Sod pathways for hill-side production

What did you do?

To address the potential loss of our precious top soil, we created sod pathways between cultivated garlic beds. These pathways are large enough to drive our farm truck or tractor down, making tasks like picking up plastic mulch at the end of the year easier. The sod also does a great job of catching any soil that would drive down hill during heavy rains.

Why did you do it?

Bella Farm is located on ~3% south facing slope. It's great for sun exposure, but not great for erosion potential. The heavy rains we've been experiencing have us concerned about top soil loss.

About how much did it cost?

~ $1,600 in sacrificed yield (short term loss for long term gain)

What are you most pleased with?

As of today, we have been very pleased with the degree to which these sod pathways have both decreased erosion and made many crop management activities easier. They take a little extra time to mow, but the extra time spent with edge-of-field upkeep feels worth it to us.

Any mistakes or lessons learned?

We didn't need to seed extra grasses to create out sod pathways. If you did, you may want to consider a mix of species for added benefits like pollinator habitat.