The Rotational Gardening Collective
The Rotational Gardening Collective was conceived by Melody Newcombe to innovate home gardening and farming practices, break pest and disease cycles, build and improve soil fertility and tilth, provide a forum for improving growing techniques, share and simplify work, and improve harvests. The collective also serves to build community, share horticultural and environmental education though a mentoring program, encourage healthful and sanitary practices, improve nutrition, and teach and share culinary arts.
While the concept of the Rotational Gardening Collective is designed to be managed locally serving families and farmers within a close proximity, one of the goals is to have the idea catch on around the region, country and globe..
For one year, each member of the collective grows one main crop, related family of crops or crops with similar nutritional or horticultural requirements, such as root crops. The harvest is divided and distributed among everyone in their collective. So instead of everyone trying to grow everything on their own farm land or garden plot, each gardener or farmer specializes for one year growing one crop or one family of related crops. The grouping of crops may be family related like all kinds of squash or tomatoes, or plant feeding related like root crops or legumes.
The following year that crop is grown by another gardener or farmer at another location. That grower is mentored by the previous crop grower. You share information about how to grow the crop as well as your successes and failures, trouble shoot, conceive innovations, and rotate sanitzied crop related equipment such as tomato cages or pea fencing, etc.. Each year the collective gets more proficient and innovative on each crop as information is shared through the rotation.
The benefits are plentiful!
Depending upon the number of members participating in the collective, you could have a 3, 4, 6 or 8 year rotational cycle before the crop you started with returns to your garden or farm. Sample 3 and 8 year plans are provided here.
Three Member, 3 Year Crop Rotation Plan:
1. Peas and Beans planted with Rhizobial Bacteria, Cabbage, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Kohlrabi, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Chard, Lettuces and other greens (such as Mizuna, Tatsoi, Spinach, Celery, etc.) plus a fall planting of Garlic which you will harvest next year in August plus a fall top dressing of well rotted manure which will be dug in the following spring
2. Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, Potatoes, annual Herbs (such as parsley, basil, dill, cilantro, etc.) plus a fall top dressing of compost and a planting of winter rye which gets dug in the following spring
3. Winter and Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Melons and Root Crops such as Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Turnips, Parsnips, Daikons, Onions, Scallions, Leeks, etc.
Eight Member, 8 Year Crop Rotation Plan:
1. Peas planted with Rhizobial Bacteria, Lettuces, Herbs, Cutting Flowers, Garlic and other greens
2. Cabbage, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Kale, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts, Bok Choi and other greens plus a fall top dressing of rotted manures which will be dug in the following spring
3. Corn, Beans planted with Rhizobial Bacteria, Pumpkins plus soil testing and adding of amendments such as pulverized rock dusts such as black rock phosphate
4. Root crops - Carrots, Radishes, Beets, Turnips, Parsnips, Daikons, Onions, Scallions, Leeks, etc. followed by a fall top dressing of rotted manures and compost
5. Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants and annual herbs such as Basil, Parsley, Dill, Cilantro, Chervil, etc. plus soil testing and adjustments to change soil pH if necessary
6. Potatoes and Buckwheat followed by a fall planting of Winter Rye plus soil testing, adding of amendments to improve soil fertility and pH
7. Summer and Winter Squash, Cucumbers and Melons
8. Clover, Vetch, Buckwheat summer cover crops and fall planting of Winter Rye
While the concept of the Rotational Gardening Collective is designed to be managed locally serving families and farmers within a close proximity, one of the goals is to have the idea catch on around the region, country and globe..
For one year, each member of the collective grows one main crop, related family of crops or crops with similar nutritional or horticultural requirements, such as root crops. The harvest is divided and distributed among everyone in their collective. So instead of everyone trying to grow everything on their own farm land or garden plot, each gardener or farmer specializes for one year growing one crop or one family of related crops. The grouping of crops may be family related like all kinds of squash or tomatoes, or plant feeding related like root crops or legumes.
The following year that crop is grown by another gardener or farmer at another location. That grower is mentored by the previous crop grower. You share information about how to grow the crop as well as your successes and failures, trouble shoot, conceive innovations, and rotate sanitzied crop related equipment such as tomato cages or pea fencing, etc.. Each year the collective gets more proficient and innovative on each crop as information is shared through the rotation.
The benefits are plentiful!
- It builds community and trust, which is so important in our fragmented fearful society.
- Everyone in the collective has access to freshly harvested highly nutritious vegetables. The sooner the food goes from the garden to your belly, fewer vitamins are lost, so you are gaining health.
- It minimizes the work and complexities any one gardener or farmer would have to do if they grew everything. This helps to streamline maintenance over the growing season and crops can be given the proper cultural, watering and nutritional care they need for optimum harvests. The members of the collective are invited to help with bigger projects with work party pot lucks, music and singing. Many hands make light work. Projects include improving soil, cutting and planting potatoes, thinning root crops, staking tomatoes, etc.
- Because each year each crop is rotated off each property onto someone else's property (or garden plot if you garden in a community garden), you'll be breaking the plant disease and pest cycle, which means you can grow crops more easily organically!!!
Depending upon the number of members participating in the collective, you could have a 3, 4, 6 or 8 year rotational cycle before the crop you started with returns to your garden or farm. Sample 3 and 8 year plans are provided here.
Three Member, 3 Year Crop Rotation Plan:
1. Peas and Beans planted with Rhizobial Bacteria, Cabbage, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Kohlrabi, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Chard, Lettuces and other greens (such as Mizuna, Tatsoi, Spinach, Celery, etc.) plus a fall planting of Garlic which you will harvest next year in August plus a fall top dressing of well rotted manure which will be dug in the following spring
2. Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, Potatoes, annual Herbs (such as parsley, basil, dill, cilantro, etc.) plus a fall top dressing of compost and a planting of winter rye which gets dug in the following spring
3. Winter and Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Melons and Root Crops such as Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Turnips, Parsnips, Daikons, Onions, Scallions, Leeks, etc.
Eight Member, 8 Year Crop Rotation Plan:
1. Peas planted with Rhizobial Bacteria, Lettuces, Herbs, Cutting Flowers, Garlic and other greens
2. Cabbage, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Kale, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts, Bok Choi and other greens plus a fall top dressing of rotted manures which will be dug in the following spring
3. Corn, Beans planted with Rhizobial Bacteria, Pumpkins plus soil testing and adding of amendments such as pulverized rock dusts such as black rock phosphate
4. Root crops - Carrots, Radishes, Beets, Turnips, Parsnips, Daikons, Onions, Scallions, Leeks, etc. followed by a fall top dressing of rotted manures and compost
5. Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants and annual herbs such as Basil, Parsley, Dill, Cilantro, Chervil, etc. plus soil testing and adjustments to change soil pH if necessary
6. Potatoes and Buckwheat followed by a fall planting of Winter Rye plus soil testing, adding of amendments to improve soil fertility and pH
7. Summer and Winter Squash, Cucumbers and Melons
8. Clover, Vetch, Buckwheat summer cover crops and fall planting of Winter Rye
