My soil test on the Blank Slate came back today. No, it wasn’t inside the field. It was the test we pulled from the fenceline (thanks, Rob).
Not surprisingly it showed that my field before it was ever farmed had an ideal mix of fertility. The organic matter was nearly 4 points higher than it is today in the field. How many years will it take to build that back up?
It all comes back to being a good steward of the land. On Ag PhD, we’re promoting the concept of Responsible Nutrient Management. Most farmers are doing a great job managing their fields, and we want to tell people about it.
As for the Blank Slate, well, there’s a reason I’m calling it the Blank Slate. It’s been wiped clean of fertility and organic matter. I’m anxious to spend the next 30 years doing things the right way to see what a difference it can make.
2 Responses to “Native Ground”
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Cool idea testing fencerows! Never would have though of that. Going to try it myself this weekend…
I have to confess to you, Paul. It's not an original idea. Francis Childs first introduced me to the concept. The fencerow soil test was his report card on how he was doing managing his soils. If I remember right, his fencelines were around 6% O.M. near Manchester Iowa. In his fields, he was in the 4's.