tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post1738599056597773140..comments2024-03-28T14:37:45.575-04:00Comments on 5 Acres & A Dream: Soil Building Experiment #1Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-87264558801588370912018-09-16T20:44:39.146-04:002018-09-16T20:44:39.146-04:00Jean, thank you for asking. :) Our wind and rain w...Jean, thank you for asking. :) Our wind and rain was nowhere near as bad as the forecast, which is a huge relief. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-77631062499192454112018-09-16T15:56:38.479-04:002018-09-16T15:56:38.479-04:00How are you doing with Florence?How are you doing with Florence?Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01353161962198447102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-87654876660053292722018-09-13T06:07:21.306-04:002018-09-13T06:07:21.306-04:00Tina, so good to hear from you! We're on stand...Tina, so good to hear from you! We're on standby as we watch the hurricane's path and they're telling us to expect a lot of wind and rain this weekend. Hopefully it will be nothing more than that!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-40038785982227029292018-09-12T17:53:11.942-04:002018-09-12T17:53:11.942-04:00Thinking about you today - you're not in the p...Thinking about you today - you're not in the path of the Hurricane are you? T.Tina T-Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13054132355737998706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-28834428957700834352018-09-11T20:20:49.964-04:002018-09-11T20:20:49.964-04:00Mike, thanks! A good record is invaluable. I can&#...Mike, thanks! A good record is invaluable. I can't tell you how many times we've come back to blog posts to get dates and details of things we've done. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-31630598209585488732018-09-11T20:02:42.256-04:002018-09-11T20:02:42.256-04:00This is so interesting. I will surely follow all u...This is so interesting. I will surely follow all updates as time goes on. Thanks for making the effort to take the photos and posting.Mike Yukonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07615350717597229013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-11789229949657283952018-09-11T06:06:45.557-04:002018-09-11T06:06:45.557-04:00Kathy, exactly! I plan to keep a photo record of o...Kathy, exactly! I plan to keep a photo record of our progress over the years, and am excited to watch it improve as we go along. <br /><br />I read an interesting online article not too long ago (that I wish I'd bookmarked) which made the comment that farmers who are using and promoting diverse cover crop mixes to build soil are "ahead of science." It went on to explain that research methods are limiting in that at best they can evaluate a 2 or 3 specie cover crop mix, but once you get to a mixture of one or two dozen types of seed, the variables become too broad. In one of agronomist Ray Archuleta's videos, he points out that our current scientific method is reductionist in its approach. In terms of control groups, it has to narrow down factors to the nth degree. But the reality is that these natural processes are highly symbiotic and interdependent on many factors. Allan Savory is another one who baffles modern thinking with his intensive use of livestock to regenerate desert into grasslands. Educated people want to argue his methods too, because they don't make sense compared standard recommended livestock practice. Yet he's the one getting results and they aren't. I think Masanobu Fukuoka said it best - that science cannot really know anything. It's so much better to simply be a part of the natural process and enjoy the results, than to try and make it conform to our own economic goals. <br /><br />Chris, yes, we do get snow! Usually one snowfall for the winter, but some years we get none. Our winters can go either way: mild enough for cool season crops to be green all winter, or cold enough to kill everything off or at least make it go dormant. Either way, that current cover crop is all annuals and only meant for a season. If the cold doesn't kill it, we will either mow it down when it's time for spring planting, or even better, put up our electric netting and let the goats graze it down and then finish it off with the mower. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-39537856037215205702018-09-11T01:08:43.755-04:002018-09-11T01:08:43.755-04:00An exciting project to see progress. I have to say...An exciting project to see progress. I have to say, those cover crops look way better as a ground cover, than the grass did. Will you mow them down, next spring, or will the snow kill them off, for you? Do you even get snow, where you live?Chris https://www.blogger.com/profile/13715819899708384147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-78799933592164063842018-09-10T23:49:33.228-04:002018-09-10T23:49:33.228-04:00HA! I disagree with "nothing you can do abou...HA! I disagree with "nothing you can do about it." At the very least, what you're doing will loosen the soil you have and create new top soil. Just a matter of how long it takes. I'd be interested to see your soil samples in same spots in 2-3 years! Your apple tree is proof things are improving already.Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15546089573271029499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-60031779751415524192018-09-10T19:58:22.131-04:002018-09-10T19:58:22.131-04:00Ed, well, both soils are biologically dead. Our ad...Ed, well, both soils are biologically dead. Our advantage is that ours aren't radioactive! Unfortunately most folks, including the university and cooperative extension experts pretty much say this is it and there's nothing we can do about it. After watching those Gabe Brown videos, however, I think there's a lot we can do to improve it. Really hoping our experiments this year are steps in that direction. