A New Approach to Healthy Soil

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A new approach to healthy soil

The topic of soil health has taken hold across the agriculture industry, and now with homeowners and consumers as well.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) recently launched the Saving Tomorrow’s Agricultural Resources (STAR) program to encourage farmers and ranchers to assess their soil health. This free and voluntary program is a great step towards defining soil health practices and educating consumers about the importance of looking after this vital resource.

Producers complete a questionnaire regarding their soil management practices. Based on their commitment to soil health and the results of their soil profile analyses, the CDA awards a one- to five-star rating, with a five representing a complete commitment to soil health.

Farmers and ranchers commit to the program for three years and do evaluations each year to grow their STAR rating and demonstrate their ability to grow crops while conserving water, reducing erosion, sequestering carbon and promoting soil microbiology. Another component educates consumers on interpreting the STAR rating when purchasing from producers whose practices they support.

The USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) division was able to succinctly define soil health management based on four components that even home growers can work towards improving. The STAR program is based on these principles:

KEEPING LIVING ROOTS IN THE SOIL YEAR-ROUND IS AMAZING FOR THE HEALTH OF THE SOIL MICROBES.

In our desert climate, mulch is important for both conserving water in our plants and for keeping weeds down. A patch of lawn or a pasture of native grass can protect the soil from weed seeds and keep the soil temperatures moderated in the summer heat and winter cold.

Leftover plant debris in the garden can insulate soil microbes from intense freezing while decomposing and releasing stored nutrients back into the ground.

Cover crops or plant residue also stops wind and collects blowing snow for a good spring moisture bank. That same residue protects the soil from heavy rains that can wash away topsoil or pound down our heavy clay soils.

MAINTAIN LIVING ROOTS

Keeping living roots in the soil yearround is amazing for soil microbe health. Roots gain a constant feed supply, both from root exudates and from decomposing roots from last season’s crops.

All living roots have the capacity to hold more moisture in the soil. In addition, last year’s crop roots turn into this year’s organic matter, acting as a sponge to retain moisture in the soil for longer periods of time. Homeowners are a step ahead as most already have trees and shrubs on their property. The NRCS makes it clear that a 1% increase in organic matter can hold up to 20,000 gallons of water per acre.

Cover crops are an option for us gardeners as well. I scattered oats, buckwheat and winter wheat seeds throughout my gardens in early September and they filled the space around my vegetable plants.

This year I used an all-edible Milpa cover crop mix consisting of beans, seeds, mustards and radishes. I planted it in areas where the summer roots and greens had been harvested. They grew in quickly and held their vitality through the first early frosts and well into late November. The legumes fixed nitrogen, and all the other plant species fed a variety of microbes and put roots into varying depths of the soil.

BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF TILLAGE IN OUR GARDENS, WE CAN ACTUALLY BUILD SOIL STRUCTURE AND KEEP THOSE EARTHWORM HOLES INTACT SO THAT IRRIGATION WATER HAS A WAY TO GET TO THE PLANT ROOTS.

MINIMIZE DISTURBANCE

Tilling and turning the soil is harmful to microbe-populated root zones. Most of the beneficial bacteria populate the one-millimeter zone around the plant’s roots known as the rhizosphere.

Uprooting plants removes the rhizosphere from the soil and takes nutrient cycling bacteria with it. Tilling and turning up the soil exposes microbes to UV rays which kills them and shreds fungal colonies.

Many large-scale growers are adopting no-till practices in their fields since plowing and tilling takes labor, fuel and wear and tear on a tractor. By reducing the amount of tillage in our gardens, we can actually build soil structure and keep those earthworm holes intact so that irrigation water has a way to get to the plant roots.

BIODIVERSITY

Using companion planting not only helps crops to thrive, but it also helps to conserve water.

Julio Franco at Texas A&M planted watermelon, hot peppers, okra and peanuts in two identical acre plots over two years. He planted one in quarter strips of each crop while the other was planted one crop per row in a repeating pattern across the field so that every crop was next to another crop.

The yield from the interplanted field surpassed the traditional strip plantings both years. He found that the vining watermelon cooled the soil for the hot peppers and the okra provided shade for the peanuts.

In the first plot, crops competed with each other for root space and nutrients while the intercropped plots complemented each other and aided in their growth. Franco also found the intercropped plot used less water.

