Soils and Soil Building - Transition Whatcom
Soils and Soil Building
Event Type: seminar, style, class
How we look at problems is determined by our preconceptions and paradigms. This workshop will focus on looking at how we look at soil. The paradigm used will be "Feed the soil, rather than feed the plant." Other topics will include recipe approaches to fertilizers vs. tailoring fertilizer needs by soil tests and nutrient calculation. Green manuring and cover crops vs. animal manures will also be discussed, as will mechanical and biological approaches to soil building and farming in general.
Walter Haugen grew up on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota, worked as a migrant worker for eight years, and brings an academic background in biological anthropology and statistics to his work as a farmer/researcher. He has developed a model of sustainable farming based on input/output analysis that is applicable to both large and small operations.
Walter Haugen, F.A. Farm, Ferndale, www.fafarm.org
"Our carbon footprint is small and our produce is tasty.
This is an indoors seminar-style class. We are asking for a $5 to $10 donation, or we will also accept the following items as barter-fare
Current Needs and Accepted Barter Items
Shovels, Pickaxes, Pruners, Rakes, Hoes, Loppers, Fruit plants, Rain Barrels, Miscellaneous Garden tools, Other useful items
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Comment by Heather K on March 8, 2010 at 2:53pm
Walter, I'll try to be there though I might he a bit jet lagged.
I hope you can include talking about the soil suppliment called ? Azulite that has micronutrients, I keep meeting more farmers using this.
And also the fungal growsource products coming from Fungi Perfecti.
I'm going to give both a try this year.
I'm still a fan of local cow compost with cover crops and seaweed though.
Comment by Chris Elder on March 8, 2010 at 7:25am
Thanks Angela ~ Forgot that piece.
Comment by Angela MacLeod on March 8, 2010 at 7:09am
Is this class free or is there a cost?