WWW.MOTHEREARTHNEWS.COM 454 Broadfork. Even with organic
no-till methods, your soil will become
compacted every few years. Jean-Martin
Fortier, a market farmer in Quebec, loos-
ens soil with a broadfork. “It allows us to
have the benefits of deep tillage without
really tilling,” he says.
Broadforks are hand tools with verti-
cal tines mounted to the bottom of a
horizontal bar between a pair of long,
straight handles. To use a broadfork, press
the tines into the soil and rock the long
handles back and forth to loosen the soil.
A subsoiler is another implement, like
a broadfork, that might be considered
“low-till.” This tractor attachment can be
dragged through the soil to a depth of 11
inches to loosen up compacted beds.5 Rotary power harrow. Fortier
specializes in vegetables, annually pro-
ducing thousands of pounds of mes-
clun — and a gross income of more than
$150,000 — on 1^1 ⁄ 2 acres of permanent
raised beds. He shreds cover crops with a
flail mower, then mixes the residue into
the top inch of the soil’s surface with a
rotary power harrow (pictured above).
Power harrows stir the soil with tines
and level the surface to prepare it for
planting. As Fortier explains it, the tool
“perfectly conditions the soil for trans-
plants.” He adds that two-wheel tractors
with reversible handlebars allow for power
take-off attachments, both front and rear.
Fortier, who calls his system “mini-
mal tillage” or “biological tillage,” willoccasionally re-form raised beds with a
rotary plow, an implement produced by
the Berta Franco Co. to fit walk-behind
tractors. But he’ll use it in early spring
when the soil on his farm is still cold, so
that earthworms and other soil creatures
and features won’t be killed or disturbed.
Fortier’s gardens — and yours, too — de-
pend on them.Cultivating Cover Crops
Any cover crop that’s an annual or winter annual can
work in a no-till or low-till system, says Jeff Moyer
of Rodale Institute. “The trick is to look at your crop
rotation, and figure out where there are windows of
opportunity to put in cover crops, or how to rearrange
your rotation to plant cover crops. Then, pick the plant
that best suits your soil, environment, and rotation,”
he says. Moyer recommends these cover crops.- Small grains: wheat, rye, oats, triticale, barley,
and buckwheat - Non-perennial legumes: hairy vetch, Austrian winter
peas, field peas, forage soybeans, and crimson clo-
ver or any annual clover
You should also consider these variables before de-
ciding on a cover crop. - How long do you want your cover-crop mulch to last? Grasses,
such as cereal rye, are better for weed suppression because
they take longer to break down. - Do you want mulch that breaks down quickly? Choose buck-
wheat and vetch, or chop any cover crop with a flail mower.- Want your cover-crop mulch to be in place for next spring? Plant
your cover crop in summer and let winter cold kill it. Be sure it
doesn’t go to seed. - Do you want a cover that also adds nitrogen to the soil? Go with
legumes, such as peas and soybeans.
- Want your cover-crop mulch to be in place for next spring? Plant
A rotary power harrow’s tines stir the soil, and its mesh roller levels the surface for planting.Market gardener Jean-Martin Fortier makes sure his cover crop isn’t going to seed.RESOURCES
BOOKS
Organic No-Till Farming by Jeff Moyer
The Market Gardener
by Jean-Martin Fortier
(both available on Page 80)ARTICLES
DIY Roller/Crimper Plans:
http://goo.gl/wAfwSm
DIY Broadfork Plans:
http://goo.gl/EaKtPv
“Choosing the Best Cover Crops”:
http://goo.gl/aYjrnj
“Managing Cover Crops”:
http://goo.gl/g7LL5QEQUIPMENT
Earth Tools:www.EarthToolsBCS.com
I & J Manufacturing:www.CropRoller.com
Pequea Planter:www.MarketFarm.com/
cfms/Pequea_Planter.cfmPHOTOS
Top: Earth Tools (2)Bottom: Alex Chabot
EARTH TOOLS (2); TOP AND PAGE 43: RODALE INSTITUTE (3)ALEX CHABOT; TOP: EARTH TOOLS (2)
p 43-45 NoTill.indd 45 10/5/16 2:21 PM