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Tag Archives: soil fertility
Managing plant surplus carbon to generate soil organic matter in regenerative agriculture
Managing plant surplus carbon to generate soil organic matter in regenerative agriculture Soil degradation is a global problem. A third of the planet’s land is already severely degraded, and soil is being degraded at a speed that threatens the health of the planet and the civilizations that depend on it (Whitmee et al. 2015). Depletion […]
Home Soil
Home Soil We need more geology in school. Or perhaps ecology. Probably both. If we are to survive, we need to understand who and what we are, and for that we need to understand this world that made us. We are earthly beings. We are small parts of a small planet on an average star […]
Post collapse, just what will we eat…..?
Post collapse, just what will we eat…..? Further to my post where I explained how Australia’s poor soils are largely incapable of growing much more than meat, this article landed in my news feed… Here’s a list of what Australian farmers produce: Each year, on average each Australian farmer feeds 600 people. Agriculture powers 1.6 million Australian jobs. Australian […]
How healthy is your soil?
How healthy is your soil? In celebration of World Soil Day, December 5, 2021, we want to help farmers around the world to better understand their soil. Our soils are an incredible resource – they have a remarkable ability to clean water and help mitigate climate change, they support biodiversity and are the reason we […]
Soils and Life Beneath the Ground
Soils and Life Beneath the Ground There is more life beneath the ground than you know. Healthy soils contain a vibrant range of life forms such as protozoa, nematodes, mites, springtails, spiders, insects, bacteria, fungi, earthworms and numerous burrowing animals. This rich biodiversity plays a vital role in mitigating climate change, neutralising pests, purifying and […]
The Woodchip Handbook: A Complete Guide for Farmers, Gardeners and Landscapers: Excerpt
The Woodchip Handbook: A Complete Guide for Farmers, Gardeners and Landscapers: Excerpt The following excerpt is from Ben Raskin’s new book The Woodchip Handbook: A Complete Guide for Farmers, Gardeners and Landscapers (Chelsea Green Publishing, October 2021) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher. The Woodchip Handbook By Ben Raskin Restoring Damaged Soil With the potential […]
Homage to soil
Homage to soil Perhaps surprisingly, given that I worked for more than 20 years for an organisation called the Soil Association, my striving to understand the full significance and importance of the soil is still an evolving process which continues to be inspired and illuminated by ongoing revelations derived from my farming, my reading and my […]
Mycorrhizae: “If you build it, they will come”
Mycorrhizae: “If you build it, they will come” “Field of Dreams” The movie “Field of Dreams” is a family favorite – we love how baseball and the supernatural are interwoven to create a great story. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should – and for those of you that have, you know why it […]
My Soil Is Crap, Part II
My Soil Is Crap, Part II Last month in my blog My Soil Is Crap Part I, I tried to dispel the myth that you can diagnose soil problems by just looking at your soil. While the color of a soil does impart some diagnostic qualities, most soils are not easily analyzed without a soils test. […]
Regenerative Agriculture part 3 | Working With Nature, Not Suppressing It
Regenerative Agriculture part 3 | Working With Nature, Not Suppressing It In the third and final installment in this series on regenerative agriculture, Peter Dunne explains how regenerative agriculture is about working with nature, not suppressing it. We’re often told nature and agriculture can’t share the same space. But we urgently need a paradigm shift, […]
New Evidence Shows Fertile Soil Gone From Midwestern Farms
New Evidence Shows Fertile Soil Gone From Midwestern Farms Soil on hilltops in this photo is lighter in color, revealing a loss of fertile topsoil. Evan Thaler for NPR Farming has destroyed a lot of the rich soil of America’s Midwestern prairie. A team of scientists just came up with a staggering new estimate for […]
Global soils underpin life but future looks ‘bleak’, warns UN report
Global soils underpin life but future looks ‘bleak’, warns UN report It takes thousands of years for soils to form, meaning protection is needed urgently, say scientists Scientists describe soils as like the skin of the living world, vital but thin and fragile, and easily damaged by intensive farming, forest destruction, and pollution. Photograph: Zsolt […]
Soil Testing: Why Is It So Vital For The Natural Environment?
Soil Testing: Why Is It So Vital For The Natural Environment? Improving productivity is the core goal of each farmer, and good soils assist to gain it. Soil structure, composition, and fertility are key aspects to consider while choosing crops to sow, fertilisers to add, and water volumes to distribute. Thus, testing becomes a crucial […]
Fertilizing a Garden Entirely for Free
Fertilizing a Garden Entirely for Free At our house we have a goal to produce 80% of our fruit, veggies, meat and dairy within five years of moving onto our land. We only eat a little meat and dairy, but we eat tons of veggies, so we grow a great big garden. Gardening is full […]
