Jay Meadow Co.
Farmer
About
What's better than ornamental lawn space? Beautiful, sustainable, productive gardens that can feed your city. Jay Meadow Company has currently converted 1/4 of an acre of unproductive lawn space into thriving food-producing, no-till plots. Our goal is to educate the public on sustainable agriculture practices and bring delicious, nutrient dense produce closer to the communities that need it most. Thank you for considering us!
Programs and Partners
Production Practices
Integrated Pest Management Non Gmo Extended Growing Season Crop Rotation No Till
As of today, Jay Meadow Co. 100% operated by hand tools. We weed each bed by hand and Broadford the soil to loosen it without compromising the soil structure. We then rake it to create a level seed bed, apply ample compost, and seed with a Earthway, push-behind seeder. We prevent weeds by regular hoeing and dense, bio-intensive planting to shade out weeds and increase production.
Pest management is simple: We introduce as much biodiversity as possible to control what we can, light row covers to protect problematic plants, and, when all else fails, we have the option to remove a problem crop from that site and replant it at another plot. We are yet to use sprays of any kind to prevent bug problems.
Fertilizing is done by thick applications of compost. We produce compost on our site when we can, and source it from local businesses when we need extra. Organic fertilizers are used responsibly when compost is not enough on its own.
Soil blocks are used for our transplants to reduce plastic waste and to increase the root health of our vegetables. When plants need more space, we use bio-degradable newspaper pots, each folded by hand.
In the next few years, we hope to expand our operation and apply for our organic certification. Until then, we strive to doo everything we can to prove we are worthy of that title!
Location
Richmond, VA
Manager
I believe that sustainable agriculture can save the world. It also creates a superior product!
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