What is the Polyculture Project ?
Having experimented with polycultures for almost a decade now with some very encouraging results, we are curious to learn how this approach to cultivating crops compares to conventional methods, specifically in terms of time and energy expenditure, the yields harvested and associated biodiversity. Surprisingly, little data exists for polycultures, so we started to gather our own. We are currently working on building data sets to present along with our models that aim to provide healthy and nutritious food while promoting increased biological diversity in the growing environment. Our Studies are currently carried out in two plots focussed on annual polycultures, a garden scale plot of 66m2 and a market garden scale plot of 2000 m2 and new plot of 2000m2 that we started this year focusing on perennial polycultures.
Site design for our Perennial Polyculture Trials Garden
Why is research into Polycultures needed ?
Industrial agricultural practices often result in destruction of habitat for many organisms. We believe this is unnecessary, and want to provide healthier models of agriculture that can provide nutritious affordable food while at the same time promoting biodiversity and general ecosystem health.
Industrial methods are heavily researched and funded, and there is a general belief among many farmers that this is the only practical way of operating. Following 12 years of cultivating polyculture gardens we are seeing that small scale biologically cultivated polyculture gardens are a realistic and practical way of providing food for humans whilst preserving biodiversity in the environment. Furthermore we believe this type of agriculture can help create thriving local economies that strengthen community and enhance the amenity value of an area.
Little data exists showing the productive capacity of polyculture systems and the economic viability of them. There is a big need to fill this gap and provide solid data and concise coherent models that can be replicated easily and provide real solutions to the environmental damage caused by industrial agriculture. This project intends to go some of the way in filling this gap.
Industrial methods are heavily researched and funded, and there is a general belief among many farmers that this is the only practical way of operating. Following 12 years of cultivating polyculture gardens we are seeing that small scale biologically cultivated polyculture gardens are a realistic and practical way of providing food for humans whilst preserving biodiversity in the environment. Furthermore we believe this type of agriculture can help create thriving local economies that strengthen community and enhance the amenity value of an area.
Little data exists showing the productive capacity of polyculture systems and the economic viability of them. There is a big need to fill this gap and provide solid data and concise coherent models that can be replicated easily and provide real solutions to the environmental damage caused by industrial agriculture. This project intends to go some of the way in filling this gap.
What will we be doing ?
In Spring 2017 we began development of a new experimental garden growing perennial polycultures providing fruits, nuts, vegetables, biomass, timber and wildlife habitat. We plan to install a gravity fed irrigation system, wildlife/irrigation ponds, living fences of native species, several habitat features for current species on site, and 6 trial beds that will house 4 perennial polycultures, designed to be highly productive and wildlife enhancing.
Click here for the Garden location (labelled as East Side Trial Garden on our Project map)
We are planning to record all aspects of the project including observed levels of invertebrate diversity, weather data and soil analysis. We’ll be looking closely at inputs i.e set up/running costs, fertility/water requirements, time and outputs i.e produce, income, soil fertility, invertebrate diversity.
The aim of the trials is to test the ecological and economical viability of growing these polycultures in market gardens and farms in order to meet the following needs/wants:
Click here for the Garden location (labelled as East Side Trial Garden on our Project map)
We are planning to record all aspects of the project including observed levels of invertebrate diversity, weather data and soil analysis. We’ll be looking closely at inputs i.e set up/running costs, fertility/water requirements, time and outputs i.e produce, income, soil fertility, invertebrate diversity.
The aim of the trials is to test the ecological and economical viability of growing these polycultures in market gardens and farms in order to meet the following needs/wants:
- production of high quality, high value food
- cash crops from secondary/ tertiary polyculture partner species
- improvement of soil fertility
- provision of biomass for use as mulch
- timber supply for use as vegetable supports and larger round wood material for farm infrastructure
- enhanced levels of biodiversity
What we hope to achieve
We hope to achieve the following results from this project :
- Creation of a productive and biodiverse garden
- To provide a working example open to visitors to interact with and learn from
- Design blueprints freely available
- Make datasets from records freely available
- Research templates freely available to other researchers
- To inspire further research in this field and the replication of the successful models
Taking Part in the Perennial Polyculture Trials
If you would like to take part in the stuides here in Shipka we have a 6 month volunteer program running each year from April - September. You can find out more here.
Perhaps you would like to try out polycultures on your own land and gather your own records? If so please send us an email and we'll be happy to share our spreadsheets and record keeping forms with you.
If you find our studies beneficial please share our website or facebook page. We rely solely on word of mouth to advertise our project and really appreciate you sharing our content.
Perhaps you would like to try out polycultures on your own land and gather your own records? If so please send us an email and we'll be happy to share our spreadsheets and record keeping forms with you.
If you find our studies beneficial please share our website or facebook page. We rely solely on word of mouth to advertise our project and really appreciate you sharing our content.