This is part of the Spring side of a vegetable garden on the north side of Carroll County, AR. What you’re seeing in the photo, from left to right: a couple of grape varieties recommended by UAEX, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and a few beets in the middle, cabbage on the right.
That very weedy bed in the back is Texas Super Sweet 1015Y and Red Candy onions. Which brings me to a major feature of this garden: chickens!
We have a small flock of Marans in the garden who work on pest control and who provide a near-constant source of nitrogen. The chickens would prefer to eat everything we grow so they’re herded around the garden with a convoluted arrangement of cattle panel covered with deer fence–which is strapped to t-posts with zip & canopy ties.
We’ve tried various breeds and settled on Marans because they’re large and lacking in ambition. Ameraucanas definitely jump over the fence!
I made the mistake of throwing fresh straw on the onion bed so here are the chickens in the future sunflower & herb bed, working to remove seeds from the summer crop mulch.
With any luck, this chicken labor will keep me from having to pull tons of grass all summer. Fingers crossed.