How Does Soil Health Impact the Quality of My Food?

Let's take a quick look at what it means for soils to be healthy, what soil depletion is, and how it impacts food quality.

Healthy soil can look different depending on where you are, but there are some common traits you can find anywhere in the world:

Healthy Soil Aggregate: Good soil structure is key. While it might be easier to till soil with good aggregate composition, tilling can actually lead to more soil compaction and erosion.

Soil Depth: This refers to how far down roots can grow before hitting a barrier.

Water Infiltration Rates: This is how well water moves through the soil.

Biological Diversity: A variety of plants, insects, and microorganisms help soil stand up to flooding, droughts, and other natural challenges.

Nutrient Balance: Plants need a balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium from the soil. Too much or too little of any nutrient can be harmful.

Nutrient-rich soils host a vast ecosystem of organisms. For example, earthworms help break down dead plants and organic material, releasing nutrients back into the soil. This ecosystem also helps control pests, allowing the rest of the system to thrive.

The result for us is nutrient-rich food. Unfortunately, most food in the US comes from depleted soils due to industrial agriculture practices like over-tilling, over-grazing, and mono-cropping. But there's hope through regenerative farming, which restores soil health and boosts the nutrient content of your food.

Can You Restore Nutrient-Depleted Soil?

The good news is, yes, you can restore nutrient-depleted soil! Farms like Maple Wind are leading the way. While it takes work and planning, the rewards are worth it.

Soil regeneration involves building up soils that have been depleted. We've been working on soil regeneration for over 10 years, and we see improvements every season. 

Gabe Brown, a pioneer of the soil health movement identifies five primary factors for restoring soil health:

1. Minimize Soil Disturbance: Avoid tilling to prevent carbon release. Our organic matter tripled from 2% to 6% by leaving the soil undisturbed.

2. Protect the Soil: Keep the soil covered to prevent erosion and allow microorganisms to thrive.

3. Diversify Your Plants: Plant diversity ensures green growth year-round and reduces the need for pesticides.

4. Use Cover Crops: Plant cover crops in the off-season to maintain soil health. This process is essential for regeneration.

5. Utilize Farm Animals: Animals like chickens, cows, and pigs help with soil regeneration by providing beneficial disturbance and fertilization.Nutrient-Rich vs. Nutrient-Depleted Soil

Healthy soil retains water well and has a loose, fluffy texture that allows water to reach plant roots. It channels carbon deeper into the soil, making nutrients available to various organisms. 

On the other hand, nutrient-depleted soil is dense, crumbly, and dry. It lacks the structure to hold onto water, leading to runoff and a lack of diversity in soil organisms. This results in the need for synthetic fertilizers, which further degrade soil health and lower the nutritional value of food.

Our Commitment to Improving Soil Quality

At Maple Wind Farm, we've devoted over 10 years to creating healthy soil and grasses for our animals. This commitment allows us to produce high-quality, nutrient-rich food for our customers.

We'd love to hear what you think! Please reach out with questions and comments!