After 8 years of building no-till garden beds, I decided to try something new — a permanent raised bed system designed for better drainage, easier harvests, and long-term soil health. In this video, I walk you through every step of building the ultimate no-till market garden — from tarping and composting, to shaping raised beds, installing irrigation, and protecting it all with solar-powered electric netting from Premier 1 Supplies.
If you’re growing on leased land, sloped terrain, or just want to set it and forget it, this method can help you build a productive, low-maintenance garden that gets better every season.
👇 TOOLS + RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO 👇
HUGE THANKS TO PREMIER ONE SUPPLIES FOR SENDING ME THE FENCING FOR THIS VIDEO!
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This is the exact fencing system I use to keep out deer, rabbits, and groundhogs — fully portable, solar-powered, and easy to install:
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🌱 Recommended Amendments & Tools
• Neversink Fertility Blend – https://www.7springsfarm.com/products/neversink-blend-natural-fertilizer-6-1-7-40-lbs?srsltid=AfmBOoqggczMtHmX4OgI3Gm_ZPujpbznf0Q80aouZMSnZ0aecMLp9Df6
• Azomite Rock Dust – to remineralize and rebuild depleted soil
https://amzn.to/3Uyrpe0
• Netafim Overhead Sprinklers – https://aff.dripdepot.com/aff/idevaffiliate.php?id=452&url=607
• Silage Tarps – for weed suppression and passive soil prep
Silage Tarp – 6 mil Reversible Black & White
Netafim Irrigation installation video
Daniel Mays Book. (Where I learned this method) The No TIll Organic Vegetable Farm
https://amzn.to/456A0tr
Other No Till Video’s You may like!
https://youtu.be/QL7uFaYtrWo?si=4U_EohHnlPEqjw_Z
49 Comments
breautiful. did you think about adding biochar?
Hey Chef. Man that’s one heck of an operation. My acreage is too large to do what and the way you are doing on a small scale. I do cover crop heavily, and I am an avid soil builder, but I do farm conventionally without the use of synthetic fertilizer for the most part. My main problem would be sourcing and reliable and useable compost in my area. Retailers in my area are marketing rotted down wood chips as compost with little to no nutrients. Gardners are falling for it. The first thing they tell me is”well I used compost”? I have heard horrible compost stories from gardeners buying this stuff. Now in my home garden, it is an entirely different story. I have it set up for minimal and no till. It is permanently enclosed and the soil is already a rich dark sandy loam. I am able to produce enough compost from my livestock to support it. I have three permanent beds built almost identical to yours, however I am mixing in the compost into the top 3”, planting into the enriched soil and mulching heavily instead. No-till/low till nonetheless. Truth be told, I have spent decades building the soil in that garden. So tillage is not required. I can plant right into it. Ultimately I plan to fully retire and that garden will be my “retirement garden” requiring little to no effort. A lot of what you have and are demonstrating, I have begun to adopt. I definitely will be building a high tunnel is the next 5 years thanks to seeing how successful yours has been. That is my goal. Between the high tunnel and the “retirement garden”, I should be set for the rest of my life; 😅using the methods I’ve learned from you. 👍🏽👊🏽
👍👍 Another great video Mikey. I used my Troybilt Horse tiller with the hiller/furrower attachment to make semi-permanent raised beds (3-4' wide). I'm not quite no-till as I shallow till these beds to disturb the soil as little as possible while still creating suitable seed beds. although I've made truckloads of compost in the past (purchased compost is just too pricey), these days I rely more on cover crops, fall leaves, and grass clippings deep mulches to enrich the garden soil. 😊
8:00 Посмотри на русском сегменте ютуба как люди делают грядообразователь для мотоблока из старой ванны, дешево, сердито и функционально, ты парень рукастый и 100% сможешь сделать подобный. Таким самодельным грядообразователем будет полегче гряды формировать чем грядообразователем берта
Someone is feeding the deer. Otherwise, they would be a serious headache for you. I hope it stays that way.
rip deer.
You wouldn't need to purchase fertilizer if you used the fermented method, used for thousands of years, with much science behind it. You would get your cutting from the garden, grass, plants, etc. fill a container full of water, and let the plant matter ferment for a week for your natural, potent liquid fertilizer. A lot of people are at the behest of big companies for their fertilizers , when they have the best out in their back yard.
The Iron Man of No Till! 💪
Hi friend, love it. Healthy soil, healthy plants. Healthy plants deter pests.
Using black plastic isn’t solarization, it’s occultation. You’re blocking the sun, and conserving moisture, in a similar way that a thick mulch does. Solarization, on the other hand uses clear plastic to let the sun in to heat up under the plastic which then traps that heat. Occultation doesn’t destroy the biology, but solarization can which is why it is useful for killing unwanted organisms.
