What do you think?

What mulch do you use? Do you use mulch? I use straw because it's easy to get bales and it's easy to spread. The only thing I don't like is I feel like it takes a long time to start to break down into the soil.

Is there a way you keep your pets like dogs or maybe even chickens out of your crops without limiting growing space?? I have a raised bed my dogs really like to step in and the only way I have kept them out is by putting chicken wire around the entire bed with 2x4's holding the chicken wire in place so it doesn't fall over.