Comments on: Pigs can do that?

By: Margy

Margy — Sun, 10 May 2009 19:51:58 +0000

I’ve heard goats are used for similar types of clearing, of course without the rooting in the soil. Maybe a combo of species would give you different kinds of food and other resources in addition to the clearing. I don’t personally know anything about raising goats, but I know there are some people in Powell River who do for wool, etc. – Margy

By: David Parkinson

David Parkinson — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:48:11 +0000

I wonder how well burdock would do for breaking up the soil as well, since it is pretty hardy and has long taproots. You’d want to try to prevent it from going to flower, though!! And you could end up with significant quantities of medicinal burdock root, which someone like Doreen Bonin might appreciate.

By: Tom Read

Tom Read — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:40:10 +0000

Thanks for your comments!

Sheet mulching would be great if I could assemble enough appropriate organic matter from on-island sources. I collect a fair amount of seaweed, but it’s very labour-intensive, plus it requires a vehicle for transport. The principle of “a little at a time” applies, however, and I’ll probably use sheet mulching as much as possible.

The soil in this field does not seem badly compacted, just covered with grasses and weeds. I’ll take a look at the daikon radish idea — thanks.

Bio-diesel from veggie oil is great for places with large fields and ample sunshine where you can grow your own veggie oil plants using bio-diesel-powered equipment. The Texada Island Inn (and Tree Frog Bistro) import all their cooking oil from such places.

The manufacture and shipping of veggie oil on an industrial scale currently requires considerable petroleum inputs. Bio-diesel on the coast thus looks hard to justify as a sustainable, local energy source. It would make us dependent on imported veggie oil (not to mention the restaurant business), which is really no better than imported gasoline.

By: after oil

after oil — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:59:19 +0000

how about sheet mulching followed by planting root crops? (daikon radish is a popular permaculture plant for breaking up soil) a few rows each year and eventually youll have the whole acreage loosened.
permaculture literature also recommends chisel plowing to reduce plow pan

and about machines and fossil fuels: the texada island inn is an oil well of sorts.. a veggie oil well. diesel machines can be easily modified to run on waste veggie oil (WVO) presently nobody on texada is running WVO. although there are 3 uninstalled conversion kits that i know of on the island.