“No-till” is Catching on! Take the Lasagna Challenge!
We are very inspired to see that “no-till” farming methods are beginning to catch on. It is a hugely important change that needs to take hold on modern farms to protect soil health and improve plant performance. That is why we were excited to spot this article in AgriNews recently: “Soil Health more important to Farms than Nutrients.”
While we know that adding nutrients can be an important part of overall soil health, it is wonderful to see farmers recognizing that the REAL key to healthy crops is not to dump a few major nutrients on the soil, till it in and call it a day. It is much more valuable to cultivate rich, complex, living soil that sustains plants for years to come. According to the article, farmers are beginning to realize that they are not getting the return they expect on the investment of fertilizers. Their plants do ok but the soil becomes more and more depleted and salt-laden as the years go on. The very land they depend on becomes infertile and difficult to plant in unless they make changes. “With the vast improvements in herbicide and herbicide tolerance in corn, improved planting equipment and farm technology has come the recognition of the destruction of soil due to abrasive field practices that were encouraged for many years.” People are realizing that it is time to build the soil. Tilling destroys the very microbial communities that work to protect and feed plants while increasing disease-resistance and yield. By aggressively turning the soil constantly, you break up the important complex soil food web that resides in the soil. The soil life is the key to healthy plant growth and food production. We must cultivate it by adding in important organic matter, like humus, and live microbes as well as food and attractants for microbes. The John and Bob’s system is the perfect solution to the tilling and fertilizer cycle that has become so dissatisfactory and ineffective. Our 4 products build and nourish the soil, adding in live microbes as well as their food and enough nutrients to feed plants while the soil rebuilds.
