Hay! Lots and lots of hay!

This past Saturday we recruited some friends and family to help us lay weed barrier at the Breeze farm.  There are many options for controlling weeds.  We decided to lay down a barrier instead of intensive hoeing or using machinery (aka BCS tractor or handheld weed-eater).  Along the irrigation line, we pinned down cardboard using homemade "field staples".  In between the rows, we rolled out two layers of paper (end rolls from the Herald Sun) and then laid down a thick layer of corn mulch or hay (depending on what we had).    

Laying weed barrier is one of the less glamourous jobs on the farm.  The work is hard, dirty and time consuming.  You usually end up with scratchy eyes and strange rashes from the hay dust.  But hopefully the hard work will pay off when the weeds start to grow.  The cardboard and hay will also biodegrade over the season thus helping build the soil.