This document discusses soil management practices at Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, New York. The farm focuses on building healthy soil through increasing organic matter, using mulch, cover crops, and soil amendments based on annual soil tests. When the owners purchased the land in 1988, the soil had very low organic matter after 30 years of conventional corn production. They prioritized building organic matter through applying thick layers of straw mulch annually and using a bale chopper to incorporate crop residues. This increased the organic matter to over 4% and created highly productive soil. The farm also relies on soil tests, compost, and a variety of organic fertilizers and amendments tailored to the soil needs.

1. Building the Best Soil
Creating Healthy Soils Through Soil
Tests, Mulching & Cover Crops
Paul & Sandy Arnold
NOVEMBER 2013

2. Pleasant Valley Farm
Argyle, New York

3. OUR 10 KEY FACTORS TO
REACHING OUR GOAL OF
PROFITABLE FARMING
• INEXPENSIVE START-UP WITH SMART EXPENDITURES
• GOOD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & RECORD KEEPING
• LABOR EFFICIENCIES TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS
• GOOD SOIL MANAGEMENT & FERTILITY
• MULCHING AND WEED CONTROL
• PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
• SEASON EXTENSION-ROWCOVERS & FIELDHOUSES
• YEAR-ROUND HIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTION
• POST-HARVEST HANDLING AND CROP STORAGE
• CREATIVE MARKETING

4. PAUL & SANDY
FAMILY FARM ENVISIONED
BOTH FROM SUBURBIA
DRIVE TO BE SELF-EMPLOYED

5. ROBERT
• Born in Nov 1992
• Homeschooled K-12
• Age 20
• Now full-time local
College-Computers
• Helps summers & Sat
Markets in Winter
• Great with
Equipment

6. KIM
• Born Dec 1995
• Now 17
• Freshman local
College
• Homeschooled K-12
• Helps run farm 20 to 60
hours per week+
• Markets every
Saturday

7. • 5 Acres Mixed Diverse Vegetables
• ½ Acre Large Fruits
• ¼ Acre Small Fruits
• Perennials & Herbs From Seed
• 3-4 Acres Cover Crops
• Sell at 3 local weekly farmers’ markets in
summer & two Saturday winter markets
• Hay fields used by local Beefalo farmer

8. • Diversity of
Vegetable
Crops
• Large Fruit:
Apples,
Pears,
Cherries,
Plums
• Small Fruit:
Blueberries,
Grapes, &
Strawberries
FRUIT & VEGETABLE CROPS

9. SOIL MANAGEMENT AT
PLEASANT VALLEY FARM
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Organic Matter
Mulching
Soil Tests
Fertilizers
Compost
Cover Crops
Tunnel Soils
Irrigation
Greenhouse
Amendments

10. LAND PURCHASED
1988
40 Acres
•Continuous Conventional
Corn for 30 years
•Very low Organic Matter
•Lots of fertility in the soil
but not registering on tests
WHERE WE STARTED

11. • Organic Matter
• 100% Weed Control
• Moisture Retention
• Prevents Soil Erosion
• Keep Roots Cooler
• Clean Crops
• Disease Suppression
• Workers and crates clean

12. ORGANIC MATTER WAS KEY!
NO WEED SEEDS!
• 1950’s Farmall 400
• 1970’s Gehl Flailchopper
• Chop Hay Fields or Winter Rye in Spring

13. NEW JOHN DEERE 5325 67 HP

15. 2 Types of
SelfUnloading
Wagons
Increasing soil
organic matter
was focus at
start-up
SELF-UNLOADING WAGONS

16. 4-6” Thick Every
Fall
Gross up $10,000
in first year
Organic
Matter up
to 4%+
Quickly

17. •Don’t move
pipes
•Saves space
•Efficient for
time
•Reduce
weeding
SPREAD AROUND ALL
LONG-SEASON CROPS

19. Purchased
Locally
• Custom Grown
• Cut before Pollination
• No Seed
MULCHING WITH STRAW

20. CROPS WE MULCH

22. BRASSICAS
LIKE COOL
ROOTS
• Kale
• Broccoli

23. SWISS CHARD--HERBS

24. TOMATOES, SQUASH & PEPPERS

25. Measure Stick
String & stakes
Planted through the mulch

26. TOMATOES
• Hand plant 4” pots
• Basket-weave
system of staking
using ½” rerod

27. CHANDLER
VARIETY
Mulch either
Matted Row or
Annual Bed
ANNUAL BED STRAWBERRY SYSTEM

28. FEW DISEASES—TURN UNDER IN JULY

29. MULCHING WITH ROUND BALES

30. Neighbors’ Rented Land Good for Hay Production
Custom Bales processed for us

31. CUSTOM-BALED
STRAW:
•Roll out
•Lay 3”
aluminum
irrigation pipe
on top of straw
STATIONARY IRRIGATION

32. Straw Mulch
We have continued to use a lot of hay
and straw mulch on our fields to build
and maintain organic matter

33. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Corn based
Saved weeding
Reduced straw usage
Warmed soil
Breaks down
Conserves water
Comes 4’ or 5’
.6 mil
OMRI approval CLOSE!
NEW SYSTEM 2008
WITH BIO-TELO

