Joel Simmons and Jack Higgins welcome back Lawrence Mayhew, EarthWorks Chemist, to talk about an amazing experience. We enjoyed a pasture walk, facilitated by our sister company for their agriculture clients, as we learned more about how a plant really works. The pasture walk was hosted by a gentleman who learned how to establish good soils and pasture grasses from our founding partner, Jerry Brunetti.
Thirty years ago, these fields were a Christmas tree farm, a plant that demands a lot of potassium and nitrogen to grow. When they were transformed into grass pastures to graze cows, the mineral content was not suited to this new purpose. Over the years of working cattle he was able to restore the soils to a well-balanced chemical environment and one that promotes a very diverse biological environment. The process took several years; but, as soil biology changed and improved, the weed populations also changed, and the desired grasses started to populate the fields.
The process took several years; but, as soil biology changed and improved, the weed populations also changed, and the desired grasses started to populate the fields...
One of the focuses of this pasture program was to remineralize the soil, using mineral rich fertilizers and supplements. This is the backbone of sustainable agriculture, and the biological soil management process is the same approach that EarthWorks has been focused on for revitalizing the soils in the turf industry. The story told here is a fascinating one. In this discussion, we talk about what the pasture manager experienced and compare it to the process that we use to help turf managers build sustainable soils in their environment.