Towards Healthy Soil

At Serenity Farm, we strive to farm in imitation of nature. Our ground was farmed conventionally for decades before us, causing great harm. We are working diligently to heal the soil, following cues from nature such as keeping the ground covered at all times with mulches or cover crops. To us, it is not enough to merely avoid pesticides, herbicides, and other harmful chemicals. We seek to farm in such a way as to increase the fertility of the soil, improve the health of the plants we grow and animals we steward, and in turn improve the health of those who eat our food.

Minimal Tillage

In recent years, no-till farming has become common in the large agricultural production of grain crops. However, such farming has also massively increased the use of genetically-modified crops, pesticides, and herbicides. The health effects of such usage are beginning to manifest themselves in the epidemic increase in diseases many are experiencing. We are seeking to work towards a minimal tillage system of gardening and farming that not only preserves the natural structure of the soil and increases biological soil life, but also uses no harmful chemicals. We use minimal tillage on garden beds to preserve and increase topsoil, as well as preserve water in the soil. We only till what needs to be tilled. We also reduce top soil erosion by using various forms of mulch.

Cover Crops

In our produce beds, we use several different cover crops to preserve and increase fertility. A cover crop is a crop that is planted, not for harvesting, but for its ability to produce both biomass and other nutrients in the beds. Certain crops, such as buckwheat, provide a heavy cover through which one can plant one’s vegetable seeds or seedlings; buckwheat also provides soluble phosphorus for future plantings. Legumes and clovers fix nitrogen into the soil for future crops to utilize. These cover crops are often planted in beds set aside in a crop rotation, or they are planted following the harvest of a vegetable crop. These cover crops are essential in our efforts to increase soil fertility in our soils and in holding the topsoil in place.

Crop Rotation

A pivotal aspect of disease prevention in organic farming is the utilization of a crop rotation. This rotation can be as short as four years or as long as ten years. This rotation assures that no single crop will be planted in the same location in consecutive years. The longer the rotation, the longer the time between like-plantings in an individual bed. We utilize several rotations on our farm, and we also utilize beds that are devoted entirely to growing cover crops.

Compost, Manure & Animals

We utilize compost, manure, and animals to increase fertility on our land. Compost is made using garden scraps, leaves, and grass clippings from our own land. Manure from rabbits is used directly on the beds, and manure from other animal sources is composted and added to the beds as well. Worm castings are used liberally to improve the vitality of seedlings and reduce transplant shock. We also use chickens and rabbits directly on our garden beds between crops to increase fertility, decrease bugs, eat weed seeds, and to shallowly mix mulch.