34. Mulch
Immediately!
MULCH,PLANT,
AND LEAVE IT
TILL HARVEST!

35. 3 MONTHS LATER!
EARTHWORMS HAPPY

36. OCT 2010
ANOTHER
NEW SYSTEM!
Teagle Tomahawk
Round Bale
Bale Chopper

37. • Custom
grown rye
straw
• Efficient
• Puts straw
where
needed by
machine
• Saves your
back & body
BALE CHOPPER

38. EDGE
LABOR SAVING & GREAT O.M.!
FALL SPREAD ALSO

40. KNOW YOUR SOURCE---NO SEED—TEST!

41. SINGLE ROW
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Summer Squash
• Winter Squash
• Melons
Organic matter is
key to healthy soil,
which means
healthy plants

42. • 2 people plant, one person
drives
• Creaper gear essential
• Watering in plants beneficial
Buckeye with
Rainflo wheelsVersatile as does
1 to 4 rows and
6” to 2 ft in row
TRANSPLANTING BY WATERWHEEL

43. • Peas & worms!
• We now transplant all peas
• Onion & Corn Transplants
TOO MUCH
O.M.??
TRANSPLANTING BY HAND

44. TILLAGE FOR SOIL HEALTH

45. Subsoiler
• Deep
• Hard Pan
• Results of
Growth
PRIMARY TILLAGE

46. Chisel Plows
• Fast
• Better for soil
• 2 foot
• Every year
• Different
points
PRIMARY TILLAGE

47. Kuhn 5 ft Rototiller
• One pass-fine seed bed
• Quality brand
• Commercial
SECONDARY TILLAGE

48. Perfecta II
Rolling
Harrow
• Great when
don’t need fine
seed bed (ex:
potatoes,
onions, squash)
• Good for stale
Seed-bedding
SECONDARY TILLAGE

49. 8 ft set of Harrowing Disks
• Great for large areas
SECONDARY TILLAGE

50. Soil Tests
• Take Annually to track
progress
• Pick a lab and stay with
them — A&L Labs has
great reference book
• Take sample same time
every year
• Be accurate in
sampling—Soil probe is a
good tool to own
SOIL HEALTH

51. Soil Tests
• Amend as needed or get
custom fertilizers (2
opinions)
• Know how to calculate
what is needed
• Know crop needs (Knott’s
Handbook)
• Each Lab is individual
• Logan-extra
micronutrients
• Extension-Resource
SOIL HEALTH

52. Soil Tests
• Micronutrients important
• Ask for full soil analysis
• Bargain at any price!
• No longer 3 major nutrients
• Spread evenly to get all nutrients up to proper
levels
• Side-dressing of Nitrogen is common
• pH must be in proper range (6.5+); Adjust with
lime or sulfur per recommendations
SOIL HEALTH

53. START-UP
Low organic matter
• Rock Phosphate
• Green Sand
• Lime
• Micronutrients
• Get in Balance
NUTRIENTS & FERTILITY

54. • Large
spreaders
• Hand
spreading
• Spray on fields
• Small
spreader
• Through
irrigation
APPLYING NUTRIENTS

55. FORD 1710 OFFSET
FERTILIZER HOPPERS

56. LIQUID MICRONUTRIENT APPLICATIONS
• Even distribution
• Tank Mix
• Spring or Fall
50 GAL 3 PT HITCH HYDRAULIC
SPRAYER W 100’ HOSE

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N. TUNNEL
100
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225
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550
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26.6
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29.5
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0.37
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0.43
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0.41
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0.90
0.80
0.80
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0.50
0.70
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0.04
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0.04
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0.05
0.05
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1.74
1.74
1.74
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2.18
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8.7
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0.11
0.14
0.13
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0.17
0.38
0.11
0.41
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4.50
2.80
2.50
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2.40
2.30
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0.02
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1.74
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4.84
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0.07
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MICRONUTRIENT SPREADSHEET
AUTO CALCULATIONS

