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Growing Soil

October 2, 2015

Growing Soil

Much of what I have learnt about soil comes from doing a two year apprenticeship at Stroud Community Agriculture and the influence of one of the farm team there who recently passed away, Ute. Digging couch out of the field with Ute was an exercise in plant observation, reading the landscape and soil craft; turning the cow pats into the straw bedding in the barn was a class in compost making and soil life.

For her, soil, soul, and society were intertwined – a rich and fertile view and practice.

Soil and animals

When talking about Growing Soil in the British Isles, we have long depended on the cow and its dung, whether dropped in the field or made into manure through composting with straw in the barn.

Bio-dynamics clearly articulates the importance of the cow and its manure within its agricultural view, principles and practices. This is an insight that can be lost in modern debates about farming and the role of animals that can just see the commodities, meat and dairy. For example, Stroud Community Agriculture had cows primarily for soil fertility; the farm’s core business of growing vegetables depended on tonnes of quality manure. Meat was a secondary concern.

Taking the cow as central aspect of traditional agriculture also opens up a useful understanding or vision of the British landscape. Our landscape has primarily been shaped by the cow, sheep and horse. This has had a profound influence in shaping our communities and culture. For centuries, the forest has been cleared bit by bit, the soil exposed and then tamed through the use of horse, cow and sheep.

The patchwork of green and gold fields that covers this isle and the very fabric of British society have been grown with the toil, grazing and dung of animals.

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Olduvai IV: Courage
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Olduvai II: Exodus
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