reduced tillage at beech grove farm – beech grove, PA

July 30, 2009 by W 1 Comment

beautiful and inspiring video of horse-powered farming at Beech Grove Farm.

“Eric and Anne Nordell have developed a farming system that integrates cover cropping, composting, crop rotation, and horse-drawn cultivation in an economically viable extensive organic vegetable farm. Anne and Eric have been growing organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers for over 20 years at Beech Grove Farm in Trout Run, PA. They farm a six acre market garden, and about 45 acres of pasture. The 6 acre cropland is divided into 1⁄2 acre strips of 20 yards by 120 yards that are planted to annually alternating cash crops and cover crops.

The Nordells have virtually eliminated weeds in their vegetable fields using tillage, cultivation, and by alternating cover crops and fallow tillage with their cash crops. They use draft horses and low-cost implements for cultivation and tillage to reduce the workload to a level that the couple can handle alone. The animals also contribute to compost production and slug control. The Nordells sell their produce at the Farmer’s Market in Williamsport, and to restaurants and grocery stores. They share their success writing regularly in several journals such as “Small Farmer’s Journal.”

read and old article about their efforts here