Low Till Pumpkin Patch

Last September we planted Hairy Vetch in the cleared orchard space and though it germinated well, it didn't look like much all winter.  In the spring, it has become an enormous blanket with beautiful purple flowers and we've mowed it into a mat of mulch.  Our goal is to plant a lot of winter squash and pumpkins right into that mulch as a low-till technique we saw demonstrated at WSU last summer.  Henry is standing next to the vetch for height comparison.  Also one of the new hazelnut trees in the foreground.