Ask any organic farmer about soil, and you should plan on staying for a while. Soil is dear to their hearts, and they take the subject very seriously. After all, it is the quality of the soil that determines the quality of the crop, and good soil doesn’t always happen on its own.
Healthy soil requires effort.
Healthy soil is essential to healthy, strong plant life. It is a fascinating and complex mix of minerals, nutrients, air, water, insects, microbes and animals. The farmer will tell you that good soil is high in organic content. It is alive. The texture should be crumbly but hold together, and it should smell sweet. This soil holds enough water for the plants’ needs but also drains well enough that the plants and animals don’t “drown.”
Healthy crops do not grow in unhealthy soil – and there is such a thing.
Soil that is depleted of the nutrients that plants need cannot sustain healthy plant life. If the soil is used and used and used again without thought to its wellbeing, it will eventually lose all that it has to offer – and that is life.
Each crop needs specific nutrients and draws them from the soil. Soybeans, for instance, take up a lot of phosphorous and potassium where potatoes require much more nitrogen. The organic farmer either replenishes those particular nutrients with organic material, or rotates the crops, planting in different areas to even out the usage of nutrients. Many plants also give nutrients to the soil and some of these are grown as cover crops or “green manure.” These crops are grown for a season and then tilled in thus adding to the soil. Many, like alfalfa, have deep roots so the root action opens the soil up to encourage air flow.
Constantly improving the soil with the addition of organic material is central to the mission of the organic farmer. Synthetic fertilizers may benefit the plant at first, but they do not improve the soil long-term. They can also harm plants if applied incorrectly. Amending with organic material like compost continues to improve the soil year after year because it adds life. Inorganic fertilizers on the other hand need to be reapplied every year.
It can take millions of years for soil to form, but it can take no time at all to render it lifeless.
Reverence for the soil is what sets Woodstock Farms farmers apart.
|