Progress report for LNE25-488
Project Information
Project focus
Routine soil fertility (RSF) tests are designed for mineral soils with up to 20% organic matter (OM). RSF assesses long-term fertility conditions. Above 20% OM, RSF may incorrectly estimate fertility. Increasingly, Northeast land-grant university (LGU) soil labs are receiving growing materials submitted for RSF that exceed this threshold. High OM samples include soilless media and organic matter/soil blends used to fill raised beds as well as field samples of soils heavily amended with compost and mulch.Raised beds are important for land-limited urban farmers that experience lead and arsenic contaminated soils. Compost and mulch-heavy field soils are common on organic and no-till farms.
When OM exceeds 20%, a saturated media extract (SME) test is recommended. SME assesses short-term fertility by measuring only water-soluble nutrients. SME and associated recommendations were originally developed for floriculture in controlled growing environments. SME is appropriate for high OM materials and some growers have adopted its use, but recommendations for outdoor operations have not been developed, leaving many farmers behind. Additionally, excessive rainfall can flush water-soluble nutrients from high OM systems, creating challenges with accurate sampling and interpretation of results.
Excess soil OM accumulation (>10%) also creates management challenges in addition to fertility sampling and recommendations. Growers are reaching levels of soil OM associated with yield decline, nutrient leaching, and management challenges with irrigation, drainage, and water retention. Labs are challenged to provide farmers with one-on-one education and custom recommendations as the number of these samples and affected farmers increase. Educators are also challenged because educational resources and recommendations are inconsistent and sparse.
Solution and approach
To address these challenges, this project brings together regional LGU labs, Extension educators, and research faculty. Farmers are educated about sampling, nutrient testing, and fertility management in high OM and raised bed systems through workshops, seven on-farm demonstrations in urban areas, fact sheets, and lab recommendations. Farmers participate in hands-on, applied learning. Farmers increase their knowledge of soil fertility, health, and functioning, developing and applying the skills to make nutrient management plans and strategically manage OM in their operations. SME sampling and fertility management recommendations based on lab test results are refined and adopted by participating labs.
Research investigates raised bed fill materials, including rock dust amendments, and nutrient cycling dynamics in high OM systems. Research is conducted in controlled greenhouse environments and in-field on University research farms. Research results from year 1 trials are incorporated into demonstrations deployed on seven farms in year 2. The demonstrations pair established knowledge and best practices with novel results, engaging stakeholders in the scientific process and enabling farmers to give input on emerging work.
100 farmers will adopt at least one best management practice (optimized fertility testing, fertility applications, material use, etc.) across 500 raised beds and 50 acres of high organic matter fields. 75 farmers will save $500 each by requesting appropriate soil analyses and 20 farmers will report they are better able to navigate threats to operations and/or strengthen local networks.
Routine soil fertility tests are designed for mineral soils; yet, high organic matter soils may incorrectly estimate fertility. Compost and mulch-heavy field soils are common on organic and no-till farms. Excess soil OM accumulation (>10%) creates management challenges in addition to fertility sampling and recommendations. Growers are reaching levels of soil OM associated with yield decline, nutrient leaching, and management challenges with irrigation, drainage, and water retention. NE Land Grant University (LGU) Soil Labs are challenged to provide farmers with one-on-one education and custom recommendations as the number of these samples and affected farmers increase. Educators are also challenged because educational resources and recommendations are inconsistent and sparse.
To address these challenges, this project brings together regional LGU labs, Extension educators, and research faculty. Farmers are educated about sampling, nutrient testing, and fertility management in high OM and raised bed systems through workshops, on-farm demonstrations, fact sheets, and lab recommendations. These approaches, which include hands-on, applied learning, should help farmers increase their knowledge of soil fertility, health, and functioning, as well as developing and applying the skills to make nutrient management plans and strategically manage high organic matter materials in their operations.
Research investigates raised bed fill materials, including rock dust amendments, and nutrient cycling dynamics in high organic matter systems. Research is conducted in controlled greenhouse environments and in-field on University research farms. Research results from year 1 trials are incorporated into demonstrations deployed on seven farms in year 2. The demonstrations pair established knowledge and best practices with novel results, engaging stakeholders in the scientific process and enabling farmers to give input on emerging work.
