Farming and market gardening require continually learning and appropriately managing risks. Robert "Bob" Waring of Brandon Farms in Essex County, Virginia is a proponent of cover crops, soil health, and on-farm research. Bob states he sees the beginning of a movement, particularly as farmers learn from other farmers. He has embraced cover crops, and he consistently maps biomass yields and samples his fields' soil nutrient levels.

In testing theories and making observations through the years, Bob has been able to reduce external inputs of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and lime, while increasing yields and return on investments. Bob attributes some of these results to improved biological activity in the soil and restored natural nutrient cycling. In addition, the summer cover crops he plants protect soil moisture, reduce soil temperatures compared to bare ground, and buffer soil pH. 

If you have questions about building soil health and the benefits of following climate-smart principles in your cropping and farming systems, please visit your local Virginia Cooperative Extension unit, a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office near you. 

To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/.

To review the four core soil health principles and access the recent 4 The Soil blog posts that Jeff Ishee referenced, please visit https://www.4thesoil.org/.

As always, we would love to learn about your soil health journey and encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement.