Finding the Right Site
It is true that plots without any faults are rather rare; but it is also true that there may perhaps be no plot among those for sale that cannot, with intelligent work, provide enough for a large family to live comfortably... A piece of land is worth as much as the person farming it.
— Author unknown, Le Livre du Colon, 1902
FINDING THE RIGHT SITE to grow vegetables is the most important first step for establishing a successful market garden. Soil fertility, climate, orientation, potential clientele, and infrastructure are all key considerations before investing in a site. Every site has its unique characteristics, and since there is no such thing as a perfect site, it is very important to understand and prioritize these salient points. Choosing a site for the wrong reasons can make the work of a market gardener much harder—for a very long time. For example, aspiring farmers often fall under the spell of bucolic landscapes and spectacular views, not paying attention to topographic characteristics that are essential for optimal vegetable production. Some look to buy cheap land in geographically secluded areas without realizing the implications of being three hours away from a potential market. Buying farmland because it is pleasing to the eye or to the pocketbook is one of the great pitfalls for beginning farmers. Of course, various non-agricultural factors will inevitably influence one’s decision: access to family land, wanting to live near family or close to a lively community, and so on. But once these personal considerations have been weighed, choosing the best growing and operating conditions is of utmost importance. The best way to assess a site’s potential is to work with a checklist (see the following page). I cannot recommend this enough as it forces you to critically and systematically reflect upon a highly emotional decision. It is also advisable not to jump on the first piece of land that you visit, but rather to take the time to investigate multiple sites before making a decision. These visits could start while working on another farm, or even when the reality of starting up a market garden is still a few years away. Time spent prospecting for land is never wasted as it helps develop better judgment about site evaluation.
Site Evaluation Checklist
Determine which hardiness zone the site is located in: Consider the implications of running a market garden in a zone that is harsher than others that may be available.
Determine the last spring and first fall frost dates.
Calculate the number of frost-free days in the region to determine the length of the CSA season (for instance, there are currently 150 frost-free days an hour south of Montreal).
Determine the earliest outside planting dates for early crops, as well as a feasible date for the first CSA and/or market deliveries.
Is there a good customer base for organic and local products in the area (restaurants, potential CSA members, farmers’ markets, etc.)? Do other small producers already saturate the market, or is there room for new growers?
How far is the site from a central market? Estimate how much travel time this represents each week.
Is the plot large enough to meet the needs of a market garden? Too small a plot will be limiting, but too large a plot might require unnecessary investment, both in capital cost and time.
What is the soil type? Clay, sand, or silt?
Determine the orientation and the slope of the site: Are they favorable?
Determine whether there are any topographic depressions on the site, and, if so, can they easily be filled, leveled, or corrected with drainage tiles?
Determine whether the height of the water table will pose a problem for soil drainage. Is underground drainage needed? If so, estimate the costs involved.
Will the site have enough unpolluted water for proper irrigation of the crops?
If a water reservoir needs to be dug, can the proper permits be easily obtained? Estimate the cost of such a project with a local and trusted contractor.
Does the site have a usable building? Does it need renovations? Is it close to the future garden?
Is purchasing an existing building a better investment than constructing a new one tailored to the needs of a market garden?
Does the site have access to electricity and a source of potable water?
Is the site accessible by vehicles in all seasons?
Are conventional crops grown on the neighboring property? If so, how will the garden be protected from contamination?
Is the soil healthy, or has it been contaminated? Do you have evidence?
One caution about renting land: always do so with a written detailed agreement in hand. Then, in the event of a dispute over interpretation, even a small one, you will always have something to refer back to.
One quick look at this bioclimatic zone map of Quebec (where 1 corresponds to the warmest zone and 6 to the coldest) enables us to see that not all Zone 2 land lies in the south of the province, as one would expect. Pockets where climatic conditions are just as beneficial for growing vegetables can be found at l’Île d’Orléans, parts of Beauce, and even parts of Abitibi—way up in the north! These zones are not to be confused with plant hardiness zones.
—Roger Doucet. La science agricole: climat, sols et production végétale du Québec. Austin: Éditions Berger, 1994.
Climate and Microclimate
While there are many strategies that can be used to naturally extend the growing season (row covers, hoophouses, etc.), the regional climate of any site is the determining factor influencing crop growth. The number of frost-free days and the average temperature regulate both the length of the growing season and the production potential. For optimum growing potential, finding a site with the best climatic conditions is imperative.
In Quebec, there are agro-climatic maps that indicate the climate in different areas and its influence on the crops grown there. These maps show crop heat units (CHU), hardiness zones, and can point out the regions where one is most likely to have success growing crops commercially. Another helpful tool is the bioclimatic zone map, presented above, which is based on phenological data. On this map, each area is assigned a zone according to different conditions affecting plant growth, such as soil type, elevation, proximity to major bodies of water, or a specific topography—in other words, different microclimates that affect plant growth. Maps like these are a great way to investigate potential areas where local climates offer much better growing conditions.
Market Access
When searching for a potential site, it is important to keep in mind that market gardening is as much about selling as it is growing. Enthusiastic consumers ready to pay a premium for fresh, organic produce are usually found in large urban areas, but many people living in small towns also embrace the concept of locally grown, organic food. In certain rural areas, however, some folks might not be willing to pay a higher price for their vegetables (many of them grow their own), and this can become an important limiting factor for potential sales outlets. Some organic growers find that no matter how much they grow, demand always exceeds supply; others find it difficult (and frustrating) to sell their products. Location in relation to markets is critical.
It is also very important to make sure that targeted markets are not already saturated by other organic growers. Finding out how quickly demand is growing, what others are charging for similar products, and what vegetables might be in short supply or simply unavailable are all considerations that are part of any proper market research. Taking the time to snoop around, ask questions, and identify your market niche is valuable homework.
Having the farm close to the market is also very important. Unlike growing crops, vegetable delivery requires no expertise or special attention. An hour spent on the road is an hour not spent maintaining the garden and ensuring a great harvest. This consideration is especially important when planning to sell at a farmers’ market, as leaving at 4:00 AM on market day can lead to a tired and irritable farmer by the season’s end. Locating the market garden as close as possible to a central market is a good investment, even if it means paying more for the property in question. As an example, our farm is located just one hour away from Montreal, but we sell 40% of our products locally at the grocery store, restaurants, and a farmers’ market. This allows us to minimize our time spent off the farm, and makes us well-known and appreciated in the community.
Growing Space Needed
How big a growing area is required for the market garden is a good question. This book is geared toward growing crops on less than 2 acres of intensively cultivated land, which I believe is the optimal land base for farming without a tractor. But to answer this important question with more precision, it is important to determine how many people will be involved in the day-to-day operations and what the target revenue will be.
At Les Jardins de la Grelinette, we grow on 1½ acres (including one greenhouse and two hoophouses), and, in addition to my wife and myself, we require one full-time worker and another part-time employee to carry out the workload. I should stress, however, that we are two experienced growers working full time, year-round (in season) in the gardens. Based on our own experience and what I have seen on other intensively cultivated small acreage farms, I will advise anyone that cultivating one full acre of diverse vegetables is a lot of work for one person alone to manage. To do so successfully, outside labor will have to be hired. These people may be in the form of interns or woofers, but, if so, providing room and board will have to be dealt with beforehand.
Another helpful pointer regarding garden space required is the number of CSA shares per acre. This is often how CSA farmers relate to one another when describing the size of their farms. I’ve mentioned earlier that our market garden provides more than 200 families with the produce we grow onsite, and my estimates are that, in an intensive cropping system, the ratio of produce to land for a 20-week program can vary roughly between 30 to 70 shares per ½ acre of garden space. This variation depends on the farmer’s experience, on how well-refined the crop planning is, and how well-designed the production systems are. These ratios are very approximate, but they do give some idea of the growing space needed to operate a market garden.
One belief I have regarding acreage is that bigger is not always better. People often romanticize about owning lots of land, but I happen to disagree with this characterization. Successful market gardening requires a lot of energy and focus. Having more than 2 vacant acres may afford extra space for raising animals, tending an orchard, and growing berries, but these additional ventures require extra planning and labor. Considering that time is often a limited resource, especially during a short growing season, one needs to be cautious about taking on additional responsibilities. The cost of acquiring extra acreage may also serve as an undesirable financial burden.
My point here is not to disenchant anyone, nor to say that owning 20 acres is a bad thing, but I find that the more land is spread out, the harder it gets to manage it appropriately. On this point, some veteran organic farmers will argue that having extra farmland allows for letting the soil lay fallow. Such agricultural practice is certainly sound, but it does require fields to be plowed and heavily tilled with a tractor. Acquiring a tractor for this purpose might lead you to start growing in a more extensive manner, thereby losing all the advantages of non-mechanized production. As tempting as it may be to branch out, and at risk of repeating myself, small is profitable.
Soil Quality
In organic growing, yields are largely dependent on the quality of the soil that nourishes the plants. The ideal soil is loose, drains well, and is high in nutritional content needed for growing healthy vegetables. You can make just about any soil fertile by building it up with proper amendments (see chapter 6), but the time and energy required to do so will be dictated by its initial quality. For this reason, it is important to know the kind of soil a potential site has to offer. This is especially important when starting a market garden on rented land, with the intention of eventually moving to another site (hopefully a permanent one). In this case, making long-term investments to improve the soil is less advantageous and aiming to find the best soil possible is essential.
Soil is rarely ever pure clay or pure sand but rather a mix of different-sized particles (clay, silt, sand, gravel, etc.). To determine the proportions that are present in your soil, put two inches of soil in a Mason jar and fill the rest with water. Add a teaspoon of dish detergent; the detergent acts as a surfactant that helps separate out the different soil particles. Shake the jar well and let it sit for a day. The separation of the soil into layers of different thicknesses will tell you the dominant characteristics of your soil.
Quality of soil is mostly determined by its type (clay, sand, or loam) and its percentage of organic matter. The latter can be managed and improved, but the former will greatly influence growing practices and limitations. There are a number of simple techniques for determining soil types (see below) without resorting to a laboratory soil test. But when close to choosing a site (or when not sure about different alternative choices), I recommend contacting your local agriculture extension agent for proper soil sampling and analysis. Soil tests will not only provide a better understanding of the soil type, but also of the soil organic matter content, its pH, and its chemical balance, all of which will need to be assessed at one point or the other.
The soil where we currently grow is a loamy soil, but before getting established in St-Armand, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of years working on other farms, experiencing different soil types. Having grown both on relatively poor sandy soil and in heavy clay soil has made me really appreciate what I have now. Starting with the best possible soil is a smart investment.
Topography
Contrary to what one might imagine, the perfect site for a market garden would not be on flat land, but rather on a gentle and steady south-facing slope with no depressions. Topography affects how well the soil drains, how quickly it warms up, and how fast it can be planted. And because topography is an unchangeable feature of a site, it needs to be considered carefully.
Implications of Different Soil Textures for Market Gardening
If the soil is sticky, forms a malleable ball when handled, and is hard, crusty, cracked, and generally difficult to fork, you have clay soil. This soil type is generally the hardest to work with, especially in the springtime, as it is slow to drain and dry out. While clay soil is rich in nutrients, it compacts easily and is susceptible to poor aeration. You may need to add perlite, coarse sand, or fine gravel to your holes when transplanting to avoid these problems. Raise your beds extra high to encourage proper drainage. Always use a broadfork before seeding or transplanting in order to improve aeration. Work the beds up in the fall to prepare for the first spring seeding, but take care not to leave the soil bare over the winter.
The structure of clay soil can be improved by repeatedly incorporating very large quantities of organic and mineral matter such as compost, peat moss, and coarse sand. This may take a number of years and require a financial investment, but when stuck with heavy soil, it might definitely be worth it.
