Welcome to the 2021 Spring Equinox Edition of the Farm Planners’ Almanac!
Indian plum and red-flowering currant are in bloom and the sun is shining! Spring has finally sprung! As we prepare our gardens and enjoy the nice weather, it is still important to think about protecting our soil health. Here are a few tips and reminders as you are out and about on your farm this spring:
Avoid tilling soil when possible.
Tilling is discouraged because it destroys the soil structure, causes carbon to release into the atmosphere, and can make the soil vulnerable to erosion. It may also create a hard pan just below the tillage level due to the impact of a tractor and machinery over soft ground, even with small garden tillers. Consider using no-till or minimal tillage options in your pasture renovation project as well as in your vegetable patch. For field that are two acres or more, consider renting KCD’sconsider renting KCD’s Eco-Drill No Till Drill for no-till pasture renovation or crop planting.
Include cover crops in your crop rotation.
Cover crops have many benefits; from breaking up soil compaction, adding nutrients back into the soil, and maintaining soil moisture levels. Cover crops like crimson clover also have the added benefit of being great pollinator plants.
Avoid the temptation to turn animals out onto pastures when the fields are still wet.
Rain is still in the forecast for the next few weeks, and this means pastures are still very vulnerable to the impact by livestock. Monitor your fields and remove animals if you notice rutting, compaction, and bare soil.
When animals are grazing follow the “3-inch” rule.
Remove animals from a field when the grass has been grazed down to three inches. Don’t return animals to a field until the grass has grown to at least three inches in height. This rule of thumb helps grass recover quickly from grazing and prevents overgrazing, which can damage soil.
Contact a KCD Farm Conservation Planner if you would like more advice on managing soil health, as well as other farm-related questions.
Your KCD Farm Conservation Planning Team,
Carrie, Jay, Liz, Megan, and Matt
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Podcast Returns
Host Dillon Honcoop is back from hiatus with genuine conversations with people in agriculture from across Washington state.
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Listen On The Go
Tractor Time Podcast guests help educate growers on ecological techniques that are proven to increase yield and decrease the need for costly toxic inputs.
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WSU Food Systems Program and Tilth Alliance have collaborated on Farm Walks since 2004. Hosted by organic, sustainable, and innovative farm and food businesses throughout Washington, they always aimed to highlight the farmer hosts and their unique expertise and experiences. Farm Walks are normally shared on-farm through a guided walk-and-talk style along side the farmer hosts, but due to COVID19 the opportunity to get on the farm just wasn’t an option. So Farm Walks have gone Podcast.
And KCD Cooperator Ryan Lichttenegger of Steel Wheel Farm in Fall City was recently a guest. Take a listen!
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King County Seeks Public Comment
from Snoqualmie Valley and NE King County Residents
King County is collecting public comment on the community needs in the Snoqualmie Valley and northeast King County. If you live in this sub-area of King County, we encourage you to provide comments on your needs and those of farmers and farm businesses in the region to ensure a thriving local, sustainable food system.
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Wireless Soil Sensor Helps Measure Soil Conditions
Idaho company soil sensor makes the process of measuring soil conditions easier. Other options placed too much burden on the farmer to install, learn, and manage. Soiltech uses AT&T Internet of Things connectivity to optimize food from soil to storage, helping increase yield, reduce waste and lower emissions. Soiltech's sensors are currently used throughout the United States and Canada. Read the recent case study and watch a video about the work.
This is not an endorsement nor a paid advertisement. It provided as information only. KCD Staff would love feedback if any cooperators are using this or similar products.
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5 Lean Principles For Farming Through a Pandemic
A Virtual Workshop with Presenter Ben Hartman of Clay Bottom Farm
Hosted by the WSU Skagit Extension Office and NW Ag Business Center
March 29, 2021 – 10:00am to 11:30am
Tune in for an engaging 90 minutes with Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables. In this workshop, Ben will explain how he and his wife use 5 principles from lean production to successfully steer their farm through the pandemic. He will also explain the origins of the lean system in Japan, and why lean ideas can give a powerful boost to food producers of any size and type during this time. This workshop is especially relevant to market growers, but the concepts apply to any size and type of farm and all are welcome to attend. Offered at no charge thanks to a grant from USDA – AMS and USDA AgrAbility.
Find out more about NABC here.
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Soil Restoration: 5 Core Principles
By Dr. Christine Jones
Soil restoration is the process of improving the structure, microbial life, nutrient density, and overall carbon levels of soil. Many human endeavors — conventional farming chief among them — have depleted the Earth to the extent that nutrient levels in almost every kind of food have fallen by between 10 and 100 percent in the past 70 years.
Soil quality can improve dramatically, though, when farmers and gardeners maintain constant ground cover, increase microbe populations, encourage biological diversity, reduce the use of agricultural chemicals, and avoid tillage.
