No-till vegetable beds of tomatoes and lettuces , with living pathways of clover , have been well amended with organic compost .
incredible biology that can repair damaged soil . The waste from microbes breaking down organic matter is what feeds plants . Plants are not able to directly consume a mineral or nutrient they encounter in the soil ; they let the microbes do the work for them .
The root systems of fungal colonies , called mycelium , also play a essential role in soil health and vitality . They send electrical signals and other important messages all through the network of plant roots , symbiotically exchanging nutrients , minerals , and water and other key environmental information . The mycelium network informs plants about upcoming stressors , and assists them in up taking certain nutrients at key points of their growth with symbiotic root enzyme relationships . Without a well established fungal network in the soil , it is impossible for plants to fend off pests and disease .
Unfortunately , herbicides and heavy tillage disrupt the mycelial web by physically pulverizing ( or poisoning ) the top few inches of soil . This exposes sunlight and air to layers of the soil that are meant to stay dark and moist . Imagine being a worm or mushroom : all of a sudden your home is flipped upside down and shredded by massive rotating metal blades . When soil is tilled , it settles back down and compacts after a rainfall , over time creating very limited breathability in the soil . This can lead to challenging water management and a deficient diversity of microbes often leading to increased pressure from disease .
We can all do something
One simple first step is to look at how we our utilize food “ waste ” which can be turned into one of the most valuable agricultural resources on the planet : compost .
For farms to move towards truly regenerative soil systems , they need a lot of compost . Compost is created by combining food scraps and “ green ” waste , like grass clippings , with wood chips and other carbon-rich “ brown ” materials . Aged over time with the assistance of microbes , compost becomes a highly diverse bank of
Composting is an easy , empowering step towards soil health and long resilient food systems that anyone , and everyone , can take into their daily life . The basic idea is to collect your kitchen scraps from fruits , vegetables and coffee grounds and mix them with carbon sources like leaves or wood chips . You then allow the mixture to age outdoors , over time , in a rodentproof area with occasional hand turning for aeration . When you start to see the raw ingredients turn into a rich , dark organic mat-
12 wander I spring • summer 2023