Our vegetable garden is based on permaculture design. The whole garden is divided into four quarters with the chicken house in the centre. The chooks get access to the oldest vegie quarter as the plants go to seed. They love cleaning up the patch ready for the next planting (although most seeds self-plant after going to seed).
Initially, the patch was bleached sand with no nutrients but over the past 25 years we have added a lot of mulch and worm castings along with the stomachs of the animals we have processed for meat.
At the northern end hops take over in summer and give the chooks shade as well as something else to nibble. The hops, of course, go into the beer that Donna makes.
Truly the best country living experience you will ever have.