This is a form of permaculture known as hugelkultur. The main idea behind this method is to bury logs, twigs, sticks, leaves, and other organic matter in dirt and/or manure. The plants grown on these mounds will keep the soil together and penetrate that organic matter. As time goes on, the rotting matter time-released nutrients into the soil and creates heat. This makes it so that you don’t have to bother with artificial fertilization every year. These mimics the way plants grow in the forest for your own benefit. There is a myriad of ways to implement hugelkultur in your homestead so go crazy with it.
With hugelkultur there is no more worrying about tilling, field rotation, razing crops, fertilization, or irrigation.