Yes, this is me with a mushroom growing out of my nose. I’m hoping the picture will make sense by the end of my story so bear with me! Let’s start with some science. Generally speaking, trees can grow tall because their wood is made up of a tough polymer called lignin. Lignin is made [...]
The point of this blog post is merely to geek out about the return of rhubarb here in the Midwest. Ideally, I would be able to tie this excitement to soil health. And I can do this! As a perennial plant, rhubarb is a very important soil stabilizer. It prevents eager spring gardeners from tilling [...]
Released today: https://www.npr.org/2019/02/07/691997301/rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-releases-green-new-deal-outline FDR’s New Deal was a massive and transformative package of legislation that is still benefiting the United States despite decades of erosion by short-sighted politicians. Here are just a few of the most important things that came out of the original New Deal from 1933 to 1939: Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons [...]
December 5th was designated as international World Soil Day by the UN General Assembly in 2013. The date was chosen because 12/5 was the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who first sanctioned the event. Globally, on this day, we take time to recognize the vital importance of Earth's soil. Largely taken [...]
Burrr! Winter is here it seems. Plants are dormant, gardens are sleeping, but under the leaf litter there is still life busily working to recompose stored nutrients from the summer sun! In fact, Dr. Elaine Ingham of Soil Food Web Inc says that the greatest rate of decomposition anywhere on the planet is under a [...]
Greetings! What an interesting spring it has been so far! From several feet of snow to nearly 100 degree days within just a couple weeks span. Imagine the rapid adjustments that must take place below ground as plants begin to awaken, unfurl, and respond to the unpredictable weather. How do the living creatures that make [...]
Despite the historic snow and record low temps, spring is here! Buds are bursting from formerly dormant branches, our traveling bird friends are returning, and little bits of green are popping from the cold earth. This long winter has got me itching to be outside in the garden. I can’t wait to spread some seeds [...]
Each packet contains a mix of field peas, oats, and tillage radish! The peas are legumes; they form a symbiotic relationship with a type of bacteria that has the power to fix nitrogen gas (N2) from the air and transform it into plant available nitrogen in the soil! The pea plant attracts and feeds these rhizobium [...]
February 22nd 2018 6:15-7:15pm @ Hamline Midway Library You've seen the headlines, heard the gossip, but who in the world are these soil microbes?? Soil is the key to solving most of the problems we face today. Healthy soils clean and hold water, remediate pollution, sequester carbon, and grow nutrient-dense food. How? Countless microbes working [...]
Want to compost indoors all year round? Join Renaissance Soil at Frogtown Farm for a Vermicomposting 101 Workshop! Saturday March 3rd 10-11:30am @ Frogtown Farm 941 Lafond Ave St. Paul Suggested Donation: $10 Limited amount of worms for purchase at the event first come first serve: $20 for 500 worms $30 for 500 worms [...]
Press Release December 15th 2017 Twin Cities Soil Health Community Gathering Renaissance Soil, a St. Paul-based nonprofit working to advance regenerative practices, is hosting a community gathering on January 24th from 6-8pm at Uptown’s Community Space on 36th & Bryant. All are welcome. Modeled after the numerous rural NGOs and inspired by [...]
Earlier this week I was reading in Orion Magazine about these people who took action to shutdown the tar sands oil pipelines last year. I’ve never seen news of their court dates in the mainstream media until actively searching for it to find a semi-recent article in Newsweek. They face 22 years in prison for [...]
Potter Ridge Farm 