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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] [Fwd: Re: [SANET-MG] Rural News Group Limited - Soil has carbon limit]
  • Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:53:43 -0400

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Rural News Group Limited - Soil has carbon limit
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:45:35 -0400
From: Lawrence F. London, Jr. <lflj@intrex.net>
Organization: Venaura Farm
To: david@h4c.org
CC: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

David wrote:

Jeff, Lawrence, all,

Also, Lawrence, if I recall correctly from our previous conversations, you are dedicated to producing high quality highly nutritious foods from your farm. Your farming methods involve spreading a lot of rock fertilizers, and creating "in-field" raised beds, right?

Right. Rock dusts from quarries, bagged rock fertilizers (phosphate,
aragonite, hi-cal lime, azomite, greensaned),
cow manure, spoiled hay, weeds, crop residues, and rotted sileage. All
growing areas are raised beds only; an intricate
network of them linking water flow from one to another then to catchment
ponds. A herringbone patchwork of
linked fields with parallel rows raised beds. You can see them on Google maps.

That latter process involves fairly intensive tillage, which can reduce earthworm and arthropod populations, but more to the point in this context, increase the release of soil carbon.

That is a calculated loss, however its the only way to create deep, dark,
loose, rich topsoil for the gardens
within a practical timeframe allowing me to profit from this venture from
startup and on an ongoing basis.
The worms and other soil inhabitants will return. This method gives me some
drought resistance for my crops.

Biochar can theoretically redress the balance, but as Jeff implies, there seem to be few if any who are actually producing biochar in agricultural quantities.

I incorporate a lot of OM and carbon into my soil every time I till weeds and
spent crops into the soil.
This has contributed about 40% to overall soil improvement. Winter rye is one
of the best for increasing tilth and
friability and contributing to soil crumb structure.

I will rototill the beds, deep till them with a three shank Yeomans plow,
rototill them again then create the final
raised beds with a 1500 lb. hiller-bedder (4 26" smooth-edge discs, 4 chisel
plow shanks, 2 medium sized subsoilers
mounted on two toolbars, one front with two of the disks and all 4 chisel
shanks and one rear with the remaining 2 disks
and the 2subsoilers - all pulled with a John Deere 3020 70 hp tractor). This
balanced (tractor hp to implement weight
and drag) system is perfectly refined for raised bed market farming. It will
create the tallest, widest, flattest raised
beds with the deepest furrows between them than any other commercial (not
homebrew) equipment I know of that is
available in the USA. It is homebrew only in that the components are customer
specified standard off the shelf parts and
sized and assembled frames that meet customer's specification. I.e., what can
be pulled/lifted with a 70 hp. tractor,
Cat#2 3 point hitch, distance across rear wheels, bed width desired, depth of
tillage and total amount and type of
tillage needed are factors considered when designing such an implement.

I mix quarry rock dust (and any other fertilizers) 50%-50% with manure and
spoiled hay using a skid loader then apply
this using the bucket on the loader directly to the raised beds to be created
or improved. Then the tillage process
described above is carried out. The added water holding capacity and mineral
and macronutrient content of soil in these
beds offers soil organisms, earthworms, microbes, etc. a living environment
greatly enhanced over previous soil conditions.

If biochar could become a standard soil amendment for organic farmers,
available along with the other products listed
above that would be a good thing. Fertrell could offer it and might make
blends using it. That's the future for this
material: biochar goes from manufacturer to fertilizer
manufacturer/dealer/packager/blender then on to local dealers
and distributors then on to farmers - or by tractor trailer load direct to
the farms themselves.

What does Elaine Ingham have to say about biochar?

LFLondon
Venaura Farm





  • [permaculture] [Fwd: Re: [SANET-MG] Rural News Group Limited - Soil has carbon limit], Lawrence F. London, Jr., 09/09/2008

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