Soil Health 3-Ways – September Session

Under the tutelage of CT NOFA Soil Health Program Manager, Monique Bosch, Soil Health 3-Ways participants will attend three virtual classes (via Zoom) that cover the three main properties of soil – physical, chemical, and biological – in the lead-up to an in-person, practical application class. This 4-class course is intended for both commercial farmers and home gardeners to help them work with nature to produce healthy plants and nutrient-dense food.

A single registration for this event includes access to all four classes in the course (descriptions, dates, and times detailed below). Zoom links for the virtual classes will be provided after registration. Attendance is limited to 22 participants.

Class Details

Physical Properties (virtual) – September 10th, 6:00pm-7:30pm

You will learn to interpret what type of soil and conditions you are working with, using simple tools and methods. We will explore management practices for best structure, texture, and tilth. Understanding the physical properties of soil will help with many aspects of soil health that are often ignored. Rather than relying just on a chemical soil test, physical testing will give us a better understanding of the actual make-up of our soils. This class will give you the ability to use simple tools to perform physical tests on soil to determine compaction, soil texture, structure and permeability.

Chemical Properties (virtual) – September 17th, 6:00pm-7:30pm

We will learn how to interpret a chemical soil test, analyzing macro and micro-nutrients, pH, Cation Exchange Capacity and Organic Matter content, and how these values affect our soil’s ability to grow healthy plants and nutritious food. Using regenerative farming methods, we will address issues of nutrient deficiency, chemical imbalance, and excesses.

Biological Properties (virtual) – September 24th, 6:00pm-7:30pm

We will study the ‘Soil Food Web,’ learning about the living organisms in our soil, from the visible to the microscopic. Using a microscope, we will zoom in to study the microbial communities that live in our soils and compost. With an understanding of the complex trophic structure of life in our soils, we can determine aggregate structure, fungal/bacterial ratios, as well as nutrient cycling, all influenced by our soil management practices, as well as the chemical and physical make-up of our soils.

Practical Application (In-Person @ Assawaga Farm) – September 26th, 1:00pm-4:00pm

The course will conclude with an in-person, practical application meeting at Assawaga Farm in Putnam, CT, putting to use many of the skills and topics we have covered in the previous virtual sessions. We will perform physical testing of soil, including methods that you can apply to your own land or garden. To help determine the life in soil, we will have microscopes on-hand to study various soil/compost samples. Together, we will explore how we can work with nature to create healthy, living soil.

Cost

This course is free for all participants thanks to grant funding through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program.

Click here to register for this course