What methods do organic farmers use to improve the health of their soil?
Crop rotation: Crop rotation means changing the kind of crop produced in each field each growing season. Organic farmers may take five or more years before the same crop is planted again in a particular field. Organic farmers, including livestock producers, practice crop rotation in order to build and maintain soil health and to break the lifecycle of pests, thus reducing the need for synthetic fertilizer and pesticide applications. “Green manure” or cover crops: Green manure is a crop that is grown then plowed into the soil or otherwise left to decompose for the purpose of soil improvement. Examples of cover crops used for green manure include soybeans, clover, rye, and others. Green manure does not mean raw manure. Manure management: Manure offers a natural means to cycle plant nutrients. As such, animal manure forms an important part of organic soil fertility programs. Manure, either by itself or blended with crop residues, makes up much of the raw material for the compost used on o