If the soil is granular and crumbly, does not stay in a ball when wet, breaks up easily, and contains many stones or gravel, you have sandy soil. Difficult to compact, this soil type is generally very permeable and offers greater aeration for the crops. However, it tends to be dry, leaches water easily, and generally lacks fertility. You will need to set up irrigation for the whole site quickly, as very young plants in this soil will die after a few days without rain. To avoid leaching, make sure fertilizer is added in small doses over the course of the season. Develop a green manure program in which crop residues and compost are mixed in to increase the organic matter in your soil.
If the soil is fluffy and forms a ball that breaks apart easily, you have loam. Loam contains roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay and brings together the ideal soil qualities: good water and nutrient retention, as well as proper drainage and aeration. Sandy loam is considered the best soil for vegetable growing. You will have to maintain the soil fertility with an appropriate fertilizing plan and conserve proper soil structure with minimal tillage.
A gentle slope (less than 5% in order to limit erosion) is a precious asset come springtime. When the snow cover starts melting, the incline in the terrain (along with the raised beds) will allow excess water to be channeled away from the growing area. The same is true during episodes of excessive rainfall, which can be quite devastating in the garden. Unfortunately, as a result of climate change, flash floods are bound to occur more frequently. The market garden needs to be well prepared to counter these inundations.
The aspect of the slope also affects conditions on the site, due to the amount of direct sunlight it receives. A south-facing slope means that the maximum day temperature will be reached in the morning (in the afternoon for a west-facing slope). Gardens oriented to the south or southeast will hence warm up more quickly during each day, but also in the season. A faster-drying soil in the spring means earlier crops, which in turn might give a market gardener a considerable competitive advantage over other vegetable producers at the market. To avoid the opposite situation, it is best not to choose a site with a north-facing slope.
A market garden located on a natural south or southeast facing slope has many advantages, one of them being that the sun’s rays will hit the soil surface more directly, thereby increasing their warming effect in the spring.
The steepness of the slope, along with the location of the plot, will also play a major role in how air circulates in the garden. Since cold air is heavier than hot air, it flows downward, creating natural ventilation that stirs up any stagnant air that would otherwise predispose crops to fungal diseases. This convection will also help avoid frost damage early in the season. For this reason, a market garden should never be located at the bottom of a slope, hill, or valley where it would feel the effects of frost much earlier than if it were situated on the upper half a slope.
Drainage
In Quebec’s northern climate, the snowmelt and abundance of spring rainfall inevitably means excess water in the garden that must be dealt with. Poor soil drainage can be a major problem for optimum plant growth, but even more so, it can very often prevent access to the garden when pressing work needs to be done. Growing crops on raised beds helps in this regard, but proper field drainage is still important. As discussed earlier, locating the garden at the top of a gentle slope is the best way to manage surface runoff. Digging channels that lead the water to a ditch or reservoir can then quickly divert excess water. In our garden, the orientation of the beds (east-west or north-south) was designed with this in mind. On sites where this perfect situation is not a possibility, even more attention must be given to proper field drainage.
When visiting a potential site, one of the first things to look for are spots where water pools. If such depressions are present, it must be determined whether they can be corrected, and at what cost. Certain sites will have uneven surfaces, and it is not always easy to make out slope orientation and grade by the naked eye. The way to do this is to closely watch the terrain during a heavy rain and observe the flow of the runoff. Returning to the site a few days later will allow for more and more accurate observations about wet areas.
Wherever soil tends to stay waterlogged more than elsewhere, there is cause for concern. The best solution to this is to simply avoid growing crops in those areas. Another option is to try and correct the landform by filling the depression with heavy earthmoving machinery, but this solution can be expensive and can damage the soil. Another approach is to construct surface inlets to subsurface drainage tiles. These are rather simple to construct and might just do the trick.
The most common type of “tile” is a corrugated plastic pipe with small perforations to allow water entry. Generally they are installed 2 to 4 feet below the soil surface so that water flowing into the tubing runs on a downward slope towards an outlet.
