We've Got Piglets

Biointensive Garden Project

Each intern has a major project. Mine is to create and manage a biointensive plot.
It's a fancy way to describe the dense growing of plants by "double digging" the soil, which allows the roots to reach deeper, adding lots of compost, and allowing compatible plants to grow together. The principles originated in many places, such as rural Paris gardens in WWII, and Irish and Chinese gardens.

Why am I interested in biointensive farming? After my experiment this summer with nine 20 x 5 foot beds I'd like to try it on an acre or more. It would also be fun to try out, or teach, in an urban setting.

I got help from Monique to broadfork the plots (a broadfork is twice the width of a pitch fork, and is used to loosen the soil without churning it).

The other interns' projects are:
Heather - greenhouse
Andrew - Chickens
Monique - Bees (and flowers)
Nitya - Permaculture

More on these later.

Hot Compost

First attempt at creating a hot (Thermophilic) compost. Bottom layer is a foot of large sticks and cornstalks, then alternating layers of straw, wet vegetable matter, and soil. The bacteria in the soil helps to innoculate the pile with the bacteria necessary to break it down into compost. It should get to about 160 degrees maximum, and after 7 to 9 days will cool down. This pile got to 122 Farenheit within one day, then cooled down. It might not have had enought wet vegetable matter.