Small, simple, and sheltered were three important design elements for the farm.
Small
It’s anyone’s own choice how large of a farm they decide to operate. There are a lot of great little farms and a lot of great large farms. It was our family’s choice to farm small.
So why small? Small gardens allow our farm crew to dedicate more time per square foot, resulting in better crops and less weeds. With intercropping (planting crops in the same space at the same time, but with different maturity dates) and succession planting, we have been able to increase the volume harvested per acre per season. Small gardens help us produce better crops, with less weeds, at ease.
Simple
I’ve been waffling on simplicity. While simplicity is ideal, diversity adds stability. So, I’m trying to find a balance between simplicity and diversity. My strategy so far looks like this: simplify processes and diversify nature. Processes include activities like seeding, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and washing – for the most part, we have control over these processes. The farm crew can tweak these processes to make them as simple as possible.
Natural diversity helps maintain healthy predator populations that are ready to spring into action whenever a pest shows up. Bushes, trees, flowers, herbs, and grasses are great hosts for various beneficial insects. By having these “hosts” close by, most pest problems are being taken care of before I even realize there is a “problem”. This is how diversity adds stability.
Sheltered
Southern Alberta can be known for its wind. Sometimes, it’s so windy that our lettuce transplants slowly but surely twist off, and with a final gust, they fly off towards the neighboring farms. Days like this can be really discouraging. If possible, I find a project to work on indoors to escape the relentless winds, hoping that soon we will have enough wind protection to mitigate this challenge.
Planting trees, bushes, tall plants like sunflowers, and building wind fences help develop a favourable micro-climate. This all takes time, but every little improvement helps.