Contour Production Gardens

"The Production Gardens serve a different purpose than the Kitchen."

Purpose

The Production Gardens will be commercially focused, larger in overall field size (roughly four acres), and more production/efficiency oriented than the Kitchen Gardens.

The Production Gardens are also the first “blank slate” field in which entrepreneurs can plan cropbased enterprises. Their proximity to the farm hub and their manageable scale make them a great place for the initial trials. The final plan for these areas will be somewhat dependent on who is managing each respective enterprise.

Annual Vegetable Yields

Revenue

These vegetables can be sold via the PEG brand alongside eggs, and other animal products that the farm is beginning to produce, and/or they could be sold directly from a farm stand on site or farmers markets on the island.

"These vegetables can be sold via

the PEG brand "

Produce

Depending on the scale of vegetable production it’s possible to supply year round vegetables to the pop up restaurants or catering that might be offered for events in the early phases of PEG.

"In future versions of PEG, this produce can integrate into the education center and restaurant business models."

Vegetable Residue

After vegetables are harvested certain plants leave behind excess vegetable matter like cabbage roots and pepper plants.

"These scraps are called residue. This valuable waste can be used as mulch, added to the compost production, or fed to animals like chickens and pigs. "

Field Crops Yields

Abundant staple crops supply

Depending on the scale of vegetable production it’s possible to supply yearround vegetables to the popup restaurants or catering that might be offered for events in the early phases of PEG.

"In future versions of PEG, this produce can integrate into the education center and restaurant business models."

Cut Flowers

"Production of cut flowers adds another stream of revenue for the farmer."

These flowers can be sold wholesale to a local florist, displayed in PEG’s spaces, or could be sold as a value added product in a bouquet either at the farm stand or as an inclusionary cost for weddings and other events at PEG.

Aesthetics

"This alone can set the tone for the abundance of PEG"

What better way to approach a new place than to be greeted by beautiful contoured flower beds?

Shade and Wind Protection

"Woody flowering plants can be grown to provide wind and shade for vegetable crops

Perennial species can be coppiced so that their stalks are left to provide this protection, and even some annual flowers when planted densely provide cover for young seedlings on a windy site.

Pollination

"This valuable ecosystem niche must be considered. "

Potentially the most important role that the flowers can play on site at PEG, they provide increased habitat for pollinating insects. This increased diversity of insect habitat will generate a thriving ecosystem for our tiny friends.

Establishment

4 acres

"This feature as well as the varying proximities to the farm hub, make for

a few zonal designations."

The Production Gardens are approximately four acres in size and located on the hillside sloping down from barn/nursery/compost areas. These four acres split roughly down the middle, with half of the hill directed eastwards towards the entrance road, and half towards the valley that runs west of the farm hub. This feature as well as the varying proximities to the farm hub, make for a few zonal designations

"The two plots atop the hill

(one east and one west)."

Those are closest to the farm hub, so they are most accessible for farm managers and employees.

Also their location near the roof catchment tanks and at the highest elevation of the Production Gardens means that they are best suited for irrigation. Any surface runoff from these zones will end up in other production areas. These factors make these two zones best suited for higher maintenance crops.

Production Garden

and

PEG Entrepreneur Plot 1

Production Garden

and

PEG Entrepreneur Plot 2

They are also the first areas that visitors will see as they enter PEG. This means that these beds should be designed with aesthetics in mind, and that having varied plant heights amongst the rows could provide wind protection to some of the more vulnerable crops.

"The two plots nearest to the entrance road will be more wind exposed."

"These areas may be good candidates for cut flowers that would add color to the contoured beds, while also providing some wind protection to leafy vegetables that are intercropped with them."

"This oneacre plot is located on the west sloping field southwest of the farm hub is the least accessible of the test plots. "

Its larger size and distance from the farmhouse make this area appropriate for growing lower maintenance crops that will be seeded, weeded, and harvested in a few big work days, rather than small inputs on a daily basis. Of course the real design ideas for each of the Entrepreneur plots need to come from the

PEG Entrepreneur

Plot 3

Preparing the Garden Beds

Management

Before planting row crops, the area must be cleared of all woody shrubs and small trees.

"This can be achieved by a combination of hand clearing, the rotational grazing of blackbellied sheep, and a final mowing."

"Once an irrigation system is in place, check it once per week and repair any leaks or blockages."

Water

Most annual vegetables will require irrigation. The field crops and flowers will not require as much watering, particularly in the rainy season, but all of the Production Gardens and Entrepreneur Plots should have access to irrigation.

Annual Crops Lists

to be tested in phase one

Gourds, Pumpkins, Mizuna, Tatsoi, Bok Choi, Suyo Long Cucumber, Angled Loofah, Sweet Corn, Yams, Taro, Cassava, Garlic, Gourds, Chayote, Khang Kong (Morning Glory), mint

"Summer/Wet season"