The Gardens

Better Farm utilizes a no-till, no-chemical fertilizers or pesticides, 100-percent organic, mulch-gardening system. Mulch gardening is a layering method that mimics a forest floor and combines soil improvement, weed removal, and long-term mulching in one fell swoop. Also called lasagna gardening or sheet mulching, this process can turn hard-to-love soil rich and healthy by improving nutrient and water retention in the dirt, encouraging favorable soil microbial activity and worms, suppressing weed growth, and improving the well-being of plants (all while reducing maintenance!).

The gardens are run by Better Farm's interns; individuals interested in learning about sustainability, permaculture, and alternative gardening methods. The interns are helped out during the season by individuals participating in the betterArts residency program, full-time residents at Better Farm, and volunteers. We use varying tactics (direct compost, various naturally based and homemade pest deterrants, companion planting), some of which are experimental or brand-new ideas, to turn our garden into a living laboratory where taking chances and learning as we go is all part of the process. in the last two years, we have produced enough vegetables, fruits, greens, and herbs to feed on average 10 people for half a year. With forays into canning, freezing, and other preservation methods, in 2011 we hope to extend that reach to a full year's worth of produce. All "overflow"—that is, food we grow beyond what we need—is sold at our farm stand on Cottage Hill Road or donated.

Because of the experimental nature of Better Farm's gardens, we do many things on small scales. Instead of having fields of corn, we plant several rows of different kinds of corn. Instead of having 25 chickens, we have three rescued hens who live in a mobile coop which functions as a mini roto-tiller as the girls scratch, peck, and turn over the soil beneath them. We try different kinds of raised beds, test out different soil types and topical fertilizers (worm dirt, compost manure, and regular compost, to name a few), and rotate our crops every year. This gives us a rotating crop of pests to familiarize ourselves with, a never-ending learning process, and offers those living at the Farm a superior, varied crash-course in organic gardening methods.

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