Living Sustainably

Most farmsteads are begun by people with a deep desire to connect with the land. Living sustainably has a very diverse definition to a very diverse following of people. When we talk about living sustainably, we are generally speaking of living in a manner that utilizes methods in harmony with nature, having the least impact on the environment, and maximizing stewardship of the land. Living sustainably is a lifestyle with no set rules. You can’t do it wrong.

Many of you who are reading this have already taken the first steps toward living more sustainably. Whether you grew up with this lifestyle or you’re a newbie, you know there’s a learning curve to creating a farmstead based on sustainable methods in harmony with nature. This learning curve never

ends, but with time and experience you will begin to flatten that curve and become more efficient each year. The most desirable method to help mitigate this learning curve is to form personal and business relationships with others who can provide perspective on the challenges on your farmstead. There will likely be others in your area who are living on their own farmstead, going through the same learning process you are. Seek out those people on social media to co-op with and to share lessons learned.

With all the hustle and bustle of life, it seems one of the most difficult aspects of living sustainably is having the time to complete the many tasks inherent in this lifestyle. Our equipment here at Tractor Tools Direct is tailored to small farms and will help you maximize the time and money you spend on your farm. The team here at Tractor Tools Direct have been long time advocates of small farm steading. Our company was founded by Pat and Marti Goodwin who needed equipment for their farm that was compatible with a compact tractor.

Another very valuable resource is your state agricultural extension office. These offices have an endless array of resources and information related to agricultural production as well as connections with groups and organizations related to farm steading and small farms in your area. Here is a link you can use to connect with the agricultural extension office in your state.

For most, this way of living includes growing your own food, either for your own consumption or to sell as a cash crop–be it fruits and vegetables or hay for livestock. One of the most important factors in this is the soil in which your crop is grown. Food grown on healthy soil via responsible farming practices yields healthy food. The following is an overview of topsoil and what we can do to promote the good health of our topsoil in a traditional garden plot, multi acre field or pastures.

Our soil has developed very slowly over a very long period of time, and its formation results from natural and environmental forces acting on mineral, rock, and organic matter. Soil depth can range from several inches to several feet in depth and is naturally arranged into strata layers scientifically referred to as horizons. The top layer, topsoil, is the focus of this discussion. This layer usually ranges in depth from 4”to 10” and has a composition of:

• approximately 45% inorganic mineral matter. This is the base ingredient of soil made up over millions of years by naturally occurring forces.
• approximately 50% air and water
• approximately 5% of soil is organic matter, called humus, is made up of microorganisms (dead and alive), and plants in varying stages of decay.

We can do very little to affect any change of the inorganic mineral matter of our soil. Therefore, it is beneficial to know the type of soil you have–sandy, clay, loam, etc. Your local agricultural extension office can answer your questions about soil type. What we are most concerned with is the fertility of this topsoil; most importantly, what we can do to manipulate soil composition to have the most fertile topsoil possible. Soil fertility is the ability of soil to sustain plant growth by providing essential plant nutrients and favorable physical, chemical, and biological characteristics as a habitat for plant growth.

Soil fertility is a direct result of soil health. Just like our own bodies, everything we do to or put into our soil affects the health of our soil. So, just like our bodies, there are a couple of things we need to do to build and maintain healthy, fertile soil. First, we have to feed our soil. This is best accomplished by practicing regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture is based on various agricultural and ecological practices with a particular emphasis on minimal soil disturbance and the practice of composting. This is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to growing. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing soil biodiversity, improving the water cycle, and improving the overall health and vitality of the soil.

Regenerative agriculture is not a specific practice itself; like living a sustainable lifestyle, you can't do it wrong. This is achieved by practicing a variety of sustainable techniques in combination. Regenerative agriculture includes recycling as much farm waste as possible and adding composted material from sources outside of your farmstead. An example is the mix of livestock manure and hay procured from a farmer when they are cleaning up areas where they fed their livestock. Late fall or winter is the best time for this. Spread it in a layer 1” - 2” thick on vegetable production areas and leave it untouched until you are preparing the planting beds in the spring. Be sure to leave a time frame of 1 to 2 months from the time you spread the manure until your anticipated planting time. Spreading this on your hay fields is very beneficial as well.