58. No ALFALFA MEAL (Organic) 2.50 0.50 2.20
No ARAGONITE 0.00 0.00 0.00 33% Ca
Yes AZOMITE 0.00 0.00 0.00
No BLOOD MEAL 13.00 0.00 0.00
Yes BONE CHAR 1.00 20.00 0.00
No BONE MEAL 6.00 9.00 0.00
Yes BORON (SOLUBOR 20%) 0.00 0.00 0.00
Yes CHEEP CHEEP 4.00 3.00 3.00
Yes CHILEAN NITRATE 16.00 0.00 0.00
No COBALT (33%) 0.00 0.00 0.00
No COPPER (25%) 0.00 0.00 0.00
No CORN GLUTEN 10.00 0.00 0.00
No COTTON SEED MEAL 6.00 2.00 1.00
No EPSOM SALT 0.00 0.00 0.00 10% Mg, 13% S
No FEATHER MEAL 13.00 0.00 0.00
Yes GREENSAND 0.00 0.00 1.00
Yes GYPSUM 0.00 0.00 0.00 23% Ca, 19% S
Yes HUMATE 0.00 0.00 0.00
No KELP MEAL 0.00 0.00 4.80
No Manganese (27%) 0.00 0.00 0.00
No MOLYBDENUM (39.5%) 0.00 0.00 0.00
No PEANUT MEAL 8.00 1.50 1.80
No Pelletized Ca Lime 7.00 1.00 2.00
Yes PHOSPHATE ROCK 0.00 5.00 0.00 22% Total P2O5
Yes SULFT/PTSH 0.00 0.00 51.00
Yes ELEMENTAL SULFUR 0.00 0.00 0.00
No SULPOMAG 0.00 0.00 22.00
No ZnSO4 (35.5%) 0.00 0.00 0.00
Yes PRO-GRO 5.00 3.00 4.00
Yes PRO-START 2.00 3.00 3.00
No PRO-BOOSTER 10.00 0.00 0.00
•
•
•
•
LOTS OF ORGANIC
FERTILIZERS OUT
THERE
Know the numbers
OMRI-approved & listed
Multiple nutrients
What’s needed in your soil

59. VALUES PER UNIT OF ELEMENT
• ton loose Cheep Cheep 4-3-3 OMRI $590.00 ($59)
• ton loose Chilean Nitrate 16-0-0 OMRI $1,488.71 ($93)
• ton loose Pro-Booster 10-0-0 No Chilean $1,032.32 ($103)
• ton loose Pro-Gro 5-3-4 OMRI $647.26 ($54)
• ton loose Sulfate of Potash 0-0-52 OMRI $1,649.20 ($32)
• Ton loose Feather Meal Granular 13-0-0 $1300 ($100)
• ton loose Peanut Meal 8-2-2 $978.57 ($82)
LOOKING AT COMBINATION OF N-P-K

60. VALUES PER UNIT OF ELEMENT
IF WE NEED 60# OF NITROGEN PER ACRE:
1. Using Pro-Gro 5-3-4 would need
60/.05=1200#=$388 per acre
2. Using Peanut Meal 8-2-2 would need
60/.08=750#=$367 per acre
3. Using Feather Meal 13-0-0 would need
60/.13=460#= $299 per acre
LOOKING AT JUST NITROGEN-FARM SPECIFIC

61. CUSTOM BLEND FERTILIZERS
• 20# Solubor (20% B)
• 16# Copper Sulfate (25% Copper)
• 400# Feather Meal
• 200# Humates
• 1214# Peanut Meal
• 100# Elemental Sulfur (90% S)
• 50# Zinc Sulfate (20% ZN)
GIVE SPECIFICS-POUNDS/ACRE & CUSTOM MADE
BASED ON SOIL TEST

62. CUSTOM BLEND FERTILIZERS
• Consider cost at $800 per ton
• Spread at rate of 500# per acre to add
60# of N per acre
• Covers 4 acres and cost is $200 per
acre
• One acre on our farm grosses
approximately $30-35,000 per acre
• GREAT VALUE & Deals with all Nutrients

64. BOOKS FOR
CALCULATIONS &
GUIDANCE
• KNOTTS HANDBOOK
• VEGETABLE
MANAGEMENT GUIDE
• A&L LAB HANDBOOK
LOOK TO BE IN HIGH OR
OPTIMUM RANGE

65. OUR FERTILIZER
• Most fields 30 years 1515-15
• Spray on micronutrients
• Pre-dress with BioTelo
• Sidedress Nitrogen:
Peanut Meal, Soybean
Meal, Cottonseed Meal
• Use custom blend 7-1-1
with deficient
micronutrients
• Calculate cost of N per
acre
• One ton totes

