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What's Going On Down There? Soil Health & Fertility Assessment for Growers at Flats Mentor Farm

Flats Mentor Farm
Lancaster, MA

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What's Going On Down There? Soil Health & Fertility Assessment for Growers at Flats Mentor Farm

In this free on-site workshop, NOFA/Mass Soil Technical Assistance Advisors Laura Davis and Caro Roszell will review and interpret soil tests results for Vue Yangs plot at Flats Mentor Farm, along with Jessy Gill, Assistant Director of World Farmers. You are invited to join us, learn about the practices that produced the soil were analyzing, and learn how to take and interpret soil tests for both fertility and soil health.

This event is part of a three-year, statewide series aimed at increasing the understanding of farmers, gardeners and the general public about a range of lab-based soil tests and field tests for soil health assessment, as well as how these tests can help inform each other when a grower is considering the condition of her soil.

This years program will focus on standard soil tests, saturated paste test, brix spectrometer (plant tissue) and field protocols that you can do in your own garden or field to assess soil health.

First, Vue Yang and Jessy Gill will orient attendees to Flats Mentor Farm and the work of World Farmers. Vue will share about her practices for crop production and soil health management on her plot. Then, Caro will demonstrate a few field tests that any grower can do at home with simple tools to assess the biological health of the soil. Laura will review the findings of the Logan Labs report for Vues farm, and will explain how to interpret these findings, how to calculate amendments, and what considerations to make about amendment sources based on the results. We will also demonstrate how to use a brix spectrometer and interpret the reading.

Caro and Laura will round out the day by facilitating a group discussion to help participants make sense of the lab report and findings. Topics for discussion will include: How does brix relate to soil health and fertility? How does soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity relate to long-term fertilizer needs?

Participants go home with a Soil Health Field Test Manual (instructions and data sheets) and a handout of resources for labs where you can send samples of your soil.