What exactly is a food web? Nearly a century ago, the ecologist Charles Elton introduced us to the concept of food chains –linear series of links that shows how food, which provides the environmental currency of nutrients and energy, moves through an ecosystem. No doubt you’ve seen illustrations of food chains. These often begin with … Read more
Few ideas may seem less intuitive to bring together than global warming and nutrition. Yet, when you remember that health begins in living soil, and all life is stressed by too much heat, the logic starts to fall into place. Scientists correlate climate change with nutrition According to a recent report in Science Advances (summarized in the Vox) … Read more
What is a Disruptive Innovation A disruptive innovation is an innovation that enters the market inconspicuously, at the grass roots, so to speak. Adding remarkable value, often at a low cost, the innovation quickly transforms the marketplace. For more than a century, agricultural advisors have focused on the chemical needs of soils, often at the … Read more
Stop Turning Your Compost Composting offers a terrific way to culture native microbes that benefit your soil. However, there is more to a good compost than simply building a pile of manure and yard waste. Proper aeration is important to prevent overheating and to ensure that aerobic bacteria-bacteria that consume oxygen, dominate the mixture. While … Read more
Every grower knows beneficial microbes like rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi can help plants produce strong, resistant, and resilient crops. Many growers know that having the right microbes in the soil can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Far too many growers have fallen for the “bug-in-a-jug,” spending various sums of … Read more
Recently, I was invited into a discussion on the potential for “solar powered nitrogen factories”. The dialog dealt with using legumes and grasses as cover crops to increase soil fertility. This is of course, a great strategy which farmers are adopting at large scales. As the cover crops grow, they release sugars that feed … Read more