Cooperators
- (Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Researcher)
- (Educator)
- (Researcher)
- (Researcher)
- (Educator and Researcher)
- (Educator)
- (Educator and Researcher)
Research
If high organic matter (HOM) content (> 20% OM) changes the nature of soil, then adding more than 20% OM to soil will distort the results of routine soil analyses because these tests are tailored towards mineral soil and will lead to misinterpretations and challenges in guiding farmer management of HOM soil.
If mineral inputs to high OM soils ameliorate deleterious effects of accumulated OM, then adding rock dust to soils with > 20% OM will regulate soil test outputs, resulting in more predictive power for guidance and farmer recommendations with greater functionality and nutrient retention of HOM growing substrates.
TREATMENTS
In all experiments and locations, two vegetable crops with contrasting nutrient demands—lettuce with low and cabbage with high nutrient requirements—will be planted and evaluated.
Exp1: Greenhouse. CT, MA. Factor 1: OM concentration with four levels: 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50% compost, created by blending compost with low OM field soil (three control treatment levels: 100% low OM field soil, 100% compost, and 100% soilless media). Factor 2: Synthetic fertilizer application rate with two levels: recommended rate by routine soil fertility test or saturated media extract test. Rationale: OM concentrations treatments identify thresholds where OM begins to distort soil analytical results and impact crop performance and nutrient cycling. Exp2: Greenhouse. CT, MA, NJ. Factor 1: OM concentration with five levels: 0%, 50%, 70%, and 90%, 100% compost, blended, as above. Factor 2: Rock dust amendments with four application rates: 0, 40, 80, 160 tons/acre (corresponding to 0g, 375g, 745g, and 1500 g dry weight rock dust added to growing containers). Rationale: Rock dust amendments improve the functionality of high OM growing substrates to mimic true soil. Exp3: Raised bed, on-farm demo. CT, MA, DE, ME. Factor 1: Year with 2 levels: year 1 and year 2. Factor 2: Optimized blends with two levels: OM concentration optimized by Exp1, compost and soil blend amended with rock dust optimized by Exp2, and three control treatment levels: 100% low OM field soil, 100% compost, 100% soilless media. Factor 3: Fertilization type with two levels: synthetic versus organic fertilizer, application rate determined by Exp1. Rationale: Organic fertilizers release nutrients more slowly and promote microbial activity, which may interact differently with the OM blends optimized in Exps 1 and 2. A combination of organic and mineral inputs increase nutrient retention in high OM conditions. Exp4: Field. CT, MA. Factor 1: Year with 2 levels: year 1 and year 2. Factor 2: OM management practice with three levels: (1) high OM applied as compost incorporated into the soil; (2) high OM applied as deep compost mulch on the soil surface; (3) native low OM field soil as a control. Factor 3: Fertilization type: organic fertilizer, synthetic fertilizer, and no-fertilizer control, application rate influenced by Exp1. Rationale: Surface mulching methods may differentially affect growth, nutrient cycling, and soil health compared to compost incorporated into the soil. Exp5: Laboratory. CT, MA. Factor 1: Compost application rates to soil based upon (1) compost weight; or (2) compost volume. Rationale: Weight versus volume-based applications of compost alters final nutrient and OM application rates. To determine appropriate compost ratios and recommendations for farmers working in high OM systems, appropriate metrics for standardizing units for these recommendations are needed.
METHODS
Each experiment across all locations will be conducted in two phases. First, butterhead lettuce will be planted in May and harvested by the end of June. In the second phase, green cabbage will be planted in July and harvested in September. This sequential planting approach allows for evaluation of nutrient dynamics across crops with differing demands.
Exp1 and Exp2 will be conducted as greenhouse pot studies following a randomized complete block design with four replications in year one of the project. For Exp1, OM concentration with four levels along with three control treatments will be randomly assigned to whole blocks. Within each block, two levels of fertilization rate will be randomly assigned to subblocks, resulting in 14 treatments and 56 observations for each crop. Similarly, for Exp2, OM concentration with five levels will be randomly assigned to whole blocks. Within each block, four levels of rock dust amendment rates will be randomly assigned to subblocks, resulting in 20 treatments and 80 observations for each crop.
