permaculture

Workshop Module 7: Farming 209

Step 3

On the board create 3 simple crop rotation plans:

1. Vegetable beds.


2. Large crop areas – Corn, grains, soybean, etc.


3. Rice paddies.

Do a group brainstorm with the participants about the above, focus on the ideas
contributed by the participants, if needed some ideas for these rotation plans could
include:

For vegetable crops

• 1st – Bean crop.


• 2nd – Fruiting vegetables (tomato, eggplant, cucumber, etc) or leaf vegetable
  crop (Chinese vegetables, broccoli, spinach, etc).


• 3rd – Root crop (carrot, beetroot, parsnip, etc).


• 4th – Rest period.

For grain crops

• 1st – Grain #1 (corn, wheat, barley, rye, oats, etc).


• 2nd – Grain #2 (corn, wheat, barley, rye, oats, etc, but different type than the
  1st grain crop).


• 3rd – Legume crop (beans, green manure crop, etc).


• 4th – Rest period.

For rice paddy

• Rice paddies can also be rotated, with every 2nd crop being a bean crop such as
  soybean, sweet potato, corn, or other grains.


• Rice paddies should receive a rest period as well.


• The different crops will improve soil structure and will create more balance of the
  nutrients that are removed.

For example:

• 1st – Rice crop (organic local variety takes 6 months).


• 2nd – Bean crop.


• 3rd – Rice crop.


• 4th – Rest period.


• 5th – Rice crop.


• 6th – Sweet potato crop.


• 7th – Rice crop.


• 8th – Rest period.