I have always sworn by animal manure as being the best natural soil amendment. However, whether you use cow, horse, chicken or any other manure, it’s best to know the farmer where you are getting the manure from and ask them if the hay field or pasture land was treated with broadleaf herbicide. If it was treated, do not use it on your vegetable production areas or hay fields with broadleaf hay crops such as clover and alfalfa. The herbicide binds strongly to plant material which when consumed by livestock as silage, hay or haylage, can pass through the animals without breaking down. Manure from animals fed on treated grass contains chemical residues sufficient to damage susceptible crops such as tomatoes, beans and most other vegetables as well as hay fields. The active ingredient responsible for most of the damage is aminopyralid. Clopyralid, found in lawn weedkillers as well as some agricultural products can also give similar negative results.

As the health of your soil improves, required fertilizer inputs will decrease and your crop yields will increase. The soil will be more resilient against extreme weather and harbor fewer pests and pathogens. Sequestration of carbon will greatly increase brought on by the composting action inherent in regenerative agricultural practices. This helps to retain valuable available nitrogen in the soil. Along with decreasing carbon emissions, carbon sequestration practices are gaining popularity in all aspects of agriculture to not only lower costly inputs but to help mitigate climate change.

So, you’re now practicing some level of regenerative agricultural methods that are feasible on your farmstead, but you’re still not sure what else you need to do for optimum soil health. The only way to have accurate information to know what inputs are needed is to have your soil tested. By analyzing the soil texture, structure, and nutrient content, you can make informed decisions about crop and pasture management practices such as fertilization and soil amendments. Your agricultural extension office can assist you with soil testing. Representatives from this office can either complete soil testing or direct you to some other entity that will complete the soil testing.

Accurate soil testing is an integral part of healthy productive soil. Just adding more fertilizer will not offer you optimum growing conditions. The results of soil testing can reveal nutrient levels, nutrient deficiencies, or excess nutrients in the soil, allowing you to make informed decisions about fertilizer applications and other soil management practices. Knowing the chemical makeup and pH of your soil will tell you what inputs are needed for optimum growing conditions for any crop. Correcting the pH of your soil is as important as correcting fertilizer inputs. The pH levels can affect nutrient uptake, plant productivity, and crop growth. Testing soil acidity provides recommendations on lime applications to raise pH when needed.

Healthy plants need healthy soil. A good healthy soil has sufficient air, water, minerals, and organic material to promote and sustain plant life. And believe it or not, tilling, especially over-tilling, all but destroys great soil. Many think that loose, tiny, fragmented soil left behind after a couple of deep tillage passes is a good thing. In reality, it is detrimental to your soil and the long-term health and productivity of your plants. As the tines of a tillage tool plow through the soil, the natural state of the soil's structure is compromised.

Undisturbed soil is alive and filled with organic matter. It is loaded with bacteria, nutrients, and millions of microorganisms that are working hard to give life to the soil. In addition, worms and other ground dwellers have created channels as they move through the soil. These channels help to bring oxygen and water into the ground below, making it easy for plants to find the nutrients they need to thrive. Left alone, it is full of life. But as soon as the tines go through the soil, that natural harmony is broken apart. Making matters worse, the loose soil left behind compacts easily and can suffocate roots. And as the soil compresses, the channels and air pockets disappear. In turn, it makes it hard for the roots of the plants to get the nutrients they need.

The use of a vertical tillage tool called a power harrow is very highly recommended. Research has shown that this tool has many advantages over a rotary tiller. The power harrow has multiple sets of tines that rotate on a vertical axis for complete horizontal tilling of the soil. It works the soil by stirring it instead of mixing. This maintains the profile of the topsoil leaving the upper layer, which is mostly humus, in the upper portion of the soil profile where it is most beneficial for plant growth.

Unlike a rotary tiller, the power harrow does not invert the lower layers of soil. The tilling depth is much easier to control with the power harrow than with a rotary tiller. This is very important for seed bed preparation when you only need the soil tilled to a depth of 1” to 2”. This prevents dormant weed seeds from being brought to the surface and leaves the soil with its original composition.

Here at Tractor Tools Direct, we offer our customers high-quality equipment tailored to their farm steading lifestyle–equipment that is designed for small-acreage production of hay for your animals, production of vegetables and fruit, and maintaining your acreage. I hope this article helps to flatten the learning curve on your farmstead and encourages you to continue your farmstead journey.