to year.
Our contribution to sustainable farming practices: To provide research on three no-till methods of organic fingerling potato production. These methods of no-till production can and should have other applications for cash crops outside potato production. It is our belief that successful adoption of a no-till potato production system is integral to our farm success.
Our project looks to test three different no-till potato cropping methods. Our metric for comparing cropping methods will be measured in yield, time, cost, energy, and soil composition.
Project objectives from proposal:
Our plan in brief: Compare yield, time, cost, energy, and soil fertility for three different production methods:
• Fingerlings planted directly into Dutch White Clover.
• Fingerlings planted directly into Dutch White Clover and rye.
• Fingerlings planted directly into Dutch White Clover and mulched with oat straw grown in a grain swath parallel to our raised beds.