1. No-Till methods of Food Production
Natural Farming, Layer Cake Gardening, Small-scale Organic No-till

2. Masanobu Fukuoka Lived 1913-2008 in Japan Trained in Plant Pathology
Wanted to Farm in a way that mimicked nature
Author of The One Straw Revolution, The Natural Way of Farming, and The Road Back to Nature

3. 4 Principles of Natural Farming
No Cultivation
No Fertilizer
No Weeding
No Pesticides

4. Rice/Barley Succession
Rice grown May-October
Barley Grown October-May
Done without Tilling, flooding of fields, and fertilizers
Matched or exceeded yields of highly mechanized neighbors
Did not ask “what more can I do?”, but instead “what can I not do?”

6. Rice/Barley Succession
Barley broadcast a couple of weeks before Rice harvest with White Clover (nitrogen source)
Rice Harvested, and straw spread back on field
Thin layer of chicken manure (nitrogen source) spread to help decompose straw (carbon source)
In December, rice for following year broadcast in clay pellets
Barley harvested in May and straw spread on emerging rice seedlings and clover

7. Fukuoka’s vegetable experiments
Broadcast vegetable seeds in his citrus orchard next to the trees amidst clover
Planted spring plants as winter weeds began to die, and fall plants as summer weeds began to die
His vegetables outcompeted weeds if planted with cover crop
Every season, he let a certain percentage of plants go to seed
Plants in the same species cross-pollinated with each other
Vegetables “re-wilded” themselves

8. Advantages/Disadvantages
Method teaches us to think outside the box
Emphasis on observing environment and mimicking natural systems
Less work
Straw recycles nutrients and suppresses weeds
Disadvantages
His methods for grains and vegetables not universal
Need plenty of rainfall and fertile soil
Vegetable method more of an experiment (wife still had traditional kitchen garden)
Rice impractical in Texas
Resilient weeds (Bermuda & Johnson Grass)
Japan’s climate much different than Waco

9. A Central Texas grain succession
Using Fukuoka’s system, what type of succession would work in this climate?
Winter
Wheat, Barley or Rye with a type of clover or vetch
Summer
To be honest, I don’t know what would work
3 sisters?
Cowpeas?
Buckwheat?
Sorghum?

10. Layer Cake Gardening Salamander Springs Farm in Berea, KY
Adapted, simpler version of Sheet Mulch Gardening and Lasagna Gardening

11. 3 Layers Bottom Layer- Cardboard, old feed bags
Middle Layer- thin layer of compost or manure
Top Layer (icing)- rotted hay, leaves, or similar carbon source
Layers are left to compost for 3 months before planting

12. Advantages/Disadvantages
Not labor intensive
No equipment needed
Cardboard suppresses weeds
Disadvantages
Requires planning ahead and patience
Some want immediately raised beds

14. Neal Curran’s Method Beds solarized with clear plastic
Fall cover crop planted
Usually a legume or a legume with a grain
Popular examples include Hairy Vetch/Rye, Crimson Clover/Oats
Cover crops overwinter and put on rapid growth in spring and are crimped or cut at flowering stage
Spring crops are transplanted into cover crop residue
Same method can be used for summer cover crops to fall vegetables
Another cover crop or vegetable bed should be planted after harvest to beat the next set of weeds

15. Advantages/Disadvantages
Cost effective
No initial compost needed
Nitrogen source + Weed Suppression + habitat for beneficial insects
Disadvantages
Requires a lot of planning and proper timing
Early season crops and direct seeded plants cannot be easily grown in thick mulch
In Texas, weeds will eventually grow through cover crop mulch

16. Common Threads Green Manures and Cover Crops Creative weed suppression
If you don’t have a rototiller or tractor, you have options