Here are some pics of my experiments in sustainable agriculture:

Garden3 - patch of Tohono O'odham 60-day corn in the main garden. The O'odham are a tribe in the American Southwest who perfected the growing of many extremely heat and drought resistant crops, as well as an agriculture based on the use of seasonal floodwaters from the summer monsoons. Their traditional lands stretch from Phoenix AZ to Sonora, Mexico.


Garden6 - main garden based on ideas from traditional French decorative vegetable gardening, and organic methods. I use wide beds cultivated with a broadfork, as recommended by Eliot Coleman, organic farmer, tool designer, and author of The New Organic Grower and Four Season Harvest.


Squasg - Winter squash growing with dwarf fruit trees. Squash are Southwestern Native American varieties.




Source for native american seeds, information, and southwestern foods and crafts - http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php

Eliot Coleman's farm - http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/default.html



I'll post more later. :hamster:

Here are a few of my permaculture gardens, started this Spring. Most of the beds contain a semi-dwarf apple tree. The apples are naturally disease-resistant varieties adapted to the South.

Garden 10 - permaculture beds between the house and the workshop. Workshop has a pergola with grapevines and hardy kiwi vines to provide shade on the South side (vines are still too young to provide much shade yet, and the kiwis turned out to not like the hot weather that much, so I'll probably plant more grapes if the kiwis die).

Bed2- permaculture bed of tomatoes with apple tree in the middle, surrounded by lemon balm and other herbs (which you can't see in this pic). Stones around the edge help contain mulch and provide habitat for frogs, toads, lizards, and snakes, all of which eat potential pest insects.


Information about permaculture - http://www.permacultureactivist.net/

Source for disease-resistant fruits adapted to the South - http://www.johnsonnursery.com/

Neat! Ludi, I didn't realize you were in Texas.. what part? I live in Houston, and I'd love to come tour your garden sometime if you're not too far away!

I'm northwest of San Antonio. :)

Small patch of Switchgrass, the beginnings of a tallgrass prairie restoration in an old quarry behind our house. I've planted cattails in the wettest portion of the quarry. Eventually we'll have about an acre of prairie here (I hope) with several species of switchgrass and many useful and beautiful native plants. This mini-prairie will provide habitat for birds, reptiles, and amphibians (the small pond area already provides breeding habitat for about 5 species of frogs and toads). It will also provide a sustainable supply of mulch for the gardens.


Information about prairie agriculture - http://www.landinstitute.org/

Chickens on pasture. This house is based on an Eliot Coleman design.

Pastured poultry resources (not veg*n friendly) - http://www.ibiblio.org/farming-connection/grazing/pastpoul/resource.htm

How many acres total do you have?

NW of San Antonio is a bit of a drive, but not too turrible far. Wanna show it off? What would be the best time of year for me to come see it?

Never mind a visit, can I come and live there? :)

That's awesome, Ludi! Very inspiring. I really wish I had a garden now. :cry:

Ludi,
Nice garden - wanna come to Australia & help me with my patch of desert next?
Looks good...

Nice pictures. I know I argue alot with you Ludi, but I do admire you for your permiculture.

Thank you! :)