Cut and Carry for Weed Management and Fertility in Organic Cropping Systems

Join American Farmland Trust for a webinar on Cut and Carry for Weed Management and Fertility in Organic Cropping Systems. Also known as ‘transferred mulch,’ “cut and carry” refers to the practice of growing, harvesting and moving loads of mulch from one part of the farm (or a neighboring farm) to another, usually as loose greenchop or ensiled material. This practice has been used to reduce tillage in organic vegetable production systems by using thick mulch to suppress weeds. Cut and carry can also be used as a fertility strategy, through the harvest, application, and incorporation of legumes onto cropped acres.

In this webinar, we will hear from:

Charlotte Giard-Laliberté of the CETAB+ (Centre d’expertise et de transfert en agriculture biologique et de proximité) in Quebec, who will present on results from her research into cut and carry approaches, both with incorporation for fertility, and as a mulch for organic weed suppression;

Jeremy Barker Plotkin and Dave Tepfer of Simple Gifts Farm on their initial results from a SARE-funded trial examining nutrient and soil health outcomes in no-till cucurbit crops planted into cut and carry mulched plots; and

Spencer Blackwell of Elmer Farm in Middlebury, Vermont, who will share his methods for planting various vegetables into minimally and no-tilled cover crops and adding transferred mulch for weed suppression and enhanced fertility.

Our expert panel will discuss the pros and cons of cut and carry approaches for both fertility and tillage reduction, suggest potential innovations in cover crop management for soil health and farm viability, and will take questions from the audience. Farmers will come away from this webinar with practical information on using harvested cover crops on the farm to reduce off-farm inputs, increase soil health outcomes, and reduce tillage. More Info

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