Soil, The Great Equalizer

Soil, The Great Equalizer

As I woke up one morning this week to ice
glazing my plants where the sprinklers irrigate I mused on the finality of weather. It seems to have the last say no matter the effort I put into my farm to cultivate and nurture it. When the time comes Winter has the last word. . . Or does she? If I have wit and and ability I might just be able to fend off Winter’s finality by using cold frames and row covers and my winter greenhouse. But to be successful in this mission to thwart our harsh Wyoming cold season I need to know how to work with my dirt. Without good soil I will be sorely disappointed in my efforts.

Yes, soil is the great equalizer.

You see, the soil cares not if you are male or female….old or young. It doesn’t care what nationality you are, what religion or even your political persuasion. If you care for it and give it what it needs to be healthy it will return your care with abundance. If, however, you exploit it by over farming and depleting it’s nutritional reseviors or push it to produce more than it should by using chemicals, the soil does not care how desperately you need it to produce for you. . . it will simply give you back shoddy produce. It’s very in tune with Karma.

You get back what you put in. Simple as that.

From the beginning of time men have struggled to produce food and clothing from the land. Wars have been fought over owning the land and the right to produce from it. In the end, however, we shall all see that it is those who have learned to work with and not against the soil. . . to nurture it with loving care . . .who will have the ability to produce sustainably. No matter their color, their race or their religion the Earth will provide abundance for those who truly care about the Earth.

This is something large companies cannot understand. They want results now. Greedy people will always find ways to try to force what they want. Chemicals pumped into the soil and it’s plants will give a reward for a short time and then the soil will quit producing waiting for time and nature to heal it.

My farm’s soil was depleted through many years of over farming and the use of misguided practices. So we farm in raised beds made from compost we create every year, nourished by the worms we raise. No Chemicals touch this soil. It is not compacted with tractors or feet, it is lovingly nurtured with fresh compost every year. This soil does not care that I am an older woman cultivating it. It only cares that I treat it with respect and that I nurture it consistently. And it gives back with abundance.

It returns to me what I give to it.

We could learn a lot as a world community from our soil.

By: charly mcomber