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A major priority for successful vegetable farming is the need for sustainable year-round production. When planning field operations it is critical to consider the health of your farms greatest asset … its SOIL. The amount of organic matter in the soil is reduced after several cultivations. Growers can rebuild the soil organic matter using a variety of composts and green manure crops, to help maintain productivity and good soil structure.
Butler Market Gardens, based at Heatherton, is committed to using sustainable management practices across their business. Farm Manager Greg Rankin, has seen real benefits after just two years of using compost in his soil management program. “Healthy soils will produce healthy plants, looking after soil heath is very important to us”, said Greg. Compost contains a range of nutrients that contribute to crop growth. Increasing soil organic matter also improves soil structure and exchange capacity, reducing fertiliser and irrigation losses and producing a more uniform crop. We need healthy soils to grow healthy plants at low cost. “Soil is our most important asset and we want to look after it properly”, said Greg.
Urban communities and agriculture are moving towards ‘zero waste’ principals that include environmental and socially acceptable recycling of their wastes. With commercial production of compost on the increase, product is becoming cheaper to source and could provide a viable alternative to the disposal of green waste to landfill sites. For more information contact :
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