Soil Comparison

We follow organic and sustainable practices in our farming endeavors and, therefore, do not use chemical fertilizers.  So, we have to look for other ways to amend the soil and give our plants the food they need to grow.  We do this in several ways.   First, Tom plants "cover" plants in the fall that grow over the winter.  These are usually rye and Austian Winter Peas.  He then tills them into the soil in the late winter/early spring to add organic matter. 

He also grows legumes (beans and peas) to add nitrogen to the soil.   All legumes have nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root systems.   These leave nitrogen in the soil after they have died.  He rotates legumes with other crops so the crops that follow the legumes will get an extra dose of nitrogen.

We maintain several compost piles that we feed all the exhausted plant material that comes out of the fields at the end of the year.  I keep a compost bucket under my kitchen sink where I put all the vegetable waste from the kitchen and Tom goes by Star Bucks frequently to collect used coffee grounds.  They actually package these up and put in a bin by the door for people to take and use in their gardens.  These can go directly into the soil or can be added to the compost piles.  Finally, we collect bags of leaves that people set out for the trash.  These can be used as compost material or as mulch.

Below, on the left is a picture of a new cold frame that Tom built.  To the right is a picture of one we have used for several years.  Notice the difference in color of the soil.  The one on the left is a reddish color, thanks to the clay soil that is so abundant here on our acreage.  The one on the right is the same clay soil that has been amended over the years with compost.  This has broken up the clay and added a lot of much needed organic matter to the soil. 

The black jugs you see here are just milk jugs that Tom has spay painted black.  These are filled with water and absorb heat during the day.  This heat is released at night to help keep the temperature in the cold frame a little warmer.