Bow Creek Field Day explains importance of soil biology

CROFTON — More than 50 farmers, gardeners, crop consultants, and others interested in conservation convened June 29 at the Crofton City Auditorium to learn about the importance of soil biology and practices that can be implemented to promote soil health as part of the 2023 Bow Creek Field Day. A dynamic group of speakers addressed the group, featuring Dr. Elaine Ingham, founder of Soil Foodweb Inc., Jimmy Emmons, a regenerative farmer from Oklahoma, and Doug Steffen, a local producer, who is implementing best management practices to promote healthy soil biology.

Starting off the presentations, Dr. Ingham spoke about the soil food web and how important it is for producers. The soil food web is the combination of organic matter and the community of organisms that decompose the organic matter in the soil. At the base of the web are bacteria and fungi which consume and decompose the organic matter directly, converting it to plant-usable nitrogen resulting in a healthy soil environment. Dr. Ingham also explained that with a healthy soil food, web crops receive everything that they need to grow and yield productively. Jimmy Emmons continued the conversation by sharing his journey to letting the soil food web do all the work on the farm while maintaining production and increasing profits.

The afternoon started with Doug Steffen sharing how he is implementing soil conservation practices within the Bow Creek Watershed including cattle grazing, no-till, and cover crops. Dr. Ingham and Emmons led a session accessing the soil in one of Steffen’s fields. They dug up a soil sample and evaluated the soil looking for good healthy soil indicators such as earthworms, soil color, and compaction. Emmons demonstrated how having a variety of cover crops helps moderate soil temperature, reduce compaction, and protect the soil. Dr. Ingham then led attendees in building a custom compost based on the field’s needs. Attendees were also given the opportunity to observe how Steffen creates his compost extracts and how to apply these extracts via a sprayer.

A hands-on microscope lab was taught June 30 and July 1 by Dr. Ingham. The lab focused on composting and evaluating the soil food web under a microscope. She walked participants through the process of evaluating the different components of the compost and building custom compost recipes. Participants identified good composting materials and gauged the nitrogen and carbon content of the living and nonliving components in making great compost. A few of the participants brought their own custom compost to evaluate, and they were shown how to modify their sprayers and planters to be able to apply these compost extracts easily.

The Bow Creek Watershed Project works with producers to implement conservation practices to address E. coli levels in Bow Creek. Becky Ravenkamp, Bow Creek Watershed Coordinator, explained that one of the goals of the Project is