Mother Goose Farms is a model for organice and environmentally sustainable coffee farming. Geese and sheep are used for weed control as a part of a holistic management system.
Visit the Mother Goose Farms web site
Vicki Swift explained her farming methods developed over two decades of trial and error.
Vicki Swift answers questions about grazing geese and sheep as a means of weed control and cycling nutrients through their manure.
Participants were enthralled by Vicki Swift's candid and open sharing of her knowledge.
Shade trees play a key role on moderating temperature in the coffee orchard. Farm workers also highly appreciate the shade while conducting maintenance or picking the coffee. The main shade trees are monkeypod (Samanea saman) and kukui (Aleurites moluccana).
Participants head down for a closer look at the farm.
Slightly aggressive toward visitors, the geese have obviously done a thorough job of weed control.
The geese stick together.
