As we learn how to farm at Walker Jones, we are impressed by the fact that organic farming involves a series of practices (continual actions). Compost tea, weeding, seeding/planting, gathering coffee grounds and watering are some of the practices that form what the farm is and how it functions. One of the most important practices we carry out is mulching.
We were lucky to have twenty-five stacks of straw donated from a nearby construction site to use as mulch. Some of us accidentally call the straw “hay”, but hay is for horses and is to be eaten, while straw is used to for mulching. By laying straw on our paths and lightly over our rows we are able to suppress weeds and keep a higher moisture content in the farm soil. On the first day of farming, Coach told us that we couldn’t have enough straw. After two weeks at The Farm at Walker Jones, we are starting to understand the importance of the stuff to keeping our rows of vegetable seedlings from drying out from lack of water or from being pushed around by crab grass.
The Farm at Walker Jones 