Exp3 will be conducted as on farm-demonstrations using wooden raised beds in open field conditions in years two and three, using existing best practices in combination with Exp1 and Exp2 results, with three replications considering year as a fixed factor. Each wooden raised bed represents one replication and is separated into 10 smaller, isolated compartments with dividers. Two levels of optimized media blends and three control treatments will be randomly assigned to plots (individual compartments within the raised beds). One of two randomly assigned ‘fertilization type’ levels is assigned to each fill material. Experiments will run continuously over two years; year is treated as a fixed factor to allow for comparison of results between the first and second year of Exp3, resulting in 10 treatments and 30 observations for each crop in each year.
Exp4 will be conducted in open field conditions for two years using a split-plot design with four replications. OM application methods with three levels will be randomized in whole plots following a complete block arrangement; year will serve as a fixed variable, while fertilization type (three levels) will be randomized in subplots within each whole plot, resulting in 9 treatments and 36 observations per crop in each year.
Exp5 will be conducted as a laboratory study with five replicates of six weight and six volume treatments, resulting in 12 treatments and 60 observations.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
In all locations and all experiments in this project, crop yield entails several components including marketable yield (g/plant, fresh), total yield (g/plant, fresh), marketability (%), and crop biomass (g/plant, dry). Plant nutrient uptake will be evaluated based on the contents of macronutrients and micronutrients in plant tissue and pot/soil using, respectively, dry ashing and total Kjeldahl nitrogen digestion, saturated media extraction, and Modified Morgan (CT, MA, ME) or Mehlich (DE, NJ) soil extraction in combination with flow injection (nitrogen) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP, macro and micronutrient) analysis. Crop quality attributes will be assessed to determine ascorbic acid content, total antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content. Media characteristics include compaction (penetrometer), infiltration (ml/min), cation exchange capacity, density (g/cm3), pH, and buffer pH. Leachate component analysis includes the contents of macronutrients and micronutrients measured via ICP. Soil microbial communities will be characterized through DNA extraction, PCR, and sequencing on an Illumina Miseq. Bioinformatic analyses of soil microbial sequences on bray-curtis distance matrices in “vegan” to calculate shannon and beta diversity and compared using PERMANOVA analyses across our treatment groups in R. Data from each trial will be analyzed separately based on crop and location following the linear mixed model using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (version 9.4; SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Data transformation will be evaluated after testing normality, homogeneity of variances, and linearity. Multiple comparisons among different treatments will be conducted using Tukey’s test (ɑ = 0.05).
FARMER INPUT
Farmers helped develop these hypotheses through a recent UConn survey of high-tunnel or raised bed urban farms. Our findings will support these farmers in addressing their expressed need to determine BPs for high OM inputs into farm beds and test their soils effectively. Work will be conducted across universities and seven farms across New England; farmers will directly participate in design, implementation, data collection, and dissemination of the outcome. We will conduct on-farm demonstrations, share findings with the community, change practices, and improve the ways farmers obtain information about their soils. We will formalize recommendations for analyzing and interpreting results of high OM soils, publish protocols and fact sheets to improve soil health and food security in the region.
Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 were both conducted with cabbage (bok choi), and results have been disseminated to farmers, practitioners, and academic audiences. The highest organic matter treatment: 100% Compost resulted in higher overall leaf area, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll level, plant height, leaf number, and total fresh biomass. Physiological and production parameters demonstrated an upward trend as the compost ratio increases. Compared to saturated media extraction methods, routine soil fertility tests produced higher total fresh biomass in all media except for the 100% compost.
As of January 2026, experiments and data analysis remain ongoing.
Education
ENGAGEMENT
Recruitment and awareness builds on existing networks, including relationships between farmer stakeholders and our 12 key contributors + 7 participating farmers from 5 states. Combined, we have access to thousands of farmer emails. Participating labs also include resources on their websites that receive thousands of visitors annually.
Seven farmers host on-farm demonstrations, collect basic data, help host an on-farm educational event, and provide feedback throughout the project; 2 of the 7 are also PAC members. All demo-farms participate in years two and three. Each farmer receives a $1000 stipend/honorarium as an incentive and demo materials (i.e. raised beds) are kept after the project. All 7 farms are invited to annual PAC meetings to give input.
Demo-farms in urban areas have existing relationships with other urban farmers, with whom they can share project updates and upcoming events. Urban demo-farm locations alleviate logistical challenges of traveling to rural research sites, increasing the likelihood of participation and new relationships between urban farmers and the universities.
Extension educators help collect samples from field operations with high OM and submit them to labs for analysis and BP refinement, building on existing relationships.
