Winter Work - planning out crop rotations

The temperature went just above 60 Fahrenheit today. We had one volunteer here working on a project in the barn. Adrienne (our Farm Manager) and I were also able to get out and walk the fields to discuss the upcoming season.

The bulk of our conversation centered around our “crop rotation” . That is, where the 50 some odd different crops (and over 100 varieties) are going to be planted in the field this season.
Legumes, like beans and peas, get planted where leafy crops ,like lettuce, were last year.
Fruits, such as tomatoes, get planted where legumes were last season.
Roots, like carrots or beets, go where fruits, like tomatoes, were.
It goes like this:
Leaf > root > fruit > legume > leaf > root etc...

Why? This is one tried and true "organic" method of ensuring that bad bugs and diseases do not linger in the same garden patch year after year. Additionally, legume crops fix much needed nitrogen into the soil where "nitrogen needy" crops like squash or tomatoes (fruits) get their requirements naturally. Our goal is to grow healthy plants for our community without the use of harmful chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. At Red Wiggler we only use pesticides that come from plants. And if possible we prefer not to use even those natural sprays if at all possible. Rotating our crops help us to achieve healthy soil which can grow healthy plants which will nourish our community.
Woody