relationships

a little bit about this picture
this field was planted to white clover and oats in the very early spring. the oats germinated quickly and took off while the clover slowly did its thing and followed behind.
the plowed strips you see in the photo are where we have planted our tomatoes.
we will mow the pathways of oats and allow the clover to take over.
the white clover only grows to about 10 inches and will provide a living mulch under the 300 plus tomato plants.
this system of intercropping allows us to be feeding the soil at the same time we are growing a crop for the table.
the clover also suppresses weeds and provides forage for the bees and other beneficial insects.
next year, yes we are already planning for next year, the early brassicas will be planted into the pathways and the clover will fill in where the tomatoes were this year.
while this is not the first year we have employed this system, it is no less remarkable and it sure beats plastic.