Project updates, products, and research results are presented at existing, annual Field Days and Twilight meetings highly attended by field growers.
To support learning, educational programming is scaffolded from understanding the basics to evaluating and applying information to make farm-specific decisions. Teaching strategies range from classic presentations and fact sheets to worksheets and hands-on workshops, and accommodate different learning styles (visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic).
To address challenges, curriculum and farmer need is continuously evaluated on program evaluations and via PAC input, and programming is amended accordingly. Labs report on FAQs and trends in sample results. Researchers bring novel ideas to refine BPs and enhance proposed solutions. Agriculture service providers and industry members are invited to attend programming and themselves become additional resources, expanding the support network. Structured networking at in-person events supports farmer-to-farmer problem solving.
LEARNING
The curriculum (uploaded) includes three focus areas and six learning goals. Focus areas are: 1. The growing environment; 2. Fertility testing; 3. Management decisions. In each focus area, the learning plan guides farmers through the steps of Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational goals, which identifies “understanding” as the foundation of learning, and applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating as progressively advanced levels of education(16); we emphasize high-level, skill-based learning.
Acquired knowledge includes developing and implementing sustainable fertility programs (including sampling and interpretation of lab results), BPs for building and managing OM, and BPs for building raised beds. Improved understanding excessive OM challenges and nutrient leaching encourage farmer attitudes and behaviors that prioritize economically and environmentally sound management decisions. Historically underserved UA stakeholders experience improved relationships with Extension, leading to increased engagement with future Extension programming.
The educational approach implores BPs for effective STEM communication, such as teaching to different learning styles and mixing passive and active learning activities. Content emphasizes applicability. For example, understanding the basics of the nitrogen cycle supports management decisions when considering a slow or fast release nitrogen source or deciding whether or not a mid-season nitrate test is applicable. At hands-on workshops, farms are trained on collecting samples and making in-field assessments of growing media (soil or soilless) quality. Farmers practice interpreting results, crediting OM, calculating application rates, etc. with guidance of project team members. Demos and field research support visual learning and enable farmers to make independent assessments.
Developed resources remain available in perpetuity, including fact sheets and videos, worksheets, recorded webinars, and improved laboratory resources (forms, website content, recommendations, and interpretation support documents).
EVALUATION
Surveys are the primary evaluation metric, used to ensure we are running an effective educational program and to verify the goals of the performance target. Surveys given after all presentations, including webinars, on-farm workshops, field days, etc. assess if learning goals are being met, track intended changes, and identify barriers to understanding or adoption. Annual surveys are sent to participants to track reported management practices changes and impacts, including the growing footprint, location and type of operation, perceived changes to ease and cost of management, and impacts on downstream stakeholders (example: increased yield supports additional CSA shares). Labs track changes to customer trends, including FAQs, requested tests, and trends in (anonymized, meta-analyzed) lab results.
Resources posted to university websites are tracked for annual downloads and page traffic, and metrics are compared to existing resources. For example, how many times is a new factsheet on “interpreting organic matter results” downloaded compared to an existing factsheet on “interpreting pH results”.
Milestones
1.1000 farmers in 5 states learn about upcoming events, fertility testing, nutrient management, and managing high OM through direct mailings and resources posted on laboratory websites, including digital newsletters, videos, updated factsheets, and updated recommendations to accompany sample test results; 500 of these farmers are in urban areas and also receive information about managing raised beds. (Efforts towards this engagement milestone are ongoing throughout the project). Engagement. March 2025 – Feb 2028
To date, 220 farmers, between presentations and the shared newsletter article. That was shared by UMass and reshared by Cornell, estimating a minimum 100 individuals within the urban landscape space were reached, including raised bed production among small scale growers.