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If you weren’t able to attend the Discovery Farms® Virtual Farm Tour, you can check it out on KCD’s YouTube Channel!
Learn how your manure management practices can retain compost nutrients, keep soils healthy, and protect water quality. This interactive virtual tour of AFT’s South Sound Discovery Farms® project features the latest in scientific research on manure management best practices.
This project is funded through a National Estuary Program grant and coordinated by the Washington State Conservation Commission. Photos and video footage courtesy Laura James, Beneath the Looking Glass, LLC.”
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Input Needed on Grazing Livestock in Timber
Washington State University Environmental Science and Natural Resources graduate student Mark Batcheler is researching the effects and methods of livestock grazing in timber/forests. He would like to connect with land managers that graze livestock in forest/timber in King county. If this is you, and you would like to share your experience with Mark, please reach out to him at mark.batcheler@wsu.edu.
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Spring Soil Testing Season Is Here!
This helpful video sheds some light on why we recommend Soil Nutrient Testing.
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Equipment Share Program
Reservations slots are open for KCD Farm Equipment. Visit each page to find out more and to get signed up for the 2021 season.
And these tools are available for use for free:
- Hay Probe - for testing animal forage nutritional levels
- Weed Wrenches - for removing invasive weeds such as Scotch Broom
- Soil Sampling Probes - for sampling your soil to submit to KCD’s Soil Nutrient Testing Program
Visit Equipment Share Program to check availability and rent or borrow any of the equipment.
Please keep in mind that scheduling and processes have changed due to COVID-19 orders and recommendations by our state and local health agencies.
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It’s Weed Season!
Check out the latest newsletter from King County Noxious Weeds.
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Upcoming Events and Webinars of Interest
Spring is here and so are the learning opportunities!
Note: Many events are currently online/virtual due to COVID-19 risk. Be sure to check the details of the event before registering.
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WSU Extension Post Harvest Food Safety Series
Online
March 23 and 30 and April 6
Small to mid-sized and diversified growers! I am so excited for Washington State Department of Agriculture to bring you this opportunity to learn more about post-harvest food safety from Washington State University.
Sit in on one or all of the three talks. Sessions will include a mixture of lecture and interactives.
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Fertilizing Annual Crops with Manure and Organic Amendments, Part 1
Online with Pierce Conservation District
April 13
Meeting your crop nutrient goals with manures and organic amendments while staying balanced can be tricky! This 2-part series will cover how to correct nutrient deficiencies and how to develop a long-term plan for improving fertility and soil health. These workshops will feature local producers who are successfully managing soil health and fertility in their fields.
The focus will be on how to manage soil with manure and organic amendments in annual crop fields, including in-depth on nutrient budgeting for determining crop needs.
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Fertilizing Pastures and Hay Fields with Manure and Organic Amendments, Part 2
Online with Pierce Conservation District
April 15
Meeting your crop nutrient goals with manures and organic amendments while staying balanced can be tricky! This 2-part series will cover how to correct nutrient deficiencies and how to develop a long-term plan for improving fertility and soil health. These workshops will feature local producers who are successfully managing soil health and fertility in their fields.
The focus will be on how to manage soil with manure and organic amendments in pasture and hay fields, including manure applications, managing pH, and correcting nutrient deficiencies to increase fertility and forage yields.
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King County Master Gardeners 37th Annual Spring Plant Sale Goes Online
The King County Master Gardeners online store will feature thousands of veggie and herb starts, heirloom tomatoes, rare blooming annuals, plus perennials and ornamentals from specialty growers. You may order from any of three online stores in Bellevue, Shorewood and Auburn, and schedule your curb-side pickup at those locations.
Browse the online store at noon on April 15. Ordering opens at noon on Wednesday, April 21 and closes at 6:00pm on Tuesday, April 27.
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Cascadia Grains Week
Online
May 3 to May 7
An interactive online celebration of value-added small grains for farmers, bakers, brewers, distillers, millers, maltsters, and consumers. Featuring the national collaborative work of the Culinary Breeding Network, Oregon State University, Cornell University, UW-Madison, eOrganic, the Artisan Grain Collaborative, GrowNYC Grains, Cascadia Grains and the WSU Food Systems Program.
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Tilth Alliance Edible Plant Sale
Friday, May 7 - Friday, May 14
Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands
5513 S Cloverdale St, Seattle
Choose from the largest selection of organically, sustainably and locally grown vegetable plant starts in the Puget Sound region! This year we're excited to offer even more new varieties to add to your growing garden.
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Please watch our website and social media outlets for information about other events and visit kingcd.org/events to register for future KCD-organized Workshops, Farm Tours and Volunteer Events.
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