Farm

Possibly derived from the Old English word mylsc, meaning mellow, or from the Middle English word molsh, meaning soft or moist, mulch is a layer of protective material which covers the soil.

Mulch helps the soil stay moist, regulates temperature, protects soil from solar UV rays which has a sterilizing effect, reduces weed growth and slowly improves soil fertility as matter breaks down.

A swale is a water harvesting earthworks ditch with a raised lip usually dug on contour, with dig soil being piled towards the downhill lip of the trench, to slow, capture and help water sink into the ground. Depending on terrain, size of operation or irrigation requirements, swales may be kept shallow, deep, or wide. Swales are usually placed with enough of a gap between them, to allow sunk water to adequately penetrate the soil, before the next trench is dug, which also allows for agricultural activities between swales.

Organic farming uses natural methods of fertilizer production (like compost or manure), techniques such as companion crops, mixed crops and crop rotation, while nurturing predator species to control pests. 

In most cases, organic farming generally does away with all forms of synthetic fertilizers, plant growth regulators or pesticides. Use of antibiotics or hormones in livestock is forbidden, while use of nanomaterials and genetically modified plants or animals is shunned.