The Ag Engineering podcast is a conversation with small scale fruit and vegetable farmers to discuss tools, tips or techniques to improve the sustainability of your farm. In this episode, we visit with Evan Perkins of Small Axe Farm (https://smallaxefarm.com) to talk about how they use plastic sheet material (silage tarps and greenhouse plastic) on their no-till, hillside farm.
Learn something from the show? Let me know or share feedback here! https://forms.gle/fDraaXhRUtYfBchb6
Show Notes/Chapters
1:58 How do you use tarps?
4:15 Using tarps for germination
6:41 Timing for germination techniques
10:52 Using tarps to kill (both black and clear)
- Clear greenhouse plastic works quickly (just a day or two)
- Follows with flame weeding
13:12 Expiration and durability of silage tarps
14:51 Storage of tarps
15:46 Ways we hold the tarps down – Sandbags
20:05 Tarping is a profit increasing practice
22:17 Adoption of this practice
24:07 Downsides of using tarps
“If somethings too much of a pain and causing you that much stress just find another way.”
Evan Perkins
Follow Small Axe Farm
Website: https://smallaxefarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallaxefarm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallaxefarmvermont/?hl=en