2.300 farmers in CT, DE, MA, and ME learn about fertility testing, nutrient management, and managing high OM, and preliminary research results at field days, Twilight meetings, and webinars. Field days include a demonstrations of high surface OM compared to high OM incorporated in the soil; workshops include demonstrations comparing organic fill media to mineral soil amended with varying amounts of organic matter and rock dust. Participants receive post workshop surveys about their current practices and the BPs they are most interested in learning more about and adopting. Learning. July 2025 – March 2026
To date, 120 farmers. We conducted a field day at Lathrop Farms in Lebanon, CT. Workshop included demonstrations of compost application and compost tea production and application, as well as handouts about our study and presentation of preliminary results of greenhouse research on high OM systems. Results were also presented to the Land Grant University soil testing lab consortium (Hatch Multi-state alliance) in Milford, PA. We also presented on our work at the Soils Mini School at UMass with a presentation on Soil Health in High Organic Matter systems. We also conducted numerous presentations for farmers/homesteaders/managers of urban landscapes in Amherst, MA, Martha's Vineyard (Vineyard Haven), MA, Edgartown, MA, Sunderland, MA, Wellesley, MA, Worthington, MA, Deerfield, MA, and Northampton, MA.
3.150 farmers return the survey and indicate interest in future events. Evaluation. July 2025 – March 2026
To date, 15 farmers returned surveys. We have survey data from the Soil Mini School in Amherst, MA of farmers in attendance, as well as one-on-one follow up conversations with 15 additional farmers. Furthermore, our field day at Lathrop Farms resulted in interest stated about attending future events. Interest was reported for attending future events and participating in demonstrations and future field days. Changes reported included sampling protocols and organic matter amendments.
4.7 on-farm raised beds demonstrations are established with participating farmers, 2 in CT, 2 in DE, 2 in MA, and 1 in ME. Raised bed demonstrations include true soil, different ratios of soil to organic matter, soilless media, and high OM materials amended with rock dust. Engagement. May – June 2026
In progress
5.100 of the 150 farmers that returned surveys attend at least one field day or on-farm demo in CT, DE, MA, or ME. Project updates, including updates to lab recommendations, introduction to newly developed resources, and research results are shared. Farmers are educated about ideal amounts of OM, in-field assessment of growing media quality, methods for sampling soils with deep OM surface layers, and materials for building raised beds. Attendees receive post workshop surveys. Learning. June – October 2026.
In progress
6.70 farmers return the survey and indicate perceptions of increased understanding and intended changes to management practices, including adoption of BPs. Evaluation. July 2026 – October 2026.
In progress
7.All farmers that participated in workshops and events to date, and indicated willingness to be contacted about the project in the future on their surveys, receive an end of year survey to ask about management practice changes, perceived barriers to adoption, and resource/educational needs. 100 farmers complete the survey. Evaluation. December, 2026.
In progress
8.200 farmers across 5 states attend a 5 part virtual, winter workshop series to meet the six learning goals outlined in the curriculum. Workshops include breakout sessions and worksheets to support learning, such as worksheets to develop a fertility program and credit N&P from high OM reserves. Participants receive surveys about intended practice changes. Learning. November - March 2027.
In progress
9.150 farmers return the survey and indicate perceptions of increased understanding and intended changes to management practices, including adoption of BPs. Perceived learning gaps are reported. Evaluation. November – March 2027.
In progress
10.140 farmers attend field days at seven on-farm demonstrations to learn about changes to raised bed material composition over time, and impacts on crop yield and nutrient leaching. Feedback on managing high OM and building raised bed is given by host farmers to the farmer audience. Farmers learn hands-on techniques to assess the quality of growing materials (soil or soilless). Lead and arsenic soil contamination risks and safety BPs are discussed. Learning. August – November 2027.
In progress
11.100 farmers consult with project contributors one-on-one about developing nutrient management plans, monitoring fertility, and addressing issues associated with high OM (such as hydrophobic behavior or nitrogen immobilization) by phone and email. (Efforts towards this engagement milestone are ongoing throughout the project). Learning. March 2025 – February 2028
To date, 20 farmers.
12.All farmers that participated in workshops and events to date, and indicated willingness to be contacted about the project in the future on their surveys, receive an end of year survey to ask about management practice changes, perceived barriers to adoption, and resource/educational needs. 100 farmers complete the survey. Evaluation. December, 2027.
