# Re-storing soil health



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I found this article interesting though I would post here (you will find it also attached to another post).

http://www.agweb.com/farmjournal/article/restoring-soil-health-takes-time-naa-darrell-smith/?print=y

Larry


----------



## 2ndWindfarm (Nov 11, 2014)

Very interesting read. Thanks for posting. I'm considering a rent agreement with a neighbor on a 7 acre field that was stripped of most of the top layer of soil and nearly all of the organic matter years ago when they cleared the timber off.

It's been growing weeds and a little bit of timothy in a wetter area of the field for the past 15 years or so. They don't farm it anymore and the last renter quit as the drive to haul his equipment was not cost effective.

I will need to rebuild the soil and increase the organic matter in some fashion or another - that is not cost prohibitive!

On the lookout for information on that subject.


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

2ndWindfarm said:


> Very interesting read. Thanks for posting. I'm considering a rent agreement with a neighbor on a 7 acre field that was stripped of most of the top layer of soil and nearly all of the organic matter years ago when they cleared the timber off.
> 
> It's been growing weeds and a little bit of timothy in a wetter area of the field for the past 15 years or so. They don't farm it anymore and the last renter quit as the drive to haul his equipment was not cost effective.
> 
> ...


Do you have my poultry litter available from local turkey or chicken houses?
Or by some chance, any mushroom growers? I use a lot of mushroom compost with excellent results.
I've even seen (and probably easier) is a sign posted to dump leaves from fall cleanup in the field to create organic matter and get the worms to work in the soils.


----------



## 2ndWindfarm (Nov 11, 2014)

JD3430 said:


> Do you have my poultry litter available from local turkey or chicken houses?
> Or by some chance, any mushroom growers? I use a lot of mushroom compost with excellent results.
> I've even seen (and probably easier) is a sign posted to dump leaves from fall cleanup in the field to create organic matter and get the worms to work in the soils.


There might only be 2-3 thousand chickens in the whole state... And that's at 6-10 chickens per farm. Likely less than a thousand turkeys. No big growers.

Might be a few growers trying their hand with mushrooms - but, it's such a small scale that finding the compost would be a "dark search".

The field is right next to a country road. If I put a sign out there for "cleanup" leaves, etc. - there'd be junk cars and refrigerators within 3 days!

I'm really leaning towards some annual "green" crop fertilizer. Maybe rye grass, buckwheat, etc. Would prefer something that won't re-seed itself and not be a residual weed in the timothy.


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

2ndWindfarm said:


> There might only be 2-3 thousand chickens in the whole state... And that's at 6-10 chickens per farm. Likely less than a thousand turkeys. No big growers.
> 
> Might be a few growers trying their hand with mushrooms - but, it's such a small scale that finding the compost would be a "dark search".
> 
> ...


Maybe you could try the leaves without advertising?

Just let trusted people know who clean up their leaves, to bring them to your field.

A large farm down the road does that with great success.

Just tryin to help!!


----------



## 2ndWindfarm (Nov 11, 2014)

JD3430 said:


> Maybe you could try the leaves without advertising?
> Just let trusted people know who clean up their leaves, to bring them to your field.
> A large farm down the road does that with great success.
> Just tryin to help!!


I realize that.. And I tried to illustrate how different the agricultural playing field is in Aaska compared to the rest of the country.

It is a vastly different situation in Alaska compared to the rest of the nation. Farmers in northern Canada are under the same types of handicaps and market restrictions.

However, I do greatly appreciate the experience and the wisdom that comes from that experience from producers elsewhere in the country.

That's exactly why I'm here... Visiting and trying to glean a bit of that knowledge that might benefit my farm.

Thanks.


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

2ndWindfarm said:


> I realize that.. And I tried to illustrate how different the agricultural playing field is in Aaska compared to the rest of the country.
> It is a vastly different situation in Alaska compared to the rest of the nation. Farmers in northern Canada are under the same types of handicaps and market restrictions.
> However, I do greatly appreciate the experience and the wisdom that comes from that experience from producers elsewhere in the country.
> That's exactly why I'm here... Visiting and trying to glean a bit of that knowledge that might benefit my farm.
> Thanks.


I bet if you're resourceful, you can find something produced in your area, that has a waste product capable of fertilizing your fields that's free.


----------

