We want the creek and river adjacent to the Connected Living Farm to flow with the most pristine water absolutely possible. Thus, we apply no products that contain harmful or potentially-toxic synthetic chemicals during our farm operations. An exception is made for the gasoline and lubricants necessary to operate our farm equipment.
The river valley serves to filter the water flowing into the creek. The vibrant wildflowers that abound in this field are a testament to the water quality.
We love being able to access sites along the Smith River and creek by foot, mountain bike or All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV), but this intense use requires consistent management practices to prevent excessive sediment deposition into these waterways.
As herds of herbivores and flocks of birds migrated, their symbiotic relationship supported the nutrient cycle for the broader ecosystem. The strength of an ecosystem is in its soil. The billions of microorganisms under each footstep on healthy topsoil serve to sequester carbon that would be released as carbon dioxide if destabilizing conditions, such as tillage or erosion, cause soil microorganisms to die from being removed from their niche.
Fortunately, animals can migrate and find the best food for them over much larger distances than soil microorganisms can. A method of rotational grazing in which a flock of chickens rotates through a paddock recently occupied by the cows lets all the beneficial soil microorganisms receive all the balance of nutrition they need to flourish, while mitigating the release of carbonaceous greenhouse gases, such as methane.
We apply cover crop to stabilize the soil ecosystem between grazing seasons, so that the nutrients that have been deposited remain in the ground, utilized by soil microbes through out the year. This prevents topsoil from eroding and delivers excellent nutrition to the animals that graze on the cover crop.