Organic Matter is carbon containing compounds. The benefits of organic matter are improving soil structure, improving water holding capacity, increasing nutrient holding capacity, capturing carbon, and increasing beneficial microorganisms. Tilling exposes soil organic matter to sunlight which burns it off.
Biochar is the addition of charcoal to a soil. These are stable carbon compounds that sequester carbon, improve soil structure and fertility. We buy our charcoal dust from a neighbor that produces charcoal. This gives him extra revenue as well as cleans up his yard. Find out more about biochar.
Compost is the stable organic compounds, humus, that is created when organic matter is broken down. Our sources of organic matter include:
- Mulch from our trees on our fence line that feed the goats and are then spread on the farm. After 1 month the mulch has broken down into compost.
- Fruit and vegetable scraps from the market feed our black solider fly larvae. We then use the castings as compost fertilizer.
- Weeding and trimming the yard for mulch as well as dropped coconut branches and coconut husks.
Organic Matter in the soil is stable carbon compounds called humus that makes up an essential part of the soil structure.
By adding organic matter to the soil we can create carbon capturing farming. Organic matter is a vital part of the soil. It increases cation exchange capacity which is a fancy way of saying it holds onto nutrients so they don’t get washed away yet makes them available to plants. Organic matter retains moisture as well as creating a soil structure that allows more water to permeate into our clay soil. A farm is only as successful as the amount of organic matter it can accumulate. The future depends on a farming system that can capture carbon rather than releasing it. This release happens when soil is tilled and exposed to sunlight which breaks down the compounds into CO2. The tilling also injures beneficial fungus and if you kill your friends, you won’t have any friends.
