G. and J. have the garden spread “traditionally” favored by American kitchen gardeners over the past 60 years or so—neat rows of individual plants with bare ground between, all weeds and pests kept at bay with the usual array of pesticides and the desired plants encouraged with the usual array of fertilizers. T. and I favor an approach more along the lines of the movement towards “permaculture” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture). Though we won't be certifiably organic due to the boundaries we share with Big Ag-type fields and the presence of pesticides and fertilizers in the adjacent beds, we want to grow organically.
In permaculture, the goal is not to create an artificial vacuum around your desired plants but rather to encourage a beneficial ecosystem. This can include strategies from the introduction of benign insects to the interspersing of different vegetables in mutually beneficial arrangements (more to come in MANY future posts). The idea is to create a living, breathing environment in which your vegetables can thrive, minimizing the chances that undesired pests can throw that ecosystem out of balance. Rather than fighting natural processes, you're encouraging them.
In addition to differences in procedure, there will be differences among the varieties of vegetables we grow. The majority of veggies in my in-laws' plot will be F-1 hybrids—modern, hybridized varieties of older strains, designed for size, disease-resistance, and other traits desired by industrial-strength farmers. Our truck patch, on the other hand, is far more geared to rare and heirloom varieties—strains that have been around for generations and preserve the diversity of traits that can be threatened by modern-day monocropping.
It should be fascinating to watch these two plots grow side by side. We'll be able to see differences in the size and productivity of each vegetable, and be able to taste-test several similar varieties—for example, tomatoes and butterbeans out of both patches. It's an exciting prospect—I'll keep you filled in on the details as things progress.
