The Outdoor Garden

Our “Market Garden” is an ½ acre seasonal food production system where we grow a variety of traditional and boutique crops that include root vegetables, garlic, peas, beans, squash, melons, tomatoes, cane fruits, and more.  It's designed to maximize productivity while providing a diverse array of crops for market sales, personal consumption, or community support. Here's a detailed exploration of the various crops and practices that contribute to the garden's success:

Crops Grown in the Market Garden

• Root Vegetables: This category includes carrots, beets, radishes, and potatoes. Root vegetables are hearty and can be harvested at various stages of maturity, providing flexibility in planting and harvest schedules.

• Garlic: A popular crop known for its long growing season and unique planting requirements. It is often planted in the fall and harvested in late spring or early summer.

• Peas and Beans: These legumes are valuable for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, improving soil health and reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. They also offer a steady supply of fresh produce throughout the growing season.

• Squash and Melons: These sprawling plants require ample space and sunlight, producing a rich variety of fruits. They are typically grown in the warmer months and can provide a significant yield.

• Tomatoes: A staple in many gardens, tomatoes are versatile and come in a wide range of varieties, from cherry to beefsteak. They require careful staking or caging to ensure proper growth and fruit production.

• Cane Fruits: This category includes raspberries and blackberries, which grow on tall canes. These fruits are highly valued for their sweetness and are often used in preserves, desserts, or eaten fresh.

Garden Layout and Design

The market garden is designed with efficiency and productivity in mind. Key elements include:

• Raised Beds: We start by sheet mulching the existing ground cover and introducing aged manure from our animals to the native soil. Our beds are between 8” and 12” tall, which improves drainage, keeps the crown of the plants healthy during the wet part of the season and is shallow enough that the plants still access and use the native soil.

• Companion Planting: This practice involves combining complementary crops to enhance growth, reduce pests and promote beneficial insect populations.

• Succession Planting: To maintain a continuous supply of fresh produce, crops are planted in succession.

• Crop Rotation: This helps prevent soil depletion and reduces the risk of pests and diseases by changing the types of crops grown in each area from season to season.