Well, we have the new plow and I was able to plow a few rows this morning to test it out. Plowing can get a little controversial, especially when your talking about organic farming. I found a lot of information during my research and finally settled on a traditional method, the moldboard plow. This is the traditional plow that turns over the soil, inverting th top 6 -8" of the soil. It has fallen by the wayside in contemporary farming because of potential problems with soil erosion. The main benefit, however, is that it offers a way to build the soil and minimize weed problems if used in combination with cover crops. If you plan to use roundup ready GMO seeds and pesticides then this benefit is lost and you are better off using a non-inverting tillage or even no tillage system. If you are going organic, it remains a viable option. We plan to use it in the initial hop yard prep and then seasonally to turn green manure crops (i.e. nitrogen fixing legumes cover crops) between the rows to cut down on the weeds while building and replenishing the soil. The photo on the right is me following our friend Mike hauling a trailer with the new plow. Our car is still in the shop for warranty work (a long story) and my Mini Cooper cant really haul a trailer, so we solicited Mike's kind help to pick up the plow at our local Rural King.
The plow in its' crated form is shown on the left. It was imported from India. While I like to buy American made products when possible, I kind of like the idea of the potential karma building that went into the plow, assuming appropriate dharma was observed. Seems appropriate for our vegetarian organic hops production. In any case, the thing is heavy and I had to use the tractor to move it out of the driveway. I will report further on the breaking of ground in a day or two.
Well, we have the new plow and I was able to plow a few rows this morning to test it out. Plowing can get a little controversial, especially when your talking about organic farming. I found a lot of information during my research and finally settled on a traditional method, the moldboard plow. This is the traditional plow that turns over the soil, inverting th top 6 -8" of the soil. It has fallen by the wayside in contemporary farming because of potential problems with soil erosion. The main benefit, however, is that it offers a way to build the soil and minimize weed problems if used in combination with cover crops. If you plan to use roundup ready GMO seeds and pesticides then this benefit is lost and you are better off using a non-inverting tillage or even no tillage system. If you are going organic, it remains a viable option. We plan to use it in the initial hop yard prep and then seasonally to turn green manure crops (i.e. nitrogen fixing legumes cover crops) between the rows to cut down on the weeds while building and replenishing the soil. The photo on the right is me following our friend Mike hauling a trailer with the new plow. Our car is still in the shop for warranty work (a long story) and my Mini Cooper cant really haul a trailer, so we solicited Mike's kind help to pick up the plow at our local Rural King. 
The plow in its' crated form is shown on the left. It was imported from India. While I like to buy American made products when possible, I kind of like the idea of the potential karma building that went into the plow, assuming appropriate dharma was observed. Seems appropriate for our vegetarian organic hops production. In any case, the thing is heavy and I had to use the tractor to move it out of the driveway. I will report further on the breaking of ground in a day or two.
this is very very cool. i look forward to seeing pictures of the newly plowed earth. i'm also curious about the size of the plot you've plowed. sounds awesome!
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