Chemistry, Biology, and Farming

     One of our goals is to raise animals in as natural a habitat as we can. Since many common farm animals naturally live in grassy areas, our first order of business has been to convert our tilled acres from row crops to a lush, fertile pasture.  But in order to grow grass, we first needed to tend to the needs of the soil.  
     Before we even bought the place we ran soil tests to see how we needed to improve the chemical composition of the land in order to grow better crops.  The farmer who has grown corn and soybeans here for the past several years did a pretty good job protecting the soil by using what is known as no-till--leaving the remains of the last crop in place on top of the soil for soil bacteria to digest and make available to the next crop.  Compared to over-farmed land, our soil didn't look terrible on those initial tests--maybe a C.  But we're not going for average here.  We're shooting for an A+.

Healthy Soil grows Healthy Crops, improving the health
of those who eat them--animals and humans alike

     Our next step, then, was to apply soil amendments as recommended by our consultant with Midwestern Bio-Ag, a biologically-based, organic fertilizer company based in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.  Based on our soil tests and their recommendations, we chose to spread Hume-Cal, a blend of gypsum and humates.  We also chose to apply a blend of micro-nutrients which showed up as being deficient on our soil tests.  

Moving the fertilizer buggy with our 
little lawn tractor, November 2011

     With the calcium, sulphur, and micro-nutrients now improving the chemistry of our soil, it was time to focus on biology.  Soil is made up of billions of micro-organisms--the true workhorses of the farm.  We would never think of going a day without feeding our animals, but it is altogether too easy to forget to look after the little critters that really make it happen underground.  It is said that the micro-organisms living in one acre of good farmland eat the equivalent of what a 1,000 pound cow eats--every day!  So, how do we feed all those workers?  One excellent way is through cover crops.

Winter Rye coming up as a beautiful cover crop, 
March 2012

     While they are growing, cover crops like clover, buckwheat, and winter rye, provide needed shade for micro-organisms in and on the soil.  Cover crops also hold moisture in the soil, providing a more hospitable environment for the tiny bacteria and fungi.  But the real kicker comes when you till the cover crop back into the soil.  Taking those lush, young, green leaves and turning them under moves the leaves underground, providing a hearty meal to all those tiny farmers in the soil.

Raphael on Old Red, tilling in the Winter Rye,
March 2012

     So, with our chemistry becoming more balanced, and our biology kicking into high gear, we're ready to start farming.