4: La Vie en Rows

Growing in a covered space seems to be a trend for many local vegetable growers and there is good reason in our northern climate. To help measure the soil health both inside and outside of a caterpillar tunnel, farmers can use a soil health report card with four easy soil health tests.

SFA Crow River Chapter member Sarah Lindblom takes this on in her new project: La Vie en Rows. Using a Mill City Farmers Market Next Stage Grant, she constructed a caterpillar tunnel at her farm in Buffalo, Solar Fresh Produce. She has some recommendations to share on the construction process, using an infiltration test, and on occultation, a soil-health building tool that keeps the soil covered...with tarps.

Throughout the season, she'll be reporting back with her experiences and a "soil health report card" from inside the tunnel on the SFA website. Read the first report and follow along here. 

 

Get in touch with Katie with ideas and feedback at katie@sfa-mn.org.

The viewpoints of the speakers expressed within or outside of this episode do not necessarily reflect the goals and mission of SFA.

Dirt Rich is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.