Q: How can we regenerate soil organically ?
A: Regenerating soil is actually very easy.
When you plant something in the ground, that specific plant needs specific nutrients. What we do is that with the following crop add back those nutrients that were absorbed by the previous plants. For this reason, the soil is always in perfect balance.
A balanced soil is a mixture of well-balanced minerals, high organic matter, humus, humic, fulvic and carbonic acids, good aeration and bountiful soil life. Not just extracting but actually bringing back nutrients to the soil in a natural way.
What is healthy soil ?
A: Healthy soil is difficult to measure and describe, but to know if we have a healthy soil, we need to understand organic matter. The addition and accumulation, enhanced nutrient cycling with fewer nutrient losses from soil. As a result, we need to increase soil microbial community function, formation of soil aggregates (larger pieces of soil) and large soil pores, and decrease its compaction.
You can achieve this with conservation practices including
- + conservation tillage (reduced tillage or no-till)
- + reducing soil compaction by minimizing passes over a field
- + extending rotations by growing a variety of crops
- + planting cover crops between growing seasons
- + growing perennial vegetation and mulching
Sometimes it is difficult to implement, but a combination of these conservation practices can help increase a soil's health.
Q: How can you increase a soilβs health in your local neighbourhood ?
A: Soil supplies nutrients and water, which are vital for plants, and are home to organisms that interact with plants, for better or worse. In the natural environment, plants form relationships with soil microbes to obtain water, nutrients and protection against some pathogens. In return, the plants provide food.
In short, regenerative agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that seeks to rehabilitate and enhance the entire ecosystem of the farm.
Q: Where can I find organic local vegetables in Amsterdam ?
There are plenty of options when it comes to finding organic local vegetables in Amsterdam. In order to support farmers and therefore regenerate soil, you can visit local markets like Noorder Market or Haarlemmerplein Market or support community supported agriculture like:
Check it out and help to regenerate agriculture hand in hand with farmers.
Q: How can we make the most out of a crisis like Covid-19 ?
A: This time is a call for us to open our eyes and realize that the system that society has created needs to be adjusted. We need to understand that not everything is available all year around and that by supporting local farmers. Therefore, it is importat to adjust to natural cycles. There are seasons and within this season specific crops grow. If you would like to eat something from off season you need to preserve it and consume it whenever you feel like it. .
Fortunately people are being more conscious about this topics and want to make a change but unfortunately they don't know where or how. This is why Roots Rice and Beans was born. In order to give you the option to eat as seasonal local and sustainable as possible. By buying our products you support small farms that implement regenerative agricultural methods.
Click here to know more about their products: