We are connected to the soil. Our foundation is there, literally. The bottom is the base. What would we do without this upper edge of the earth, where so many processes take place that we cannot miss? Kind of our earth, and she doesn’t want anything in return. Then I think we should treat her a little bit decently.
A handful of good soil contains more life than people have ever been born on earth, I’ve been told. Bizarre how many life forms, fungi, bacteria and other small matter, ensure that the soil works well. A process in which everything is nicely coordinated and where plants and trees bring and collect sugars (as a product of photosynthesis) for the soil and in exchange nutrients for the plant. We also need these nutrients, which the plant ‘conjures’ out of the ground for us, in our food. In the ideal world, we would return those minerals to the earth after use, but that is a bit tricky.
Poo and pee
Because there is a hole in our contemporary cycle: literally the consumer’s hole – forgive my language – because with your poo and pee, nutrients disappear from the nutrient cycle. But for now
to have you as a customer return your bucket to the supermarket, in addition to the empty bottles, is also a bit strange.
The sewage system also contains more than human feces, it is the drain for everything we want to get rid of. And our faeces do not only contain substances that are good for the soil. For example, residues of antibiotics have a serious effect on soil life, because they kill bacteria. And the remnants of contraception also lead to problems, such as with grazing cattle.
Fortunately, we still have cattle that produce manure. Manure is gold. Good manure nourishes the soil, it supplies minerals and organic matter that feed the soil life again. The worms get to work with this manure and remaining plant remains and ensure that everything goes deeper into the soil. So there is a build-up of organic matter, which in turn produces CO2 and that leads to a better sponge effect in the soil. This organic matter retains minerals, so that they do not leak into the groundwater, which improves the water balance – and the earthworms also helped with this. Their dug tunnels loosen and open the soil nicely, so that rainwater can enter instead of flowing out.
Recycling
The soil also ensures recycling, because residues are converted into food. Fortunately, we have agricultural land that is still recycled, because your paved driveway is not suitable for this. At most you can use it to put a green container on the street, but then it also ends.
But the weeds between the stones do indicate what the earth this space is actually intended for: namely plant growth. The earth wants to be covered so that the solar energy is used and stored. But if a soil does not function properly, it will leak nutrients into the groundwater, such as nitrate and phosphate. Then the process no longer works and we no longer see the manure as valuable, but as a threat.
Balance, we have to think about that carefully.
In the five years that I now farm differently, I have seen my soil change. Researchers who studied soil life were almost lyrical about what was swarming here: with the naked eye you could see the earthworms and the fungi and bacteria greatly enlarged. DNA research showed that the small sample jar contained more than 5,000 types of bacteria and another 600 types of fungi. The researchers wondered how the soil had recovered in such a relatively short time. I think it is due to the combination of herb-rich grassland, more grazing (ie less riding) and stopping fertilizer.
Nitrogen
The bacteria found here, in turn, seem to release nitrogen into the soil, which is beneficial for grass growth. Long live nature. And so the natural system makes non-business input virtually superfluous. We still use gypsum granules to maintain the calcium stock. Manure quality is also important, it is also a reflection of your business operations. Residues of medicines, wormers and disinfectants are all present in the manure (storage) and have a negative effect on soil life.
Because we no longer use many of these resources, the leftovers are not in the manure either. It always amazes me what can be done without fertilizer. After all, I had learned it very differently in school. Complete fertilization plans, based on analyses, formed the basis for this. But I was never told at the time that fertilizer also disrupts the balance. Plants seem to contain much less minerals and trace elements due to over-fertilization. Which in turn has adverse consequences for everyone who eats these plants (directly or indirectly).
The vet visits my cows less often these days, the manure quality has improved and soil life is starting to get better. A bit of a chicken/egg story. But it would be great if this also worked for consumers: healthier food thanks to more natural processes in agriculture. Maybe that bucket isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Peter Oosterhof is an organic dairy farmer in Foxwolde and guest columnist for volkskrant.nl/opinie in May.