Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Although to a degree the soil remains and perhaps always will be a dark and mysterious world – the phrase from the hymn comes to mind “in light inaccessible, hid from our eyes” – the microbiome revelation has definitely brought about a shift in my approach to soil management.
When we deeply understand the system we’re working with—be it a garden, a business, a community, or even a personal relationship—we can spot the places where a small, perfectly located nudge will beget a large response.
Closed loop agriculture is farming practice that recycles all nutrients and organic matter material back to the soil that it grew in. This forms part of an agricultural practice that preserves the nutrient and carbon levels within the soil and allows farming to be carried out on a sustainable basis.
A friendly reminder, the bees, and some soil test results suggest a new garden project for 2016 and beyond.
Deep beneath our feet, out of sight and out of mind, millions of tiny communities of microbes are working together to perform key functions for the ecosystem.
When we pick up a handful of soil, it is hard to imagine all the activity that is happening at a microscopic scale within it and the powerful impacts this has.
Beyond farmers and environmentalists, few people are concerned about what goes on beneath their boots.
Is topsoil a renewable resource or a nonrenewable resource, especially in dry or degraded landscapes?
The link between the global oil supply and biodiversity is not directly causal; rather, the two are elements of a broader and more integrated picture.
“We have accepted for years that the dirty water was normal, and we’ve been putting up with that loss.”
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.
What we eat is in constant flux, changing from decade to decade and century to century.
