Project Overview
Commodities
- Agronomic: corn, soybeans
Practices
- Pest Management: compost extracts
- Soil Management: composting, soil microbiology, soil quality/health
Summary:
Soil health is one of the largest issues in the world today. Our soil is depleted and poisoned and this is largely due to our agricultural practices. Being a farmer in southern Minnesota I have experienced the very limited options for fertilizer and soil amendments. Most of these options are synthetic and shipped in from far away places. Synthetic fertilizers are destroying the microorganisms in the soil which are essential for growing healthy crops. In addition, there are significant environmental destruction factors from the production of synthetic fertilizers. In order to address this huge problem we need to create local systems that produce the inputs needed for large scale agriculture. The process of making our own organic inputs will strengthen the community all while rebuilding the health and diversity of our soils. This project will be a template for communities all over to take a huge step towards environmental regeneration and self sufficiency.
This research project was conducted on 4 plots; field corn, soybeans, vegetable garden and orchard were the different plots observed. In early May we did the first soil assessment on all of the plots to have a starting point and we found that all of the plots had zero to very little of the protozoan, fungi, and nematode groups and were very bacterial dominant. In this state the land is selecting for weeds to grow, the fungal to bacterial ratio needs to be at least 1:1 to grow row crops and 12:1 to grow deciduous trees like our orchard plot.
After our initial assessment we sprayed all plots with a bio complete compost extract every two weeks and did soil assessments once a month through out the growing season. Our findings showed an increase in microorganism population and diversity with even just the first spray. As the season went on the density did go down we think due to less moisture in the system through July and August, but there were still microorganisms present. Even though the soil is not at a fungal to bacterial ratio of 1:1 (which is what row crops require) our results are still a huge improvement because now that the micro organisms are at least present, they will be able to reproduce and grow in population.
This winter we are working on retrofitting a sprayer with a diaphragm pump so that we can deliver the biologicals without damage on a large scale. We already have created enough bio complete compost for the season to cover all of our gardens and all of our 400 acres we are farming. Also, we have 3 neighbor farmers that are interested in getting the microorganisms on their fields to increase yields and deal with the root worm problems they have been experiencing in the last couple years. All of these outcomes are bringing us closer to accomplishing our solution of moving away from chemical farming which leads us to success for our farm and our community.
Project objectives:
- Establish a systematic way to produce local sustainable agricultural inputs.
- Share findings and bring awareness through field days and educational gatherings.
- Create community around soil health and environmental stewardship.
1. We were able to learn how to create bio complete compost out of local ingredients. The recipe we found that worked best for the thermophilic compost was made of 50% pollinator bale (we have a pollinator plot that we baled, a lot of small stick material) 30% fresh grass clippings 10% horse manure (no de wormer) and 10% corn seed. We also experimented with creating a spin off JohnsonSu vermicompost and found that this style forms a very high fungal mass compost which is what we are wanting most with what our soil is lacking. We then took this compost and brewed in a 1,000 gallon tank for 1-2 hours, bubbling air through the compost tea bag submerged in the water to make "compost extract" - this is best for soil drenches. When we add foods like humic acid and kelp and brew for 24 hours, this become "compost tea", which is best for foliar applications.
Here is a picture of our brew tank set up.
This is the air pump that pushes air through the compost to rip the micro organisms off into the solution.
2. June 24th we had a great field day at the farm. We gave a tour, demonstrations, and discussions on regenerative agriculture and health. We now offer soil assessments to other farmers and gardeners, as well as offering our biological amendments and application. Along with offering education and support on how to transform dirt back into soil.
3. We have gained interest from neighboring farmers who are beginning to dig a little deeper into soil health and restoring their farms. They are excited to learn and try new things. So, the future looks bright on transforming our community farms as time goes on and we continue to create an example of how to transition to regenerative farming.