Retro-Action

This post is taking a step back to training but definitely worthy of being in the blog. I recently have been having conversations with farmers in Potrero Garay about "Curvas de Nivel" also known as contour planting. This is perhaps the best method for soil conversation in sites that have a bit of terrain. Curvas also are great opportunities to start farmers out with concepts of future economic planning, agroforestry, wind breaks, shade, avonos verdes, and animal forrage. Crops with either a thick or a deep root base are the best for this planting and usually planted closer together than they would normally be.

The way in which a contour row works so well to combat erosion and conserve soil is that it creates a natural terrace system after a few years of growth. Erosion still occurs in the first years but only in between the planted contour lines effectively leveling the land.

This leveling process functions because the contour line is perpendicular to the slope of the hill. In order to create this line a special tool called an A-Frame is used. The A-Frame functions as a homemade level that will always give the perpendicular line to the slope. As can be seen in the photos my fellow Crop-E David and I are using the A-Frame. We staked every two lengths of the A-Frame and then generalized the zig-zag of the line when planting to facilitate the planting of crops in between the contour lines.