Another approach to biodiversity is to graze fields with livestock to incorporate their manure and cycle nutrients. Animal manure has classes of actinobacteria that can’t be found anywhere else.

As a home grower, we can incorporate manure into our gardens or composting to gain the benefits of actinobacteria without the added responsibility of managing livestock. ■

GROW WILD

BY BRYAN REED Send your gardening questions to Bryan in care of Life After 50, or email him at BCReed@ColoradoMesa.edu

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5 ways to save money just by asking

By Mary Jo Terry

Inflation is hitting Americans hard and the effects are touching every aspect of our lives.

Everything from food, gas, water, clothing and housing is rising in price. But while many people have decided to create a strict budget plan and cut back on unnecessary spending, they’re still finding themselves spending more than they’re saving. However, saving money doesn’t have to be a complex plan that restricts your lifestyle. Here are some easy ways to save money just by having a simple conversation:

➊Ask credit card companies

for a better interest rate

It might come as a shock, but you can negotiate with your bank or credit card company to get a lower interest rate on your credit cards. Credit card debt is at a 20-year CREDIT CARD DEBT IS AT A 20-YEAR HIGH FOR AMERICANS AND MANY FIND THEMSELVES CONTINUING TO RACK UP CHARGES ON THEIR CARDS TO PAY FOR NECESSITIES.

high for Americans and many find themselves continuing to rack up charges on their cards to pay for necessities.

If you find yourself in this situation and the debt continues to pile on because you’re unable to pay off your balances monthly, call your credit card company and ask them to lower your interest rate.

The worst that could happen is that they decline your request. However, if you have a good past relationship and credit history, they

may help you by lowering your interest rate, which can help you pay less over time.

➋Ask utilities about a payment plan

Even if you’ve never been on one before, many utility companies offer payment plans. As utility prices continue to rise, you have options to keep your utilities on without draining your bank account.

Call your utility companies and ask about being put on a payment plan that works for you. These plans let you pay your bill in a way that’s comfortable for you and works for your budget and pay schedule. This way, you can have an exact idea of how much you’ll pay for utilities each month without worrying about whether you’re going to have enough money.

➌Negotiate a lower cable

rate

Before you completely get rid of your cable TV or internet, call your cable company and inquire about a lower rate. Explain that the cost of the service has gotten too high and you’re going to have to cancel if you can’t get a lower rate.

Whether they upgrade your package for free or simply lower your bill to something that’s more manageable, this will usually spark a conversation that will tip in your favor, especially if you’ve been a long-time customer. Asking to speak to someone in the Retention Department can never hurt. Cable companies want to keep your service, so calling to ask for a lower rate during these tough times can usually get you a discounted price.

➍Ask about changing

student loan monthly payments

Tens of millions of Americans have student loans—even at our age. Although the Biden Administration is calling for forgiveness of up to $10,000 for many borrowers, many will still be left with a balance to pay each month.

Since taking on student loan debt, many Americans’ incomes have changed. Look into income-driven repayment plans (IDR plans) for student loans. This can help set your monthly student loan payment at an amount that is affordable for you based on your current income.

If you’re earning less than you were before, this is a great way to continue to be able to make your payments on time but lower the amount you owe each month. You may even find that you can spare a few extra dollars here and there each month that can easily make a difference in your budget.

➎Ask yourself the hard

questions

Most of the unnecessary spending we do comes from trips to Starbucks, TJ Maxx or other non-essential stores and restaurants.

Ask yourself the hard questions of whether or not you really need to make specific purchases. If you pay for every streaming service that’s available each month, you likely use one of them more than the others. Figure out what spending in your budget is going towards things you don’t need to buy each month and you can identify what is easier for you to eliminate or what you’re willing to give up for the time being.

You can also challenge yourself to go 24 hours without unnecessary spending, or maybe even expand the challenge up to a week. This can help you reevaluate where your money is going and what purchases you can cut out without limiting your lifestyle. Things like groceries, gas, utilities and other necessities don’t count towards this challenge. But purchases like eating out, a new pair of shoes or a new makeup palette can add up quickly on your monthly expenses. ■

This article was reprinted with permission courtesy of MLiving News: mlivingnews.com

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