Class 4

Soil Cultivation and Seasonal Management

 Soil cultivation is the quintessential farming activity.  It may also be responsible for the downfall of many a civilization - including our own.  Cultivation is undoubtedly a powerful management strategy but can easily lead to trouble when trying to address the economics of farming.  So how do we use this tool to improve soil quality instead of promoting erosion, damaging soil structure and causing compaction? (Note: easier said than done!)

 But soil cultivation isn’t the only way we interact with the soil and our interactions change throughout the season.  Timing is everything and we’ll take a look at some of the soil interactions that occur throughout the growing season - both positive and negative!

 Date: March 3rd, 2012 1pm-4pm

Location: UBC Farm, 6182 South Campus Rd. Vancouver

Cost: $20/class (+$1.49 registration fee) or $70 (+$2.74 registration fee) if you register for all 4 classes

What to bring: Pen, notebook and clothes you can wear outside

In this 4th and last class you will learn about:

 Soil Cultivation

●        Why we cultivate the soil

●        Cultivation methods and their effect on soil quality

○        Choosing the right approach for your scale

○        Frequency and depth of cultivation

○        Impact of Cultivation

■        Compaction

■        Structure

●        No-till Soil Management

○        Benefits and challenges of

■        Strategies for cover cropping

 Soil Management Throughout the Season

●        Soil interventions over time

●        Seasonal Inputs

○        When to add compost and how

○        When to add lime and how (and how much!)

○        Adding other soil amendments

 Field Walk

●        Would you cultivate this field now?  Do you need to?

●        What could we be planting now?

 From Grass to Greens

●        How will you cultivate your soil this season?

Integrating no-till into your soil management system

Presenter Bio:

  Chris Thoreau holds a BSc. in Agroecology from the University of British Columbia where he focused on soils, small-scale plant breeding, and urban farming.  Previous to his time at UBC he operated Influence Organics, a one-acre certified organic farm on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula.  Here Chris focused on utilizing no-till and permaculture principles to grow a variety of vegetables for local markets, CSAs and restaurants. He also sat on the board and certification committee of the local certifying body, the Islands’ Organic Producers Association.  He is also an IOIA-trained organic inspector. Chris currently operates My Urban Farm - a bicycle-powered urban farm in Vancouver that specialized in microgreens, and co-owns 24 Carrots - another bicycle powered initiative that works with organic, biodynamic and urban farms to offer one of Vancouver’s most diverse CSAs.

Growing Season Workshops:
This event is part of the UBC Farm Growing Season Workshop Series.  Our goal is to connect sustainability and life-skills experts with our local community through accessible and affordable workshops.   Come join us for a workshop, gain new skills and knowledge, and help support the UBC Farm!