God made dirt,
Dirt don't hurt.
Simple enough right? This catchy little phrase was said casually by one of my roommates over our chard tortilla dinner last night (more about that later). It was one of those moments when something basic has a profound impact.
Our the past few weeks I've had a lot of interaction with dirt, God's creation. I been apple picking so many times in the past few weeks it could be my full time job, I've collected soil samples for soil tests, I've hiked, and I finally got around to seeding the first Boston YAV house's experimental garden. Tired yet? I am.
The idea that dirt is God's creation is one that's been in my head for a while. Its Creation, I love the Creator, therefore its my responsibility to take care of Creation. All of my time spent with dirt these past weeks has been a wonderful way to care for this beautiful world we inhabit.
Our the past few weeks I've had a lot of interaction with dirt, God's creation. I been apple picking so many times in the past few weeks it could be my full time job, I've collected soil samples for soil tests, I've hiked, and I finally got around to seeding the first Boston YAV house's experimental garden. Tired yet? I am.
The idea that dirt is God's creation is one that's been in my head for a while. Its Creation, I love the Creator, therefore its my responsibility to take care of Creation. All of my time spent with dirt these past weeks has been a wonderful way to care for this beautiful world we inhabit.
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| Me at Carlson Orchard: Harvard, MA |
The orchard my roommates and I went to uses IPM methods- IPM stands for
Integrated Pest Management. Organic pest control is the first line of
defense and when that doesn't do the job, the crew brings in the
synthetic stuff. Its a pretty responsible and practical way to grow
apples as they are prone to pests and there are few organic treatments
suitable to apple tress/fruits. Though not affiliated with any faith Carlson Orchard is doing its part to care for Creation.
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| If worms are a good sign of soil health... |
As part of my planning process for the community garden I am in charge of getting the soil tested, adding amendments when needed, and cultivating healthy soil while we wait for spring seeding time. Collecting soil for soil tests is more detailed than I thought it would be. For a statistically sound soil sample, 12 samples of soil from at least 6 inches deep within the area you want to test, have to be collected and mixed together. Then all the rocks and debris has to sifted out. Then the dirt has to dry. The lab doesn't accept wet/damp soil samples. Finally in the culmination of odd details- you mail bags of dirt. Yes, mailing dirt is a thing.
I received the results of the tests today and the land we are planning to use for the garden is low in lead (a problem in some Boston neighborhoods) but low in basic nutrients. We have time to add the correct amendments which is the benefit of testing months in advance. Our house's future garden plot on the other hand was higher than recommended in lead due to years and years of lead paint back when we didn't know better. Rain washes down the side of the house, taking itty bitty pieces of lead paint with it, depositing it in the yard. Over decades that adds up. The modest plot is pretty low in the basics like Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium. Quite the pickle: high in the bad stuff, low in the good stuff. Good thing I have a farming mentor who loves to play with soil and even has his own recipe for potting mix. I think he and I will be spending a lot of time talking about dirt.
I received the results of the tests today and the land we are planning to use for the garden is low in lead (a problem in some Boston neighborhoods) but low in basic nutrients. We have time to add the correct amendments which is the benefit of testing months in advance. Our house's future garden plot on the other hand was higher than recommended in lead due to years and years of lead paint back when we didn't know better. Rain washes down the side of the house, taking itty bitty pieces of lead paint with it, depositing it in the yard. Over decades that adds up. The modest plot is pretty low in the basics like Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium. Quite the pickle: high in the bad stuff, low in the good stuff. Good thing I have a farming mentor who loves to play with soil and even has his own recipe for potting mix. I think he and I will be spending a lot of time talking about dirt.
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| Mt. Monadnock: Jaffrey, NH |
If its Columbus Day that means Hartford Street Presbyterian Church is hiking Mt. Monadnock. We did so Monday. Its a very popular trail and is rumored to be one of the most climbed peaks in the U.S.
A team of us, about 15, climbed the mountain in two teams: the quick pace group and the... easy does it group. We all had varying hiking abilities and experience so people kind of sorted themselves into the group naturally; it wasn't a planned division.
I was in the quick pace group as I hiked fairly often during college (JMU was just 30 minutes away from Shenandoah National Park). When we stopped to eat lunch our group made sure we didn't leave any trash behind.
Its really amazing to me that the earth has been formed and molded into beautiful mountains like Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire. I feel very blessed to spend a year of my life in such a beautiful place. Hikes aren't 30 minutes away like they were in Virginia but there are a lot of hikes within a 2 hour drive. I envision myself frequenting these trails in the spring after a rough New England winter- the delights of spring will be that much more precious.
Hiking trips like the one I took on Monday remind me of how nature glorifies God's majesty. He created a beautiful world for us.
A team of us, about 15, climbed the mountain in two teams: the quick pace group and the... easy does it group. We all had varying hiking abilities and experience so people kind of sorted themselves into the group naturally; it wasn't a planned division.
I was in the quick pace group as I hiked fairly often during college (JMU was just 30 minutes away from Shenandoah National Park). When we stopped to eat lunch our group made sure we didn't leave any trash behind.
Its really amazing to me that the earth has been formed and molded into beautiful mountains like Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire. I feel very blessed to spend a year of my life in such a beautiful place. Hikes aren't 30 minutes away like they were in Virginia but there are a lot of hikes within a 2 hour drive. I envision myself frequenting these trails in the spring after a rough New England winter- the delights of spring will be that much more precious.
Hiking trips like the one I took on Monday remind me of how nature glorifies God's majesty. He created a beautiful world for us.
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The most direct way I interacted with dirt recently was seeding the hopeful Boston YAV garden. I bought some seeds and flats from a trusted company and waited anxiously for the new farm toys. I used these tools at the farm I worked at this summer- I got a lot of practice seeding. I was the go-to gal for seeding. I just got in a groove and could produce flat after flat.
In ironic twist of fates I decided to seed a few mini rows of some root veggies and leafy greens to see how they would fair when planted about a month too late. That was last night while dinner was cooking. This afternoon I got the results of the soil tests we took from the yard and it wasn't great. Lead was higher than I'm comfortable with and nutrient levels are low. So, I ended up scrapping the project. I'm not happy that I had to forgo my long awaited first seeding but I don't want lead in my first round of transplants. The lab recommended not planting root veggies and leafy greens in our soil as it is now. What did I seed? You guessed it. Root veggies and leafy greens.
This is farming: its a continual learning process. Maybe we can get our soil in order this fall and early spring and be able to seed in February for transplanting in March and April.
In ironic twist of fates I decided to seed a few mini rows of some root veggies and leafy greens to see how they would fair when planted about a month too late. That was last night while dinner was cooking. This afternoon I got the results of the soil tests we took from the yard and it wasn't great. Lead was higher than I'm comfortable with and nutrient levels are low. So, I ended up scrapping the project. I'm not happy that I had to forgo my long awaited first seeding but I don't want lead in my first round of transplants. The lab recommended not planting root veggies and leafy greens in our soil as it is now. What did I seed? You guessed it. Root veggies and leafy greens.
This is farming: its a continual learning process. Maybe we can get our soil in order this fall and early spring and be able to seed in February for transplanting in March and April.
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