Tips to Create Soil That Grows Food and Combats Climate Change

My mission to start my own small organic garden has got me thinking a lot about soil. From the practical, gardener's perspective, it's important to have healthy, nutrient-rich soil because crops grow better in good dirt. But I recently came across a really interesting article in Ode Magazine that made me realize that creating healthy soil in my backyard could affect more than just my veggies.

It turns out that dirt is kind of a big deal, because like so many of our natural resources, we're running out of it. According to soil-expert and educator John Jeavons, who started Ecology Action, we lose six units of soil for every unit of food we consume. That means the world loses about 83 billion tons of soil each year. In sub-Saharan Africa, this loss of topsoil is predicted to make refugees of 60 million people over the next 20 years. I bet you never knew dirt could have such serious, global implications.

Jeavons' solution to the problem is to plant gardens that create as much soil as they use. To do this, he considers the potential for carbon-capture of each of the elements he adds to his soil. For this reason, it's not unusual for Jeavons to grow crops specifically in order to let them rot, and then add them to a compost pile. It might seem counterintuitive to grow crops that won't be consumed, but the role such plantings play in the health of the soil creates much more fertile land for growing the crops that are intended for consumption. According to Jeavons, in order to create sustainable, edible plants, you must first create nutrient-rich compost.

Perhaps the most compelling argument for Jeavons' gardening methods is that they use as little land as possible. If you have a small, urban plot or are just a conservation-minded backyard farmer, it will be easy to adapt to his methods. Ecology Action's Grow Biointensive guidelines are a great way to find out more about Jeavons' method of gardening, composting, and capturing carbon for your own backyard. Other sites offer up additional ideas for amending organic soil, such as planting deep-rooted flora that allows for absorption of mineral reserves, using cover crops and crop rotation, and of course, composting (a great solution to food waste).

Even if you are lucky enough to live on land where you can toss a few seeds out and wait for sprouts, it's still important to remember that capturing carbon and creating fertile soil is a way to help the earth using only your own, two hands. Who knew playing in the dirt could have such huge planetary benefits?

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons