biology

I'm going to San Rafael on Thursday to take another soil biology class with Dr. Elaine Ingham. If there is such a thing as a Soil Food-Webby, I've become it.

We've been producing compost at Silver Lake Farms for years now but what's lighting my candle at the moment is making just the right kind of compost.

Since taking Elaine's classes, I can't help thinking N:P:K is "out" and F:B ratios are "in".

We're going to start producing different kinds of composts here at Silver Lake Farms. One that is more fungal (F) in nature, and one that is more bacterial (B).

Why?

These two pictures show brussels sprouts seedlings. Both seedlings come from the same batch of seed; they germinated at the same time and followed the same path from a nursery in Lake View Terrace to Tin House Farm in Malibu (Thank you Jill and Patrick Dempsey for supporting Silver Lake Farms!) .

We transplanted the brussels sprouts seedlings into different raised beds at Tin House Farm. The raised bed with the huge specimen next to my hand is filled with soil that has a balanced F:B ratio, perfect for growing vegetables. The bed with the puny seedling is filled with soil that is too fungal in nature for growing vegetables in successfully. Again, both seedlings come from the same stock and were transplanted at the same time.

The difference, as you can see, is amazing.

Thank you Sherry, Rachel, Matt, Beat and Stephanie for coming to the "Grapes of Wrath" screening tonight. Thank you Wild Goodness. We love tending the Bike Farm @ Geffen @ MoCA.

tara