guildfordcycads

What do you recommend considering when purchasing vacant land? For example, currently considering a property that has several utility company easements but no utilities/local services, has a natural spring and well, dirt road shared by neighbors, and a decades-long verbal month-to-month lease for livestock grazing. What kinds of questions or investigations would you recommend?

I plan on writing a story involving that delves slightly into agriculture. I need to know, what kind of cover crops can grow through a snowy winter but would be around in a midevil time period and serve a function outside of just soil enrichment.

I know it’s a strange question but it seems you guys know your stuff so any help is appreciated.

I was feeling quite accomplished today going through the bottom of my first large compost bin. I started a cast iron worm bin because of all of the worms

Fun learning point for me was watching a video from Canadian Permaculture Legacy on the YT titled, “ A complete guide to soil biology.” I learned that the biotic glues I was referring to are actually Extracellular Polymeric Substances that stress byproducts of living soil microbes. Not the remnants of dead ones like I thought. But the dead ones do release nutrients too. Just to things higher up in the food chain. Bacteria and fungi are eaten by Protozoa, which are in turn eaten by nematodes which are then eaten by arthropods, and on it goes. It’s fascinating really and I’m thrilled to use this compost.

It’ll also continue to get better as a start harvesting worm castings and making biochar

My house is on a 2 acre lot and I was thinking of starting a food forest but too too sure where to begin. We have a 100x50ft space in the front yard we cleared out next to the road. We thought planting some fruit trees in that area to help reduce sound and break line of sight would be nice.

Where’s the best place to start? Best trees to plant first? What should I do to the area to get it ready for this year? Next year? Would native plants produce enough?

In on the edge of zones 7a and 7b in New Jersey. The town I’m in gives compost away to residents so I have plenty of that on hand. I have chickens and goats on the backyard already as well so fertilizer isn’t an issue.

I’ve had success with gardening in the past but never really planned anything out or put much thought into where or what needed to be planted.

Any advice?

I’m trying to look into edible plants to grow, as someone who can get seeds to sprout but never grow very far. In my few attempts at growing plants, I usually have to container garden, which I know isn’t great for certain plants. I’m a little overwhelmed with research.

Any recommendation for US region 5-6? I wanted to look into potatoes and squash, but I have heard those don’t really like containers 😅.