As we all know, we are a sustainably conscious farm and we utilize many practices such as composting, close plant spacing, drip irrigation and double dig to maintain to balance our inputs and outputs. Sustainable Agriculture is a science, and our farm is an experiment. As we work on the farm we try to improve our methods to change both our environment and our yield; in essence we are trying to find a balance with nature. California farms are the forefront of this research, and the Marin Carbon Project is a prime example. In the duration of their four year study, results show that a "one time" application of compost caused an increase in plant productivity. The soil also experienced an annual growth in carbon content over the duration of the study. This rate was almost equivalent to removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, about 1.5 metric tons per acre respectively. Our farm, although on a smaller scale, is not only using land to sustainably grow food, but is providing an opportunity for our community to reduce the effect of global emissions. Our composting kills two birds with one stone and provides as a reminder of the many indirect benefits of sustainable practices.
Julian C
No comments:
Post a Comment