4 Easy Ways to Achieve a Healthy Soil

You have expressed the desire to learn more about growing, to be more "hands on" in your yard and to garden with confidence. 

As a pasture based operation, great soil is absolutely vital to what we do. Unlike conventional, factory farms where pigs are on concrete or metal floors, our pigs live in and eat fresh pasture and root in the soil. Our chickens are not denied access to sunlight and fresh grass, nor are they breathing in toxic ammonia and fecal-laden air.

So, whether it's for our animals, our veggie garden, or the fruit tree orchard, without a healthy soil, you don't get healthy food. 

It's more than "you are what you eat," rather it's,
"you are what your food eats." 

Here's our top 4 healthy soil tips for you at home:

1.  Let the dandelions live. Dandelions are the first food in the spring for bees, before there is the big surge of mid-summer flower blooms. A healthy soil is the opposite of sterile. Bees are necessary pollinators that enable food growth. It's reported that they're responsible for every 1 out of 3 bites of food!

2. Compost. Your compost pile can be as big or as small as you'd like, and when done properly, it DOES NOT SMELL. Come to the farm, I promise you. 

3. Plant perennials. Because they remain in the soil year after year, the roots aerate the soil and channel water, helping the microorganisms to survive. Perennials also bloom in a wider time range than annuals,  so you can enjoy your blooms far beyond the summer surge. Plus, I don't have time to be planting flowers every year! 

4. Use dye-free mulch and put down a thick layer of it, ideally 4-6 inches. Not only is dye-free mulch safe for the kids and pets, it composts slowly over the years, building your soil. By laying down a thick layer, it blocks out the sunlight, preventing weeds, and saving you precious time. 

We hope you can find joy in the dirty messes!

Much love,
Joel & Megan