The Dance of Crop Rotation

If you plant corn in the same field every year, you deplete the nitrogen and invite pests to a buffet. The solution? Crop Rotation.

Our Rotation Cycle

At Mt. Folly, a single field might see 4 different uses in 5 years:

1. Year 1: Hemp (The Cash Crop)

   • Hemp has deep taproots that break up compacted soil. It takes a lot of nutrients, so it needs a break afterwards.

2. Year 2: Small Grains (Rye/Wheat)

   • We plant organic winter rye. This covers the soil, prevents erosion, and can be harvested for grain (distillery grade!) or straw.

3. Years 3-5: Pasture & Cattle

   • We seed the field with clover and grasses and let the cattle graze.
   • The Magic: The cattle eat the grass and deposit manure (natural fertilizer) directly onto the field. Their hoof action gently incorporates organic matter. The clover fixes nitrogen back into the soil, preparing it for the next hemp crop.

Why It Works

This "dance" mimics nature. It breaks pest cycles naturally (the corn worm has nothing to eat when the field is pasture) and reduces our reliance on chemical inputs to near zero.