- Author: Tina Saravia
On our last spring road trip, I encountered something “unusual” on the drive home. We (meaning, I) like meandering around, taking the “road less taken” than what the GPS says is the closest and fastest way home. It's the best way to know the area, in case you get lost next time. We exited Hwy 99 north to 140 West towards I-5. My husband was driving and I was sightseeing. As we got farther from the main highway and there were less and less houses, I started noticing a “beachy” feel that went on for miles.I knew we were nowhere near the coast. We're supposed to be in the middle of farmlands in San Joaquin Valley, yet I was seeing “sand.” I've said before”curiosity kills the doldrums.” - I made that up. So I asked my reluctant driver to stop and pull over so I can inspect this sandy scene.
I stepped-out and was shocked that it was SILT - smaller particles than sand, but larger than clay - the three particles of the soil structure. I discreetly took a sample with an empty cup from the Best Western Plus Inn for further inspection and research. We were traveling in style after being on lockdown for a couple of years.
I started thinking about the food that is being produced from this soil. Was there something that the farmers could have done to avoid losing all the nutrients and organic matter from the soil? The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture work on educating farmers on protecting and improving soil health and productivity. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/topics/soil
I obviously cannot solve the problems of big agricultural land. But I know that I can start preserving and improving the soil in my own backyard, so I can produce more nutrient dense foods, and maybe encourage others to the same. I've been presenting on worm composting for some time now. I converted a couple of people from non-composter into feeding their leftovers to the small, but mighty redworms last summer. Worm compost, a.k.a. Worm poop, is a great nutrient source for your plants and helps with the texture of the soil. https://solanomg.ucanr.edu/Composting/
As we're heading into fall and harvesting our summer produce, we can plant cover crops to hold or contribute to the nutrients in the soil. It also helps to protect the soil from leaching nutrients during the rains, and add organic matter to the soil when chopped in place at the end of winter or beginning of spring. My all-time favorite cover crop is fava beans (Vicia faba) I plant them all over the property as soon as the first rains so I don't have to water them.
There are many other ways that we can protect and Improve our soil - like mulching and adding organic soil amendments.
But I will continue my research and share more. I'm currently researching a novel, and more unusual soil amendment involving mealworms. But I'll save it for next time.