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29 November 2010
Bill Mollison describes soil as the earth’s respiratory surface:
“When the earth itself expands, great flows inward and outward must occur through the multitudinous fissures that open up in rigid sediments. The earth respiration transports and transforms fluids and their associated loads, solutes, states and ionic potentials that recreate thunderstorms or hurricanes. We are of this same respiration. The burrows of spiders, gophers, and worms are to the soil what the alveoli of our lungs are to our body. We can assist this essential respiration by assisting life and natural processes in soils.”
If you are not much of one for eloquently elaborate analogies and yet still want to learn more about soil, we are holding a series of classes at HVF centered around:
- What is soil?
- Do plants need soil? (Answer: yes! What about soil-less media? Don’t get me started…)
- Where does it come from? What is it “for”?
- What are characteristics of the “best” soil for growing food in a city?
- How do we know if our soil is working?
- How can we speed “the growth of the soil” without sacrificing naturally soil diversity/fertility?
- Why bacteria are cooler than fungi.
We will be discussing the art and science / ins and outs of designing self-sustaining, forest-floor imitating habitat for plants and their cohorts.
Yes, there will be science. No, it will not be boring. Yes, you may get dirty…
SOILS 103. Introduction to Compost
Monday, December 6th - 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
SOILS 104. Introduction to Compost Teas
Monday, December 13th - 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
SOILS 105. Introduction to Soil Science
TBD
Photos by Cyndie Hoffman, June 3, 2010
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