Sheet mulchiNG
crop palette
Also referred to as “lasagna gardening,” sheet mulching is used for cultivation of annuals, perennials, and tree crops. By layering organic materials on the soil’s surface, soil is built up in a way that mimics the natural ecological process of a forest, cultivating healthy microbial networks, microfauna, soil structure and fertility, and preventing erosion. This re-uses materials such as cardboard, newspaper, animal manures, grass clippings, leaves, and unwanted plants, thus turning waste into fertility. This is an old technique that has become popularized with the advent of permaculture gardening ( Jacke and Toensmeier; Lanza).
• Appropriate crops for Northampton’s climate are outlined in Appendix E, with yields listed per 100 feet of row. • When allowed by law, honeybees, chickens, and rabbits can be raised in urban areas with minimal space. • For urban heat-island environments without cultivatable land, crops such as tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers can be grown in pots on stoops, balconies, or rooftops. Deep-rooted, heat-loving crops that require land to grow include fig and persimmon trees, which without the heat-island effect usually do not survive or thrive in a zone 5 climate.
SuGGeStioN: zoNiNG chaNGeS oN chickeNS
cOmpOsT leaves grass clippings leaves newspaper, cardbOard manure
The Northampton Backyard Chicken Advocates, in conjunction with the Zoning Revisions Committee, is seeking to increase the number of chickens allowed on residential properties from 4 per acre to 8 per acre. Many urban and suburban areas around the U.S. with similar geographic, spatial, and density types have ordinances that allow for more than 8 chickens per acre. In diverse places, urban dwellers are finding creative ways to address the potential problems of sanitation, water contamination, and noise. Benefits to raising more chickens include inexpensive, nutrition-rich eggs, a smaller carbon footprint, money saved on food bills, organic on-site manure for fertilizing gardens, and chickens to eat food scraps, reducing waste ending up in landfills. This website details nationwide efforts and successes with increasing local backyard chicken allowances: http://home.centurytel.net/ thecitychicken/chickenlaws.html.
Figure 15. Garden layering illustrations adapted from Lasagna Gardening, by Patricia Lanza.
seeds for future research
Can the community gardens be expanded or moved closer to downtown? • Many residents living in or near downtown Northampton complained about the inaccessibility of the community gardens because of how far they are from the downtown area. Also, there is no bike path or sidewalk that goes to the gardens for those without automobile access. There is a long wait list of people who want a community garden plot.
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