You would love a duc-plow, bro
Hey Chef! Love the videos dude… I'm out here farming blueberries in Arkansas, small scale organic. You have given me a lot of inspiration and help.
"I just did this and then I just did that"
Bro that's basically impossible. Congrats
It's been one day
See you in 4 years.
What adjustments would you make if you where trying to get water to pool in the beds?
With the electric fence how do you create a gate, or do you just unplug it when you need in?
Thanks for the inspiration!
How big is the garden area?
6A Mid Ohio and claybase soil and raised in ground beds are best unless they're a handicap issue.
Other raised beds cost money $$$$
I don't garden just to spend money $
Thanks this is so practical.
Much better to conserve water 💦🌊
Thanks
But I'm now deciding to separate my rows farther so when I mow I don't blow clippings into my veggies.
Sheet Mike,looking great. Trying to follow suit but the heat is killer in upstate S C this year. Lucky I planted mostly peppers and tomatoes.packed on the mulch this year. Thanks 4 everything.
What do you do about mosquitos?
a little late but I usually use Velcro strap to hold down the clutch or whichever gear I need to prevent hand cramping
where do you get these larger scale tarps to solarize?
thanks for sharing! Perfect!
A big thank you! Good information right here! But what about Johnson grass??
Another banger! Thanks Mikey!
Very good video. It's like tutorial, thank you sooo much for sharing
I’ve been no-till for 3 years and just now started rethinking my layout – this video hit at the perfect time!
Anyone else try the solar netting setup? I’m curious how well it handles smaller animals like rabbits or raccoons.
Great info. Moving to NC and want a farm with lots of garden space. You have given me a lot to prepare it. Thank you!!!
Great video man, but that is a LOT of compost you've added on top of your beds, ie similar to the amounts needed for raised beds..
Sometimes you just have to work with what you've got…is my mantra. I am old, frail and have inherited a garden that is old weed mat, hard mulch of white pebbles and blue metal. This is just the ornamental garden, all I want to work on.I am hoping to use bits of your process but I am scared I dont have time. I cant wait years so I am going to have to think out of the box. And look to nature's woodlands where leaves just fall and break down. Cover crops may help though. Any tips for fast growing cover crops? Good luck with what you are doing.Gotta love those microbes.
Thankyou for detailed video,
Very relatable 🐕🙏🐯
Sup foo. Subscribed
I have a question. Where do you get your large black tarps?
Where do you get your tomato stakes at?
I love your story, your background of a chef and new venture of organic gardener. Ive been a professional cook for many years too and a year ago we bought 400 acres . It needs a bunch of work but always worth it. You certainly love what you're doing. A year ago I did not see even one worm in my current garden spot but this year I've seen worms! Exciting! Thank you so much for sharing your love of growing beautiful food.
Did the DEER die cause it touched the electric fence😢😢😢
I've seen this on the scale of a backyard garden, and I've heard other no-till farmers say if they had the time they would do something about like this, and by "time" they meant they could have a piece out land out of production for that extended period of time since the typical is a farmer is paying a cost for holding that land.
So this is what I would call the ideal situation right here and I hope I'll be able to employ this once we move to our property, in Asia. We should be able to.
THANKS for a good blueprint.
Dude, if you're having to wrestle that BCH not a chance in hell I'd be able to handle it! that thing would turn me in to fertilizer
Nothing wrong with a one time till. I own two tillers, but do mostly no till… I start mine in a similar way. It's all parts of the whole.
Did ya know that earthworms are an invasive species that caused an ecological catastrophe wiping out species and destroying habitat?? Yah, they came with the sailing ships from Europe, and now we embrace them.
Bröther, those are raised rows, not raised beds. Raised beds have their sides reinforced using materials like wood and metal while open to the earth on the bottom. Google Birdies Raised Beds to see examples of metal raised beds.
It’s weird seeing Knoxville ground that isn’t red.
Thank you for sharing. I wish I can come help you out. It just sounds like a lot of fun. Too busy doing my own thing.
🙂 seems there are many "crops" being grown 🙂 ,,, which makes the best money? 17:30
That’s amazing. I’m in TN too! East TN, is there a grade for hill side that it won’t work on? I have a very large garden, we fenced it and it’s been one thing by after another fighting the weeds. I think I’d like to do this but wonder about the grade I’m dealing with. (Parrottsville)
Wish my body were like yours. Amazing muscles 💪
My time starting out in the workforce was in kitchens, dishwashing then behind the line. Ive stood by this ever since then, service workers, cooks/chefs in particular, are a different breed. Truly unique individuals, every one. Takes a lot character to work like that year round, all under constant scrutiny. Some of the best people ive ever known have worked service all their lives. God bless man, you're doing the work of our lord spreading this knowledge
Great video, thanks for sharing. Brand new to this world and you are a great teacher good sir.