What are the realities for building soil health in orchards and vineyards? Tree fruit and grapes require different strategies for reducing competition from other woody perennials and weeds. Tension can exist between balancing crop needs and building soil health in orchards and vineyards.  

Tim Ohlwiler is an extension agent for horticulture with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) in Fauquier County, Virginia. Tim works with nurseries, landscapers, orchards, vineyards, small fruit growers, and vegetable growers in the Northern Piedmont Region. In this episode, Tim talks with Jeff, Mary, and Eric about horticultural realities and soil health and how he is working with orchards and vineyards to minimize soil disturbance, while also working to get school children excited and energized about soil science.      

For specific follow-up questions for Tim Ohlwiler, his contact information is available at https://fauquier.ext.vt.edu/staff.html If you have questions about building soil health within orchards and vineyards or 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. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.  

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.