From Nothing to Abundant Life
When we started our farm in Mendocino, California, our land was completely uncultivated, covered with invasive weeds called Scotch Broom, and the soil was...weak.
One of the first things we did was send off samples of the dirt to test its nutrients. There was close to ZERO good stuff: no nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, etc. We were able to plant our dahlias in a little garden at our residence while we readied the farm land. The dirt in this garden was rich with nutrients, thanks to the ponies who lived there years ago.
It was lots of work treating our farm's soil. It is a sandy loam soil (in other words, a mixture of sand and silt). Farming with organic practices is important to us and we needed more organic matter in this soil. We added compost, bone meal, lime, feather meal, and we planted cover crop!
Cover crop is probably the best thing we can do for our land. By spreading these seeds (in our case, buckwheat, clover, and purple vetch) we not only build and keep nutrients in the soil, we help the planet! It's a concept embraced by regenerative farmers.
Regenerative farming works with nature by covering the land always so the top soil does not blow or drain away, minimizing disturbance to the soil and all the good bugs that live in it, and working with animals to enrich the soil. When we cover the fields with blankets of vetch and other crops, even during the off season, the plants draw down carbon into the earth.
It's amazing what these pretty little green leaves can do for our planet!
In 2022 we thought ahead and cultivated land that we wouldn't need until 2023. We wanted to get the cover crop planted so the soil would improve. We had a rough start trying to get the crop to grow during the summer, since the soil was in such poor condition and we do not have above-ground sprinklers to assist in cover crop germination. However, it still did the trick! And after our rainy season our soil has much improved. From close to zero on everything, we have wonderful levels of nitrogen, and we saw improvement in magnesium, potassium, and more! Now our dahlias are happily planted in this life-giving soil.
This doesn't mean we will stop amending the soil: we will always monitor the nutrient levels and organic matter, and add compost, bone meal, and other organic ingredients as needed, to keep our soil well-balanced – that's just a part of farming. We are especially proud of our usage of cover crop, and we will continue to spread cover crop over our farm at the end of every season. While we are learning about various organic and “regenerative” farming practices, we are struck by the power of the Creator to take wastelands and fill them brimming with life! This is just one lesson we have been reminded of through farming. We believe just as the Creator can regenerate dirt with nothing in it, He can fill a human heart with purpose, joy, and LIFE.