----- Original Message ----- From: "The Korrows" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 9:51 AM Subject: Re: What is Magic?> > > What kind of farm do you have? Dear Christy, We will farm 21 pivots for 03 season (each 130 irrigated acres). We will have corn, kidney beans, wheat, alfalfa and irrigated grass pasture mix, with cattle rotating throughout the farm to utilize "scrap" feed, such as corn stalks, green manures planted behind wheat, pasture, etc. We have come from very conventional ag (just knew we had to have the chemicals, salt based fertilizers, etc) 6 years ago and are struggling to survive economically through the transition to more regenerational farming practices. Soils are what they call Valentine sand, which means OM of 1-2% (if you haven't burned it up already--we were down under 1% of lots of it). So it was pretty easy to wreck it in short order. We've made and applied compost, quit using alot (not all) of the chemicals, used prodigous amounts of natural soil amendments, cut way back on the salt based fertilizers and add molasses as a carbon source with all of them, use green manure crops, reintroduced cattle, increased diversity of crops, and worked real hard on our "intent" here. We also put in a greenhouse to grow our own vegetables after realizing through all the reading and learning we've done in this process that most of what you buy in the store is garbage. The two 500 gallon tea brewers were kept very busy all season and we love that process to try and replenish the soil biology. Just beginning to understand the importance of the fungal component needed in the soil, so looking to make teas more fungal. (thanks steve storch) It was at my first BD conference in Oct (thanks allan balliet) that it became clear to me that we could cover our farm with the preps if it worked in the teas. We currently have 4 of Hugh Lovels pipes broadcasting the preps but the teas should be able to work together with that. But my biggest concern is putting the wrong preps in at the wrong times for what is needed out there!?!?!? So I will begin slow and "try and let the process teach me" as I have been told to do. As I said before, I don't really even know if I believe that bigger farms are correct anymore, but it is the way it is. My dream is to make this place an example of health and vitality and to be able to share the processes with anyone who honestly wants to make a difference and to help those folks maybe sidestep some of the mistakes we have made. I know it is possible to grow exceptionally good crops on these soils and to improve the soil at the same time. It should be a continuing upward spiral, and we are seeing it on some of the fields (not all yet to our frustration) but some of them are reaching out to us and letting us know IT IS WORKING!!!! Thanks for your comments and if there is a BD farmer somewhere in Nebraska (you thought maybe Bob Steffan-Massena Farms) could you maybe help me to contact him with a town name or something?
Thanks again- Michelle Wendell > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Jack Wendell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 9:39 AM > Subject: Re: What is Magic? > > >
