What kind of crops can be planted using organic farming?

What cover crops should I plant on my organic farm?

• Starting an organic farm -- cover crops: what, when, and how? I'm in the beginning stages of starting an organic farm in the foothills of northeast Georgia (Toccoa, to be exact if you want to look up weather info). The soil is mostly red clay with a few small rocks here and there. I want to build up the fertility quickly, easily, and relatively cheaply. I own a hand operated seed spreader. I do NOT have a tractor, mower, or any powered tillage equipment, and I do not intend to buy any at this time. My question is in a few parts: 1) What would be the best cover crops to plant in this area? I am interested in breaking up the soil, controlling erosion, and adding organic matter. Right now I am thinking about planting pearl millet in the summer time (perhaps mixed with some soybean or cowpea). For winter I am not sure, maybe winter rye by itself or mixed with austrian winter pea? Still need ideas for what to plant in the spring. I am planning to do year-round cover crops for 2 years before I start farming. 2) For the recommendations in part 1, when should they be planted? Please give specific-ish dates for my location. 3) How should they be planted? I know I can use the seed spreader to distribute the seeds. What about covering them up? Should I use a rake? Drag a large chain across the ground? Do I need to put straw on top? Any other human-powered ideas? Keep in mind that it is about 1 acre that needs to be seeded. 4) Last but not least, a tangent: Can you recommend any good books that cover organic farming and/or cover cropping (especially in the southeast) ? I already have Eliot Coleman's "The New Organic Grower" which is great -- looking for other sources, too. Thanks!

• Answer:

  http://www.growingformarket.com/store/products/33 Then call your extension. The EVIL Federal gubbmint pays people to answer this sort of question for farmers (SOCIALISM!). They'll also do an analysis of your soil and provide recommendations for what amendments are called for. I haven't seen an extension agent specifically recommend a particular cover crop, but you can match the conditions found to something like http://www.groworganic.com/library_247.html. The best way to plant a cover crop is with a no-till seed drill. Since your neighbor probably doesn't have one of those laying around, you can spread seed and rake it by hand (doable on an acre) or drag a chain harrow. I do NOT have a tractor, mower, or any powered tillage equipment, and I do not intend to buy any at this time. Remember that all of this equipment can be rented, hired, or borrowed. For example, my project for the winter is to buy a spader but not the tractor to run it. Why? Because I can borrow or rent a tractor and don't need to tie up the capital for something that's going to sit most of the time. I can't rent a spader so that's worth the money to me. *checks poster's history* Oh look, I see you've gone to school for this and likely know more than I ever will. However, I stand by my recommendation of From Startup to Market. It's like Elliot Coleman scaled up for small commercial operations. http://www.growingformarket.com/ is also well worth a subscription. I'll also note that the successful college-educated organic farmers that I know tend to partner with more experienced old timers. The old timers appreciate the schooling and the academics appreciate the hands-on experience. To this end, I'd recommend looking for a local association of small farmers for your region. My business/life partner and I are members of http://tilthproducers.org and the conferences, farm walks, and friendships we've attended/made have been invaluable. Good luck!