WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET ON YOUR PROPERTY?
WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET ON YOUR PROPERTY?
Your tractor or machinery? Your animals? Your Land? How about your soils?
The soil and its biology are the engine room of our properties. More precisely the bacteria, fungi and other microbes living in the sub-soil. One teaspoon of healthy soil contains up to a billion bacteria. More importantly, it contains up to 10,000 different species of microorganisms. That is more biodiversity than all mammals in the entire world – in one teaspoon.
It is the health and the diversity of those microorganisms which determines the health of the plant, animal and human life above ground.
It is the health and diversity of the microorganisms below ground which should determine all our Land Management activities.
All microorganisms in a particular environment are called microbiome. The microbiomes of us humans, animals, plants and soils are interdependent. The healthier and more diverse the microbiome in the soil, the more vibrant it is in us humans.
Healthy microorganisms also have structural tasks. If the soil is healthy it can retain water, providing huge underground water storage. Land becomes more drought and flood resistant and less susceptible to bushfires.
When colonised by healthy microorganisms, soil particles stick together and prevent loss of topsoil and landslides; resulting in less erosion.
So give back and Spoil the Soil.
For everything we take out, we need to give back to the soil – tenfold. In Australia and globally, we lose more Topsoil than we generate, making it increasingly difficult to grow healthy and resilient plants.
If all our Land Management activities aim to spoil the soil, not only will we produce nutrient-dense foods for our animals and ourselves, but we will support our properties by becoming more structurally sound with more coherent soils.
This, in turn, makes us much less susceptible to droughts, floods, bushfires, and erosion.