Soil Health 3-Ways – July Session
July 25 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Under the tutelage of CT NOFA Soil Health Program Manager, Monique Bosch, Soil Health 3-Ways participants will attend three virtual sessions (via Zoom) that cover the three main properties of soil – physical, chemical, and biological – in the lead-up to an in-person, practical application session. This 4-course series 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 courses (descriptions, dates, and times detailed below). Zoom links for the virtual courses will be provided after registration. Attendance is limited to 22 participants.
Course Details
Physical Properties (virtual) – July 9th, 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. You will learn what texture and structure you are working with, how water moves through soil, as well as how our soils change within different horizon layers. This course 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) – July 16th, 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) – July 23rd, 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 @ The Hickories Farm) – July 25th, 1:00pm-4:00pm
The course series will conclude with an in-person, practical application meeting at The Hickories Farm in Ridgefield, CT, putting to use many of the skills and topics we have covered in the previous virtual sessions. We will demonstrate methods to determine physical properties, as well as chemical analysis, using an ‘at-home’ soil test. This interactive session promises to offer valuable tools and information that you can use back in the field.
Cost
This course is free for all participants thanks to grant funding through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program.