Five years ago, Jim Kovaleski bought a scythe from Scythe Supply in Perry and it has transformed the way he farms, he said. Living six months a year on Ellen Johnson’s farm on the St Croix River in Robbinston, Kovaleski manages the acreage once extensively farmed by Johnson’s father. Kovaleski is an ardent permaculturist, carefully observing the ecosystem and then picking crops that will thrive together to enhance the productivity of the land.
This summer, he found that scything the fields and applying the mowed hay to the plants as “green manure” provided optimum nutrients. The beauty of his gardens and high yields demonstrate his success. By mid-October, with harvest completed, Kovaleski heads to Florida with a truck-load of Maine produce to begin farming his urban farm for there.
Coverage of Washington County is supported by a grant from the Eaton Foundation.