Step 1
Ensure physical impediments are addressed such as compaction, aeration and drainage
Grow your soil. The crops will follow.
According to the Sustainable Food Trust, “Most current food production methods do not nurture the soil. Instead they exploit it, as if it were an infinite resource. As a result, 52% of all soils globally are now classified as degraded – a process which ultimately turns 30 million acres of food producing land into desert every year.”
Soil health has a direct impact on the quality of our food, air and water, as well as the profitability of our farms. Our ability to feed future generations is dependent on healthy, living soil. But we are losing ground… Soil is a living resource that is currently being depleted faster than it’s being replenished. In fact, the United Nations estimates that a third of the planet’s land is severely degraded and fertile soil is being lost at the rate of 24bn tonnes a year.
Furthermore, soil degradation creates a vicious cycle, in which less carbon is stored underground (more released to atmosphere), accelerating the effects of global warming.
Learn how you can restore soil health and help reverse the trend of soil degradation.
Focus on soil health.
Microbes are at the heart of soil health. They stimulate seed germination and strong root growth by digesting organic matter and making the nutrients more available to plants. Deprived of critical microbes, soils become sterile and lifeless. More living organisms in your soil results in better soil structure and plant growth, and slower water movement through the soil, which increases water retention and reduces erosion.
Healthy microbial life in soils results in:
- Improved crop yields
- Higher levels of organic matter
- Higher Brix levels for more “energy” and better taste in the plant
- Improved soil aeration and drainage, drought resistance
- Improved tolerance to stress such as heat, frost and insect disease
- Decreased nutrient leaching
- Improvements in nutrient density of foods
Steps to Develop a Healthy Soil Biology