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-18942921175891401152018-09-10T08:46:31.651-04:002018-09-10T08:46:31.651-04:00Living in the part of the country where the soil i...Living in the part of the country where the soil is black and "cottage cheese" in nature, I have to say your soil looks like something I might expect near Chernobyl! I never get used to it when visiting my brother down south. I hope your efforts work well. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-50437493027714276382018-09-09T20:19:25.270-04:002018-09-09T20:19:25.270-04:00Jean, this is becoming a wonderful learning experi...Jean, this is becoming a wonderful learning experience. So many things I never knew about soil and so far it is much easier. Results will be the real test, but I feel pretty good they will be good ones. <br /><br />Kev, you are so fortunate to have good soil! But you are so wise to not take it for granted. Active soil building is a resource for now and the future too. <br /><br />Lynda! So good to hear from you. I've visited your blog on occasion and thought you'd given it up altogether. But sometimes life is just like that. Getting the right resources is always a challenge. Can you keep rabbits or pigeons?Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-21754893256287181442018-09-09T20:18:19.415-04:002018-09-09T20:18:19.415-04:00The soil is the life blood of growing things; you&...The soil is the life blood of growing things; you're doing well.Thistle Cove Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15722295191884810953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-83322130310592531112018-09-09T18:45:05.662-04:002018-09-09T18:45:05.662-04:00Hello Leigh, just wanted to drop a line and say h...Hello Leigh, just wanted to drop a line and say hello. I've been offline for quite a while but i do drop in from time to time (while stuffing food into my face at lunchtime at work). I do intend to start writing again but i have a major project to finish first (mystery?). Your posts on soil are very interesting and informative and i look forward to watching the progress. I wish i had a poo source other than having to buy it (very processed). Some good poo (i like cow pats) are hard to find in a city of 4 million. Cheers, Lynda (Living in the Land of Oz). <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12605358521258969537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-15395517918200559992018-09-09T16:28:37.895-04:002018-09-09T16:28:37.895-04:00Great job. I've been running my chickens throu...Great job. I've been running my chickens through the orchard in tractors to help buidl the soil, but in truth our soil is deep already and most things will grow like crazy. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-7990786702960308182018-09-09T09:45:16.260-04:002018-09-09T09:45:16.260-04:00Very interesting - will be interesting to folow th...Very interesting - will be interesting to folow this along -- glad to see new growth on the apple tree!Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01353161962198447102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-57512793135334082092018-09-09T08:50:08.276-04:002018-09-09T08:50:08.276-04:00Kathy, that's the exact opposite of what the B...Kathy, that's the exact opposite of what the Back To Eden gardening people say, LOL. I have seen some areas where the power companies use herbicides to control vegetation near power lines. If that was the case, we wouldn't have asked. <br /><br />Valerie! How nice to hear from you! You took your fiber blog down? I've heard fo Sally Fox but had no idea about growing cotton to add soil carbon. Thanks so much for the link!<br /><br />TB, thanks! I'll be interested in the results too, LOL<br /><br />Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-36295944783243059992018-09-09T08:39:16.428-04:002018-09-09T08:39:16.428-04:00Thanks for sharing Leigh. I will be interested in...Thanks for sharing Leigh. I will be interested in seeing the results as well.<br /><br />Toirdhealbheach Beucailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872794169534403463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-37097868008279136372018-09-09T08:37:09.007-04:002018-09-09T08:37:09.007-04:00Hi Leigh, still following you from your weaving d...Hi Leigh, still following you from your weaving days. Thought you might find this Sally Fox (the colored cotton lady) article interesting. https://civileats.com/2018/08/30/mee-the-fanatic-breeding-colored-cotton-growing-heirloom-wheat-and-building-soil-carbon/<br /><br />She talks a little bit about building soil carbon.Valeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16226371437929271405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-25383686291842691222018-09-09T08:21:45.614-04:002018-09-09T08:21:45.614-04:00Be cautious about getting anything from tree trimm...Be cautious about getting anything from tree trimmers where you don't know the trees of origin. Some people (or cities) spray trees with things you may not want in your garden or mulch. You could also potentially wind up with wood/leaves that are toxic to gardens. Best to ask what type of wood/leaf they trimmed before accepting delivery.<br /><br />Appreciate all the info on carbon and documenting your process! Makes me think differently about how to proceed with my own gardening. Thanks!Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15546089573271029499noreply@blogger.com