Soil Building for Small Farms and Big Gardens

Soil Building for Small Farms and Big Gardens
with Joe Scrimger of Bio-Systems Soil Testing and Consulting

Introduction to Soil Building
Friday, May 4th, 6 to 8pm
at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center
6686 South Center Highway, Traverse City

This will be a solid introduction to organic small-scale farming with an emphasis on soil biology. Learn the basics of soil testing, and how you can use amendments and mulching to improve production quality and quantity. Weeds, pests and diseases will also be discussed. The focus will be on farms that are 10 acres or less, but the concepts can be utilized on larger farms and in home gardens. $10-$20 sliding scale.

Soil Building Intensive
Saturday, May 5th, 8:30am to 12:30pm
at the Leelanau Conservancy’s DeYoung Farm
9510 E. Cherry Bend Road, Traverse City

Learn to develop a plan for returning overused soils to a biologically active, productive state. Using the sandy soils of the Leelanau Conservancy’s DeYoung farm, Joe will cover each step of the process in depth: soil testing and interpreting results, connecting those results to field observations, and crafting an action plan to amend and improve the soil. $50 ($40 for CRAFT members). Space is limited; please register here or contact Yvonne atyvonne@artmeetsearth.org or (231) 622-5252.

Bonus: Home Composting
Thursday, May 3rd from 6 to 8:30pm
at the Bellaire Community Hall
225 North Bridge St, Bellaire

Everyone can reduce household waste, unlock soil nutrients, grow better vegetables and flowers, and become more self-sufficient by learning to make and use compost with expert Andy Gale of Bay Area Recycling for Charities (BARC). In this workshop, home gardeners and small-scale farmers will learn the basics of composting kitchen scraps and yard waste, from simple tips and tricks on keeping kitchen and outdoor spaces neat to learning how you can support the invisible but vital work of micro-organisms in the soil food web. Learn how to construct low-tech backyard composting systems out of everyday objects, find out what to include and what not to include in the home-scale compost heap, and figure out how to control materials, aeration, and moisture content to make the very most of your compost. Suggested donation $10.

Many thanks to our sponsors and partners:
Oryana Natural Foods Market, Bay Area Recycling for Charities, Krios Consulting, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference, Bio-Systems Soil Testing and Consulting, and Leelanau Conservancy