Plants feed the microbes and fungi in the soil. Sharing some of their hard work of photosynthesis in return of protection. Some microbes can be detrimental to the root systems. The plants fight this by feeding other microbes and fungi that will act as predators. Creating their own diverse ecosystem just around their roots. Helping break down minerals and nutrients into plant accessible forms.

Keeping The Soil Planted

Soil is not just dirt, it is a living, breathing ecosystem. You could call it its own organism. Disturbance such as, tillage, can reap havoc on what is beneath your feet. Microbes, fungi, organic matter, plus the right amount of air and water, all these things tremendously improve soil health and in turn improve crop resilience and quality.

Leave The Soil Be

Feed the soil, not the plant, and the plant with thrive

Long Term Soil Health

The soil remembers everything you do to it-treat it with care and it will repay you a hundredfold

Organic matter is the foundation of a healthy soil. As the bottom of the food chain it is the start to growing a healthy soil. Leaving roots in the ground to rot and decay, as well as layering a variety of mulches, such as straw or leaves, improve water retention and aeration.

Organic matter

If there is no plant feeding the soil, the soil is feeding on itself

Weeds are usually dealt with in a tillage strategy, well, through the act of tilling. With no tillage happening how do we deal with weeds? The variety of mulches you use can suppress weed growth. As well as keeping your crops densely planted can make it hard for weeds to compete. Hand pull and gentle cultivation will be needed

Weed Management

Cover crops are good for preventing erosion, nitrogen fixation (with legumes), and giving you a huge addition of organic matter. Rotation your cash crops with your cover crops can create a well balanced ecosystem that works with the ecosystem below.

Cover Cropping & Soil Fertility

Healthy soil is a partnership between the grower and the microbes

The Living Soil Handbook redefines farming by treating soil as a living ecosystem. It promotes no-till practices, minimal disturbance, and building organic matter. By fostering biodiversity and soil life, farmers can grow resilient crops, reduce inputs, and create sustainable, thriving systems.

Principles and farm-tested practices for no-till market gardening--for healthier, more productive soil! From the host of the popular The No-Till Market Garden Podcast—heard around the world with nearly one million downloads! Discovering how to meet the soil’s needs is the key task for every market gardener. In this comprehensive guide, Farmer Jesse Frost shares all he has learned through experience and experimentation with no-till practices on his home farm in Kentucky and from interviews and visits with highly successful market gardeners in his role as host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast. The Living Soil Handbook is centered around the three basic principles of no-till market gardening: <ul> <li>Disturb the soil as little as possible</li> <li>Keep it covered as much as possible</li> <li>Keep it planted as much as possible.</li> </ul> Farmer Jesse then guides readers in applying those principles to their own garden environment, with their own materials, to meet their own goals. Beginning with an exploration of the importance of photosynthesis to living soil, Jesse provides in-depth information on: <ul> <li>Turning over beds</li> <li>Using compost and mulch</li> <li>Path management</li> <li>Incorporating biology, maintaining fertility</li> <li>Cover cropping</li> <li>Diversifying plantings through intercropping</li> <li>Production methods for seven major crops</li> </ul> Throughout, the book emphasizes practical information on all the best tools and practices for growers who want to build their livelihood around maximizing the health of their soil. Farmer Jesse reminds growers that “as possible” is the mantra for protecting the living soil: disturb the soil as little as you possibly can in your context. He does not believe that growers should anguish over what does and does not qualify as “no-till.” If you are using a tool to promote soil life and biology, that’s the goal. Jesse’s goal with The Living Soil Handbook is to provide a comprehensive set of options, materials, and field-tested practices to inspire growers to design a soil-nurturing no-till system in their unique garden or farm ecosystem. "[A] practical, informative debut. . . .Gardeners interested in sustainable agriculture will find this a great place to start."—Publishers Weekly "Frost offers a comprehensive, science-based, sympathetic, wholly practical guide to soil building, that most critical factor in vegetable gardening for market growers and home gardeners alike. A gift to any vegetable plot that will keep on giving."—Booklist (starred review)

JESSE FROST

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