Soil health at Chatfield Farms

GUEST COLUMN

Rutger Meyers

‘nutrient-de cient’ soil — teeming with soil microbes — produce the largest plants on the planet?

Nutrients are released when microscopic predators consume bacteria. Nematodes, protozoa and microscopic insects ‘poop’ out nutrients that plants are able to consume. Plant roots absorb those nutrients through a web of fungi. Fungal networks expand the reach of roots and create highways inside root hairs. As satised plants then release ‘exudates,’ which attract more bacteria and fungi, the cycle continues. Without these characters to play their parts, soil turns into lifeless dirt.

Conventional soil management has disrupted the soil ecosystem. Without microscopic predators, bacteria or fungi to assist plant roots, farmers are forced to overfeed plants with fertilizers. e excess nutrients that aren’t washed away are consumed by

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com a monoculture of bacteria, reproducing rapidly and unchecked by predators. Without predators to consume bacteria, the soil ecosystem becomes unbalanced. e resulting population of disease-causing bacteria release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. rough the eyes of a microscope, a farmer can witness the soil ecosystem in action, but studying soil ecology doesn’t require a microscope. Diversity in critters — worms, ladybugs, roly-polies, etc. — is an indication of a balanced biology.

Realistically, not all farmers have the time to study microscopy.

Even without a microscope, understanding what healthy soil looks, feels and smells like can inform better practices. Undisturbed soil will evolve with its plant inhabitants. Rich brown, textured soil that smells like a forest will feed a vegetable plant on its own, without nutrient additives. A calculated ‘less is more’ soil

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AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com with. Our bill sets up strategies to ensure the risk is shared, giving utilities a nancial incentive to better manage these spikes in cost by hedging and building out energy storage capacity. It also better aligns our major utility to reduce waste and increase e ciencies in the system, some of the simplest and cheapest ways to save consumers money. ese unacceptably high utility bills this winter a ected all of us. But SB23-291 will protect consumers and reduce bills in the future. We already have the tools to reduce waste, increase e ciency and save people money. Our bill ensures we use more of those tools in the interests of our families and our community.

Finally, our bill helps ensure that our regulators are identifying and stopping wasteful new gas investments that may take 50 years to pay o but will be turned o in the next 20 years to meet our climate goals. Ratepayers should not be on the hook to pay for something until 2075 that is no longer providing their power.

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KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com management approach gives our soil a chance to breathe.

Regenerative agriculture rede nes the farmers’ relationship with nature. Humans’ senses have evolved with plants — the smell of healthy soil triggers serotonin production in the human brain. Alternatively, our negative reaction to the putrid smell of greenhouse gases produced by harmful bacteria warns us of toxicity. ese ne-tuned deep intuitions can become regenerative farmer’s almanac.

By working in tandem with natural soil ecosystems, farmers can reduce the labor and expenses of disruptive soil tillage and chemical fertilizer application. Soil naturally wants to grow plants. By accepting help from nature, farmers can grow healthier plants more e ciently.

Rutger Meyers is a soil health technician for the Denver Botanic Gardens.

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