In progress
13. 5 factsheets (SME sampling, SME interpretation, filling raised beds, fertility in high OM systems, high OM FAQs) and 3 educational videos (SME sampling for raised beds, SME sampling for field soils, filling raised beds) are developed and shared at field events and on university websites. Recommendations that accompany fertility test results, developed by the working group, become available to countless farmers in perpetuity. Learning. (Efforts towards this engagement milestone are ongoing throughout the project). March 2025 – February 2028
To date, 1 newsletter article to date emphasizing filling raised beds, what is an is not soil, when saturated media extracts vs routine soil fertility tests should be used
To date, 1 factsheet and accompanying newsletter article on wood ash as a soil amendment, related to building organic matter and managing soil fertility
- Siller, Corcoran, S.G. (2025). Wood Ash as a pH and Potassium Soil Amendment. University of Massachusetts Extension. [Fact sheet]
- Siller, Corcoran, S.G. (2025). Using Wood Ash as a Soil Amendment. University of Massachusetts Extension. UMass Extension Hort Notes, 36(10). https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/newsletters/hort-notes/hort-notes-2025-vol-3610#HotTopic
- Corcoran, Siller, A (2025). Managing Over-Fertilized Soil: Have You Ever Had a Bad Haircut? UMass Extension Hort Notes, 36(1). https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/newsletters/hort-notes/hort-notes-2025-vol-361#HotTopic
Presentations for farmers/homesteaders/managers of urban landscapes. The first number reflects the number of self-identified individuals within the commodity groups supported by this grant; the 2nd number is ASPs, including folks at state & federal agencies (like MDAR and NRCS) ag non-profits (like NOFA or CISA) Extension, and applied researchers.
- Corcoran, S.G., Siller, A. (2025). Soil Testing and On-Farm Soil Health Tools. Massachusetts Farm Bureau Annual Meetings, Amherst, MA. 10/10
- Corcoran, G. (2025). Soil Health and the UMass Test Kits. Martha’s Vineyard Agriculture Society Educational Series, Vineyard Haven, MA. 5/3
- Corcoran, G. (2025). Hands-on Soil Health Testing for Massachusetts Farmers. Martha’s Vineyard Agriculture Society Farmer Twilight Meeting, Edgartown, MA. 20/10
- Corcoran, S. (2025). Compost and Soil Testing. UMass Extension Vegetable Program Farmer Twilight Meeting, Sunderland, MA. 15/15
- Corcoran, S.G. (2025). From the Ground Up: Cultivating Healthy Soils for Rosarians. New England Rose Society, Annual Meeting, Wellesley, MA. 2 urban landscape professionals
- Corcoran, S. (2025). Soil Management and Plant Tissue Testing for Blueberry Production. Massachusetts Blueberry Growers Association Annual Meeting, Worthington, MA. 10 farmers
- Corcoran, S. (2025). Measuring and Understanding Soil pH. UMass Extension Soil Health Mini School, Deerfield, MA. 15/15
- Corcoran, S.G. (2025) Landscape Fill Soil: Case Studies with Excessive Organic Matter. Northeast Coordinating Committee on Soil Testing Annual Meeting, Milford, PA. 20 ASPs/applied scientists
- Corcoran, S.G. (2025) Soil Quality in Landscape Design: Problem Prevention, Diagnosis, Management, and When to Start Over. Guest lecture, Conway School of Landscape Design, 25 individuals who reasonably have the potential to function as an ASP at some level on future design projects
5 farm visits on Martha’s Vineyard, one on one sessions with farmers. Visited with 12 individual farmers and farm decision makers
Uncountable conversations/consultations with farmers, homesteaders, and researchers on soil OM and implications on soil testing and nutrient value interpretation! Estimate 15/15 conservatively
Milestone activities and participation summary
Educational activities:
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes
Target #1
100
optimized fertility testing, fertility applications, materials use
500 raised beds and 50 acres of high organic matter fields
navigate threats to operations and/or strengthen local networks.
20
soil analyses and mineral or organic material inputs
40 raised beds
plants growing better (yield, higher chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate), higher yield, more organic matter, and higher microbial biomass than untreated plots
We use workshop surveys, such as a Survey of Current Practices. We are currently in process with our experiments and will perform more outreach, using these verification tools, in the coming years.
Additional Project Outcomes
As a result of this grant, we have emphasized challenges associated with high OM with growers and ASPs. Clearly we knew there was a need to be addressed when applying for the grant. But, the more work we do, the more we realize how much this work is needed. Many people report that this is the first they have ever heard that there is such a thing as “too much OM”. Many report that they could not understand why their soils were not performing well so they added more OM, making the problem worse. ASPs have reported that they can now recognize signs of problems based on the challenges farmers described and based on soil test results that previously were hard to diagnose.
“Compost isn’t soil? Are you kidding me? This is going to change things for a lot of people” (a vegetable farmer from western Massachusetts).