The Plan
Today is the last day of being at the orchard and there is nothing I have planned for today other than research. Last night Pascal suggested that today be a day where I look at all that I've learned, choose what I think is interesting, and start focusing on that so I can start getting ready for the intensive fair. I completely understand where he is coming from but at the same time there are a few more topics that I really want to learn about/understand better such as “complexe argilo-humique” which is something that Pascal brought up the other night when trying to explain redox. Additionally, I want to brush up on what humification is because I know I struggled with that when I first read about it. I also want to read more into Elaine’s work on the soil food web seeing as the first article I read about her didn’t really mention it as much as I would have hoped. I also am planning to finally finish up the bug notes with Axelle though depending on her schedule/how she’s feeling we may not end up doing it.
What I Learned
The main focus of today, as I said earlier, was research, and I’m very proud to say that I knocked off everything (regarding research, I wasn’t able to go over things with Axelle) I said I would including the humus-clay complex (complexe argilo-humique), the soil food web, and humification. To briefly sum up what I learned, the humus-clay complex is essentially the bonding of humus and clay (both negatively charged) through positively charged atoms called cation. These cations then attract negatively charged atoms called anions which allows for a cation exchange which can help manage the soil’s structure, the soil's PH, the soil's nutrient retention and the soil's reaction to artificial chemicals. That’s the first section of the humus-clay complex document, though there’s also a section on chemistry, and biological activity. My plan for Monday is to start reading the biological activity portion seeing as, for the purpose of the intensive, I don’t need to learn about the chemical formulas. Besides the humus-clay complex, I also looked more into the soil food web and surprisingly, a lot of it was a repeat of what I already know. With regards to humification….I’m still a bit confused on it and plan to do more research…
Reflection
I came here with the intention of learning about sustainable farming and I’m leaving here knowing that, and so much more. In my time here I’ve met with specialists, gotten tours of the packhouse, learned how the orchards are managed, and about agroecology and the importance of soil; in short, I’ve learned everything I can. The next step for me is to start figuring out what the focus of my intensive is going to be, with 37 pages of notes I'm going to have to either condense, or hone in on a certain subject….but that problem is for another day.