Focus on Hanley Farm – April 2015

This month we had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Worcester of Daisy Creek Farm. Now in their 4th season of leading the agricultural activities at Hanley Farm, we learned more about no-till agriculture and what we can expect to see at the Farm this season.

What is no-till agriculture?—No-Till agriculture is the practice of not turning over and pulverizing the soil. By leaving the soil intact and also layering on mulch, a soil-ecosystem is able to develop. A functioning ecosystem can do the work of providing nutrients, aerating the soil, and keeping plants healthy the way nature intended. No-till fosters life and diversity, which in turn can solve a lot of your gardening woes.

How have these practices affected the garden over these past few years?—Every year we have not tilled the soil, and instead layered on mulch, the richness and diversity in the soil has increased. We have seen a sharp decrease in pest populations and increase in predator soil insects such as predaceous ground beetles, centipedes, spiders, and ants. These natural predators keep “pest” species in-check, and make it possible to grow food without the supplement of chemicals. Even organic pesticides are still pesticides, which means they kill soil life. The goal is to do less work. We think of no-till as ‘Smart Farming’ or ‘Ecological Farming’ using our knowledge of plant biology and soil ecology to do the work for us! It is really a wonderful way to grow things.

What other agricultural activities are happening at the Farm?—We have a variety of livestock that we pasture on 20 acres. There are goats, sheep, donkeys, llamas, and we also have a flock of chickens that are kept in the historic chicken coop. We are looking forward to this year’s lambs, kids, and chicks! Keep an eye-out for Spring babies bouncing around on Hanley Hill.

What can the community expect to see from the garden this year?—We are going to have a nice variety of produce for sale this season at the Jacksonville Farmers Market (Sundays from 9:00am-1:00pm at the Courthouse.) We will have several kinds of potatoes and onions, as well as flowers, herbs, garlic, greens, cabbage, broccoli, our famous beets and much more!

Featured image above of a field at Hanley Farm by Elizabeth Worcester