fieldclub unit 3
FIELDCLUB Unit
The FieldMachine 1.0 was used to determine an overall land requirement of 9505 square meters to fulfill food and biofuel needs of two primary fieldclubbers. Specific requirements are outlined on the diagram below.
FC_Unit_Shelterbelt
Basic design elements:
Shelter Belts
Some wooded areas, coppice and hedgerows are positioned to deflect prevailing winds. These plantings are successional – the initial plantings will be replaced with other species in the future, as the soil structure changes. Some species planted within hedgerows will produce edible berries. The majority of these areas have been planted and will establish over the next 30 years.
FC_Unit_Meadow
Permanent pasture/Herb-rich grazing
Wildflower meadows for grazing animals and producing hay are also successional. When the FIELDCLUB site was purchased, the site was a single improved pasture field. Over the last 6 years the areas designated as permanent pasture have been cut for hay annually, but as no fertilizer has been applied, the 'improved' status of the meadow has been compromised. As the fertility drops each year, the meadow becomes a more suitable environment for a greater variety of wild grasses and flowers which normally cannot compete with high nitrogen dependent improved grass species. The gradual denuding of nutrients, and re-establishment of local wild flower species is expected to take decades. Herb-rich grazing has a lower yield, i.e. less head of cattle can be raised per hectare, but the benefit to general bio-diversity is well documented.
Fieldclub_unit_Cereal_bean
Cereal and bean crops – rotations
Cereals are produced in 3 or 4 year rotation with bean crops, with breaks for nitrogen fixing 'green manures'. The rotational 'down' period is aggregated into the overall yield of target crop.