Our week in Sustainable Agriculture has been centered on our soil at the FARM and its sustainability. To begin we took notes on water, soil, and compost to learn different irrigation methods and how to classify soil. We then watched a documentary called "Symphony of the Soil," to clarify the importance, abundance, and classifications of soil. Soil testing, we learned through a Youtube video and the documentary, can be done by a squeeze test and/or by testing the chemical pH balance and nutrients. When we got to work on the farm, we were able to get hands on experience with both of these methods. My group was assigned to test the pH of the soil, and we did so by filling a test chamber with our soil, water, and a green capsule mix. After it settled, we compared to the color of the soil to a pH chart, and got a 6.75 pH. During this time, other groups were sampling the amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Through calculations we found out that our soil was a little depleted of nitrogen. To fix this we added about half a pound of Alfalfa meal (3 handfuls), a handful of bone meal, and a handful of epsom salt to retain water. We stirred these organic materials and carefully spread the mixture across our beds.
Every time we add something or take away something, we affect the sustainability of our farm because we are trying to minimize inputs while maximizing output. However, these were purposeful inputs to amend our soil and therefore have a healthier farm.
-Jenny Green
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