On sites where the water table sits relatively high all season, long drainage tiles will need to be installed. In order to tell whether drainage is required for your site, dig a few holes in the areas that seem the wettest and measure how high the water is in relation to the level of the soil. If the height of the water table is less than three feet from the surface of the soil, either early or late in the season, underground drainage is recommended.
Installing underground tile drainage is not a straightforward process. Special slope calculations must be made to ensure proper grade, spacing, and depth of the pipe. I strongly recommend enlisting the services of a professional for this work. Considering all that is involved in digging up a garden a second time—when the soil biology and structure have taken years to develop — mistakes should be avoided at all costs.
Access to Water
Intensive vegetable production is highly dependent on a consistent and sufficient supply of water. In our Northeastern climate, rainfall during the growing season is unpredictable, erratic, and often insufficient. A successful market garden therefore requires an irrigation system which will ensure water is always available for proper germination of direct-seeded crops, as well as providing adequate soil moisture for transplanted crops. Irrigation is also essential for providing needed water to the crops in times of drought. A potential site must therefore have a water source that meets the needs and size of the operation.
Tim Matson’s book Earth Ponds is a valuable source of information for setting up a natural lake or pond.
A proper well may suffice for a small home garden, but when more than one acre is under cultivation, this alone will not be enough. A water reservoir in the form of a pond, lake, or river will be needed. If a potential site already has one of these reservoirs, it is important to figure out if the water volume and recharge rate are sufficient for irrigation needs. Figuring out this information is not obvious, and the best way to go about it is to contact an irrigation equipment supplier. A reliable company should provide this service in exchange for purchasing irrigation equipment from them.
If the site has no pond or lake, digging a reservoir is inevitable. Although this task is not very complicated, it requires planning ahead. First, it is advisable to contact local authorities to see if special permits are required. In Quebec, permission is usually granted, provided that the work does not affect an existing source of water (e.g., a creek). When renting land, a letter of permission, including a detailed work plan, should be obtained from the owner. Digging a pond involves reworking a massive amount of dirt, and since some owners might not fully grasp the scope of such a project, the details of the project should be clear.
Of course, careful budgeting is important as it will determine the size and scope of the water reservoir. Surprisingly, the excavation cost of such a big project can be quite reasonable. Knowledgeable contractors can be of great service in this regard, providing they are experienced with earth ponds. I recommend visiting some of their former worksites and hiring someone who has one of the largest available backhoes. With their help, it should be easier to assess the water-retaining ability of the hole, and steps needed if the subsoil layers are too permeable. Finally, it’s important to plan ahead for what to do with the dug up soil, as transporting the soil off-site can easily double the costs. Having a huge pile of dirt onsite might prove to be useful, as it can be used to fill in uneven ground or to raise surfaces for greenhouses and future buildings. Some of it can also be used in the garden, and for this reason, it is important to remind the backhoe operator to separate the topsoil during excavation. If the digging is done in the spring, the excavated soil might be too wet to work with, so consider carrying out this work in the summer.
In 2012, we hired a backhoe with a large shovel for approximately $125 per hour to complete the 18-hour job of digging a pond and landscaping around it.
Once the water reservoir has been dug, all that’s left to do is to put in aquatic plants and a filtering marsh in order to transform the pond into a natural swimming hole. This oasis of biodiversity is sure to be popular not only with the birds, frogs, and salamanders, but with the kids too. Nothing beats a dip in a cool pond during the scorching heat of summer.
Infrastructure
In addition to garden space, a market garden needs a building, driveway, electricity, and water. When looking for the ideal site, there are a number of possible infrastructure scenarios, each involving a different amount of planning. These features are where big investments might have to be made. But even more important, the way the infrastructure is designed will have long-term implications for day-to-day operations, so it is important to consider them thoroughly.
Buildings: Different Scenarios to Consider
If the site already has a farm building with running water and electricity, you may well be able to get established quickly and affordably. Old barns are often ideal. But be warned that even an ideal building can become a serious impediment if it is located too far away from the gardens. In a day, month, year (or a lifetime!), trips between the washing station and the gardens are so frequent that an improperly designed site could end up making the overall operation highly inefficient. If this were the case, you might want to reconsider choosing such a site, especially if the building itself is costly.
