Practical No-Till Farming

Andrew Mefferd is the editor of Growing for Market magazine and author of The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution and The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook. He spent seven years in the research department at Johnny's Selected Seeds, traveling internationally consulting with researchers and farmers on the best practices in organic farming. Before that he worked on the research farm at Virginia Tech, doing field work researching how organic no-till vegetable production compared to tilled organic production. He has worked on farms in Pennsylvania, California, Washington State, Virginia, Maine, and New York State. He now farms in Cornville, Maine.

• Part 1: The Why of No-Till INTRODUCTION Who This Book Is For Tilling Was Once the Only Answer Enthusiasm and Skepticism for No-Till Becoming a No-Till Farmer Defining No-Till: What Counts as Tillage Anyway? New Adaptation for Old Methods The Promise of No-TillTHE POWER OF THE SOIL Putting a Face on the Soil Soil: Where the Microbe Magic Happens Taking Care of Our Livestock Soil Life Drives the Success of No-Till Systems Soil Testing Healthy Soil Can Lead to Healthier FarmersFARM SIZE Farming as a CareerNO-TILL: A GATEWAY METHOD Evolution of Your Farm Small Can Be BeautifulNO-TILL VS. TILLAGE Tillage: The Agricultural Reset Button Tillage: An Ancient Practice We Might Want to AvoidTHE DISADVANTAGES OF TILLING Breakdown in the Nutrient Cycle Weeds Hard Work and Time-Consuming Physical, Chemical, and Biological DisadvantagesTHE ADVANTAGES OF NO-TILL Advantages for the Environment Fungus: The Perennial Roots of the Soil Soil and Water Can Do Their Jobs Increase in Organic Matter Advantages for GrowersTHE DISADVANTAGES OF NO-TILL Fields Are Slower to Warm in Spring Systems Can Take Some Time to Become Established Some Methods Are Hard to Scale Up Some Pests Can Flourish in High Residue Perennial WeedsPart 2: The How of No-Till GETTING STARTED: PRINCIPLES, TECHNIQUES, AND TOOLS Start with a Soil Test Clearing the Deck: Getting the Soil Ready Establishing New Fields Sod Bustin', No-Till Style Reduce the Weed Seed Bank FirstTARPING Occultation Solarization Tarp Timing Decomposition RatesIT'S ALL ABOUT THE MULCHES Non-Decomposing Mulches Applied Organic MulchesMULCH GROWN IN PLACE The Roller/Crimper Method Roller/Crimper Cons Winter-Killed Cover Mulch Crops Planting through a Cover Crop Mulch Which Crops Work Best in the Roller/Crimper System?GETTING STARTED AND CROPPING STRATEGIES Composting in Place Compost as Mulch Ways to Improve Land and Exhaust the Weed Seed BankCROPS TO FOCUS ON GOING FROM CROP TO CROP Dealing with Residue Planting Flowers in No-TillCASE STUDY: GROWING HEMP APPENDIX NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

"Andrew Mefferd's new book is a no-nonsense breakdown of no-till market gardening that gets straight to the point and stays there. Mefferd's a gifted writer who smoothly communicates not only the principles that guide no-till gardening but the technical details in a way that makes you keep reading. Practical No-Till Farming is arguably the most devourable technical manual I've come across. A great read and an even greater asset to organic flower and vegetable growers everywhere."— Jesse Frost, author, The Living Soil Handbook "This is a book I wish I had when I was starting out. Even now it helps clarify what the big deal is about no-till, how it's being defined, and how folks are actually making it work."— Josh Volk, author, Build Your Own Farm Tools and Compact Farms "If you want to start farming but don't think you have enough money for land and machinery, this could be the book for you. If you're thinking about transitioning from conventional tillage to no-till farming, this could be the book for you as well. If you're looking for a practical, down-to-earth book that explains both the whys and hows of no-till market gardening, this definitely is the book for you."— John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia