From Soil to Supper: How Healthy Soils Create Nutrient Dense Food
Nutrient density and food as medicine is gaining more traction than ever as individuals seek to take more responsibility over their health and wellbeing. As the science on nutrient density is developing, it is becoming clear that when we compare apples to apples, or any fruits, vegetables or meat for that matter, there is actually significant variation in levels of essential nutrients. The science is pointing to the soil as the differentiating factor.
Sourcing directly from farmers who share openly about their practices is one way for consumers to understand the quality of the soil in which their food is grown and subsequently, the nutritional value of that product. But what agricultural practices should consumers be looking for? And how can producers tell the story of how healthy soils grow healthy plants and animals, giving health to us humans?
The Soil Sociobiome
Just as one might seek to include a diversity of whole foods in their diet, one should also look for the same for the soils in which their food is grown. Keeping living roots in the ground with a highly diverse cover crop mix keeps your microbiology fed and flourishing. Feeding soil microbiology a diverse diet of plant root exudates helps to build a thriving soil sociobiome, one where soil biology can supply crops with the nutrients and minerals they need to combat disease and pests in exchange for liquid carbon. You can learn more about this sort of “economy” of the soil in Keith’s popular talk, Carbonomics and learn about the Soil Sociobiome in this webinar with Dr. Christine Jones.
Pay Attention to Plant Families
Dr. Christine Jones recommends aiming for at least 4 different plant families in a cover crop mix. For example, our cool season soil builder mix contains 11 different plant species from 6 different plant families and 3 of those families alone are represented by the broadleaf species flax, sunflower and phacelia. Even in small quantities, an additional plant family introduces unique root exudates that support unique soil microbiology.
It Starts with the Soil
Prioritizing seed quality ensures that seeds come equipped with the microbial diversity they need to thrive, especially during germination and early establishment. You can learn more about the significance of the seed microbiome in John Kempf’s article, Seeds and Seedlings with Speed and learn how Green Cover seed is grown in our webinar series on Regenerative Seed Growers.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Our friends over at Advancing Eco Ag recently shared this story of a grower who was able to grow grapefruit 8 times higher in nutrients than that of conventionally grown fruit. Stories like Herb’s demonstrate the power of diverse cover crops and strategic biological inoculation to produce fruit of extremely high quality.
Maximizing the diversity of plant species and root exudates being pumped into soils is an excellent way to build soils that contain the microbial diversity to support healthy, disease resistant crops that produce nutrient dense food. Starting with quality seed, a highly diverse cover crop mix plus some type of biological primer are all excellent ways to ensure your soils get supercharged with biology that supports healthy plants.
Be sure to give the Green Cover team a call today to get your spring cover crop mix going!