No building, but you own the site. If the site does not have a building but you are establishing a permanent market garden, consider building a temporary structure immediately and then plan to construct a new building suited to your needs in the future. This situation is ideal because you have the luxury of time to truly figure out your needs and design a space that is multifunctional. For instance, a single building may have several different uses including temporary housing for future employees, a sales stand, a germination room, a washing station, a tool shop, and more. Before going forward, take time to visit other growers’ facilities to benefit from their ideas and experiences. I also suggest prioritizing the practical concerns of the building over any other aesthetic considerations. Building a simple structure with proven techniques and locally available materials is the best way to avoid unfortunate surprises with regard to costs and timelines.
If you are renting a site without a building, there are a few different movable shelters you can consider: a prospector’s tent, a yurt, or a carport. These low-tech solutions are affordable and convenient, but if there is no electricity or potable water for drinking and washing vegetables, you may want to reconsider the viability of such sites. Portable water tanks or pond water sterilized with a filtration system may be used, but this is not practical when the temperature drops below freezing. While temporary shelters can create precarious living circumstances, it is nonetheless possible to make use of them. This is how we began market gardening many years ago.
Putting asides considerations of sheltering the farmer and the workers, one or more buildings are necessary for handling and storing vegetables and for protecting tools and equipment. A driveway or dirt road needs to connect the main buildings to the public road, and should be serviceable at all times, even during heavy rain and snow. Getting stuck in the mud (or a freak snowstorm) just before a delivery is not an option. If the site has no driveway or road and one must be built, find out about municipal standards that apply; constructing a simple access way can involve enormous costs. Check this out carefully before considering a site with no existing vehicle access, or you might be in for quite a surprise.
We had the fortune (and the audacity) to start our market garden on the site of an old rabbit farm. We transformed one section of the building into a multifunctional storehouse, and after two winters of renovations, the other part became our home.
Assessing Possible Pollution Problems
We all imagine ourselves gardening in a pristine environment. Unfortunately, external pollutants can be a reality in almost any area. The tragic story of the Montreal community gardens being closed as a result of heavy-metal contamination should be a lesson to us all. While farmland in the country may not have been used for industry in the past, other sources of contamination are possible. The intensive use of lead hydrogen arsenate as an insecticide in orchards was recommended until the 1970s, and old orchards may still be contaminated with this non-biodegradable and carcinogenic chemical. It’s not always easy to know a site’s history, so when in doubt, a chemical soil analysis should be done to check for the presence of inorganic pollutants. Better safe than sorry.
Abandoned fields that had been under conventional farming for a long time are usually sapped of their vitality due to the compacted soil from tractor tires, absence of crop rotation, and excessive use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Not only is this soil unhealthy, it will not be eligible for organic certification until after a three-year transition period.
Glyphosate (Roundup) is particularly lethal to most vegetables. Unfortunately, it is the most widely used herbicide by conventional growers in Quebec.
Another situation for concern is when a site borders conventional farming. In southern Quebec, organic and conventional agriculture exist side by side. From the seed (coated or genetically modified with fungicides) to the growing practices (chemical fertilization and weeding with glyphosate), the results of such farming practices may well prove to be rendering toxic the water and air of nearby homesteads. But even worse, there is nothing that can be legally done to prevent these synthetic chemicals from being sprayed near the edges of an organic farm or garden. The misfortune of having crops destroyed by herbicide and pesticide drift from a neighboring farm can be catastrophic for the reputation of any organic grower.
If a desired site borders a conventional field, it is wise to take precautions. Organic certification requires that you have a 25-foot buffer zone or a windbreak between your garden and the neighboring field. It does not hurt to inform the neighbor of your intent to grow organically. The best way to persuade a conventional farmer to consider your needs while spraying is through courteous and respectful dialogue. Consider negotiating a contract stating that the other farmer will also maintain a buffer zone in exchange for some form of payment. This scenario is especially desirable if your chosen site is small.