by Barbara Adams, edited for MEF online use by Amy Rose - Backyard farming and rural micro farming raised bed garden design does not have to include permanent structures to hold the sides (see photo).

But many prefer permanent sides, so we offer plans and video for wooden or cinderblock permanent-sided beds.

A handful of people appear to see "market gardening" and "micro farming" as synonyms. Micro farming is actually a broad term that encompasses countless other possible components that may or may not include market gardening. Micro eco-farming is a movement where very diverse small scale or backyard farmers must choreograph their own niche farm unique only to them.

Each needs to be researched on its own, often at a local level. But they do have some traits in common, such as the use of trace minerals and connecting with their community or shared interest group to guarantee a market, which the book, Micro Eco-Farming, introduces. That title, however, doesn't focus just on the market garden.

But market gardening is one very popular choice in micro eco-farming. So here is a free PDF of raised bed garden design plans courtesy Washington State University. They may be used for backyard farming, community gardens and rural micro farming.

PDF raised bed garden plans for:

• A classic wooden frame for square foot gardening
• Two for wheelchair and walkers and visually impaired
• One with a vine lattice down the center
• One with a sitting ledge along the sides
• And an attractive one made from logs with instructions for a simple PVC pipe greenhouse cover.

Consider adapting the last bed design with chicken wire instead of greenhouse cover in the fall after beds are finished, then putting backyard chickens in for a short period to shred crop residue, fertilize and remove overwintering insect pests and eggs.

Further information on raised bed garden design:

It's standard knowledge by now that 4 feet wide is the norm for backyard farming and micro farming raised garden beds.

The typical four-foot width is handy for reaching easily across from either edge to harvest.

But there are individual reasons for building different shapes and different widths, so don't be afraid to experiment and adapt. You might want to work with non-permanent raised beds at first if you're serious about micro farming for income on a larger scale before committing to a specific permanent width for your garden beds or pathways. (Again, see photo above for non-permanent sided raised wide beds.)

Pathways can be just wide enough for a human to walk down with a basket to harvest. But most people want space for a garden cart. Some who keep a green live ground cover growing between rows like to make the paths a perfect width for their lawnmower to pass through just once or twice to complete the mowing.

Video on building a wooden frame raised bed from start to finish

The video above mentions using linseed oil. It is sometimes used "raw" for sensitive projects like beehives, and "boiled" (not really boiled, it does have some solvents) for tougher projects like outdoor wooden items. Jamestown Distributors is one distributor for linseed oil. (We have no affiliation).

Linseed oil should also be available from your local hardware store, such as Ace Hardware.

Video slide show on using cinder blocks for raised bed gardens

In this short visual you can see some of this grower's interesting micro farming bed layout.

More articles of interest for backyard farmers and micro farmers using raised bed gardens:

Here's our article on soil preparation for backyard farming and eco micro farming.

You may also enjoy our profile of the farmer who uses cinderblocks for her very profitable raised bed garden design. She also sells an e-book where she meticulously describes how to design raised beds using her method, as well as how to space just about every garden crop you might want to grow. That e-book is listed for sale with her profile story.