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Bringing Life To Dying Soils

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The BBC is writing a series of multimedia articles called Follow the Food. The series investigates the challenges farmers face to deliver food to our tables such as climate change, growing populations and ,of course COVID-19.

This particular article discusses soil degradation and the efforts to regenerate soils to meet the challenges for the future. Around the world, soils are in trouble. And unless we take action, so will be the farmers and consumers who depend on them. But some growers can see a way to save the ground beneath our feet.

Read How To Bring Life to Dying Soils

Dr. Elaine Ingham Explains the Soil Food Web

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In August, Joe Lamp’l interviewed Dr, Elaine Ingham on his show to explain the Soil Food Web. Dr Ingham is an expert in soil biology and in this podcast you will learn the difference between dirt and soil. You will discover the workings of all the organisms beneath the soil surface.

This is a great two part podcast that you won’t want to miss.

116-Understanding the Soil Food Web, with Dr. Elaine Ingham
117-Compost, Compost Tea and the Soil Food Web, with Dr. Elaine Ingham

Want to know how worms create compost?

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Vermicomposting or worm composting has gotten very popular. Setting up a bin is super easy, it just takes a trash can or stroage container, some shredded newspaper, a little water, the food scraps and of course, a pound or two of worms. So long as you do not overfeed your worm bin food scraps, you will have a healthy fresh smelling compost bin. The worms will acclimate and multiple which will require incremental increases in the amount of food scraps you give them.

If you would like to set up a worm bin please refer to our instructions at Setting Up Your Worm Bin.

The popularity of worm composting has increased so much that the American Chemical Society produced this informative video for the Washington Post explaining how earthworms aid in the decomposition of organic matter to produce nutrient-rich compost.

Some things I learned from this short video:

  • Darwin wrote his last book about earthworms
  • Earthworms have a gland that secretes calcium carbonate to help the worms digest the carbon-rich organic matter which reduces the amount of carbon thrown off into the atmosphere.
  • Since earthworms don’t have teeth, they rely on their gizzard to crush and pulverize their food.
  • Drilodefensins is an acid found in the gut of the earthworm that enables them to neutralize the poisons that make up parts of some plants.

All of this happens to create worm castings which is nutrient-rich plant and tree loving soil by another name.

Another fun fact: Earthworms consume a 100% fiber diet. If human were to do that, we get seriously constipated. But the worms can do it because their digestive system incorporates all the enzymes they need to breakdown the organic material.

If you have ever been curious about vermicompost or composting with worms, you must watch this short information packed video. You’ll never look at a worm with disgust again. These little creatures are powerhouse workers.

Composting in New York City Goes Big Time

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If you thought you had an efficient composting system, you’ve got to read this article Elizabeth Royte wrote for the New York Times entitled The Compost King of New York.

The New York City Sanitation Department has instituted a Zero Waste program that asks residents to separate their food scraps and yard waste in separate brown bins which are collected curbside or via neighborhood collection bins. This waste is picked up separately to reduce the amount of methane producing refuse in the sanitation landfills.

Royte was curious where the food scraps she was leaving at her curbside or others were depositing in the various receptacles around NYC actually went.

She followed the trail and her findings are in this article for the NY Times. Royte visits a farm that accepts food scraps and produce waste from grocery stores. The organic material is composted in the familiar methods. The some of the resulting soil is used on the farm while the rest is sold by the cubic yard to help offset the farm’s expenses.

Elizabeth Royte will also introduce you to a man who is convinced his $50 million investment into an anaerobic digester will reap profits from the renewable fuel he will produce at his massive complex in Yapank, New York. The rotting of organic matter combined with sewage also collected will generate a biogas that will be captured to power his plant and possibly provide heat and electricity for surrounding homes. There is an unending source for raw material since New York City pays him to take the food scraps that sanitation trucks collect curbside each week.

You will also meet a man who has been studying rotting things his entire career and he will explain carbon benefits of composting versus anaerobically digesting organic materials.

If you are into composting as I am, you will find this article fascinating. Elizabeth Royte has written three books available on Amazon.

Royte has also published an article for Audubon about neonicotinoids and how the pesticide linked with bee decline might also be threatening birds.

Photo credit: Death To Stock Photography

Building Healthy Soil

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Diane Relf is an Extension Specialist of Environmental Horticulture at Virginia Tech and wrote a terrific publication entitled Building Healthy Soil. The publication includes:

  • Building Healthy Soil
  • Improve the Soil Structure
  • Test Your Soil
  • Add Organic Matter
  • Grow Cover Crops and Green Manures
  • Add Nutrients
  • Correct Severe Situations

The article describes very plainly the more organic matter in the soil the more moisture it retains reducing runoff and soil erosion. Relf also promotes growing cover crops and green manures to enrich the soil.

To read the entire publication, click here.

Soil Testing

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How do you know what your soil needs unless you know what your soil has!

You can buy soil test kits or you can use your state’s Cooperative Extension laboratory to have your soil analyzed.

The USDA maintains a list of all the state extension offices which can be found http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.

Each state does things a little differently – for example, if you contact the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office, they will send you a soil sample box which you will send to Virginia Tech filled with your soil sample. But if you live in New York, the submission form explains that you will send your sample in a container you provide.

Not sure how you should collect your soil for a soil test –

I wouldn’t do my soil sampling when the ground is too wet – not only will you pay more postage to send the wet soil to the lab but the container may fall apart in transit – plus the lab is not going to do anything with the sample until it dries out.

Note: The owner of this site is an affiliate of the products promoted.

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