Soil Revolution Green Thumbs
“ When the grass is healthy, it’ s building soil, and the animals flourish. That’ s what it’ s all about. No matter what animal a farmer or rancher like me raises, we are grass farmers first.”
— Judith Horvath
“ When it comes to nutrients, besides compost, I recommend keeping the soil covered with anything available. That means grass clippings, last winter’ s leaves and undyed or uncolored mulch. But the real winners for best soil amendments are comfrey and biochar. If you read about comfrey, it’ s a chop-and-drop miracle plant where you cut back the leaves and throw them on the ground.”
The Role of Animals in Soil Health
On Fair Hill Farm, animals play a pivotal role in the cycle of regeneration that underpins Horvath’ s sustainable practices.“ We have sheep, goats, a guardian llama, rabbits, turkeys and chickens. The benefits of composted manure cannot be overstated, as poultry manure is unbelievably rich in nitrogen, which is a key component of leaf growth. Wherever manure accumulates, we remove it and add it to compost. That means lounging areas inside shelters and night roosting areas for our poultry,” Horvath said. Implementing rotational grazing is essential, preventing overgrazing and promoting healthier pastures.“ Rational grazing is the practice of keeping grazing livestock within a small area for a short time and moving
AcreageLife. com them to a new area every one to three days. This mimics how bison roamed the Midwest plains in huge herds, continuously moving and not returning until the grass recovered,” Horvath said.“ Then chickens are moved behind livestock in the same way that flocks of birds followed the bison, depositing nitrogen-rich manure, spreading out big manure piles and consuming fly larvae.”
“ When the grass is healthy, it’ s building soil, and the animals flourish. That’ s what it’ s all about. No matter what animal a farmer or rancher like me raises, we are grass farmers first,” Horvath said.
This integrated approach to farming, where animals contribute to the health of the land, exemplifies Horvath’ s holistic view of agriculture as a closed-loop system where nothing goes to waste and everything serves a purpose.
Horvath’ s story powerfully reminds us of the impact individuals can have on shaping a more sustainable world. Her experience offers hope and inspiration for those seeking to forge a deeper connection with the land.
Farmers, homesteaders and gardeners can play a vital role in nurturing soil health and cultivating green thumbs for greener futures.
July 2024 AcreageLife 31