Landon, Landon’s sister (Aislinn), and I took a visit to the farm yesterday after a long hiatus. We were delighted to find the fields covered in a downy soft coating of buckwheat.
Maybe the term “covered” is a little favorable: my first time with the broadcast seeder yielded some patchy results. But MOST of our land has at least SOME buckwheat growing, and the tall weeds/grasses are decidedly suppressed.
Besides, the buckwheat isn’t supposed to do everything. It’s only the first in a series of cover crops. Come fall, we’re looking to throw down some alfalfa to add a little nitrogen and aerate the soil. Landon has also mentioned daikon radish as a possibility.
Here’s a chart from Johnny Seed’s to give you a sense of our options. Hopefully, I’ll get some footage of the buckwheat up on the site before we have to destroy it. Or you can come check it out in person and we can put you to work!