66. • Use custom blends with deficient micronutrients
• Many fields so often 2 or 3 recipes
• One ton totes

67. COMPOST
• Can be good
• Can be bad
• Critical to be
weed-free
• Good if need
nutrients and
organic matter
• Use caution for soil mixes
• Can be
• 1 to 2 year old compost
expensive
best
• Must be
• Elaine Ingham & Soil Food
properly finished
Web—test your compost
SOIL HEALTH

68. COMPOST
• Know your rates
• Use manure
spreader designed
for compost, like
H&S
• Adding other types
of organic matter
are an option, like
leaves, straw, hay,
or lake weeds
SOIL HEALTH

69. ELAINE INGHAM & SOIL FOOD
WEB—TEST YOUR COMPOST

70. BENEFITS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Smother Weeds
Check Erosion
Hold Nutrients
Maintain Organic
Matter
Source of Pollen
for Bees
Food for
Beneficials
Produces straw for
mulching
Break up hardpan
COVER CROPS

71. Less expensive than a Brillion
seeder, fast and spreads seed evenly
Over-seeder to spread cover crop seeds over a
large field or a single bed

72. • Summer
• Smothers weeds
• Bees love it
BUCKWHEAT

74. LOTS OF
VARIETIES OF
COVER CROPS
AVAILABLE
Stale seed bed 1st
If necessary
Sorghum Sudan
used in late
spring/summer
COVER CROP AT HIGH DENSITY

75. •Winter Rye
•Winter Rye/Vetch
•Seed till Nov 1
•Winter cover
Turn under the cover
crop prior to
maturity if
understory weeds
are nearing maturity

76. BEST TO SEED MULTIPLE SPECIES
TOGETHER

77. • Farmall 400
• Gehl
Flailchopper
• Chop Hay
Fields or
Winter Rye
in Spring
CHOP ONLY WHEN NO WEED SEEDS!

79. Rye has an
allelopathic
affect on
seeds—
prevents
seeds from
germinating
Turn under rye 2 to 3 weeks before planting
cash crop seeds

80. Turn rye/vetch or rye/clover under successively in
the spring to get the most growth and benefit

81. Fall seeded clover as an intercropping makes a
great spring cover - Field must be weed-free

82. Full year of
clover
growth great
for 2nd year
crops for N
supply
Mow as
necessary
CLOVER AFTER CHOPPING OFF THE
RYE IN SPRING

83. • Seed by
hand
• Not onto
crop
• Seed about
Aug 1st
• Cultivate 1st
INTERCROPPING WINTER RYE AND
CLOVER

84. Great for fall crops like Brassicas
Heavy rate (Rye 200#+)
Water consecutive days overhead till germed

85. CAN OVERSEED STRAW MULCHED AREAS ALSO
CLEAN AREA FOR HARVEST

86. GREAT COVER CROP FOR
WINTER & NEXT SPRING
OATS IN SPRING ON BEDS

87. Hearneseeds.com
• Kills soil
disease
causing
organisms
and
nematodes
• Biofumigant
• Kodiak
• 15#/acre
MUSTARDS AS COVER CROPS

88. Hearneseeds.com
• Flowering
• Chop, turn
under &
irrigate
• Glucosynolates
• Add compost
• Wait 2 weeks
MUSTARDS AS COVER CROPS

89. Hearneseeds.com
• IDA GOLD
• Suppress
Weeds
• Deep Roots
• Erosion Control
• Another
Brassica in the
rotation??
MUSTARDS AS COVER CROPS

90. HIGH TUNNEL SOIL MANAGEMENT

91. • Organic
Fertilizer
• Micros
• Compost
• Soil Test as
Soil Media
maybe
FERTILITY

92. Rotations
Important

93. Cow peas
COVER CROP -ROTATION

94. PLASTIC OFF

95. FRENCH INTENSIVE METHOD
Asian Greens
for Braising Mix
• Tokyo
Bekana
• Yukina
Savoy
• Vitamin
Green
UTILIZED YEAR-ROUND

97. MANAGE FOR DISEASES

98. COLD TEMPS
AFFECT UPTAKE OF
NUTRIENTS

99. STARTED WITH DRIP
Affordable
Kept crops alive
Water usage
low
Time
Consuming
Not Good Seed
Germination
Hard to
cultivate
IRRIGATION-KEY TO FARMING

100. • 100’ x 100’
• Million Gallons
• Spread out cost
over 3 years
• $15,000 total for
home farm for 4
acres
• Loss of
$10,000?
Really
$30,000
IRRIGATION-PROFITABLE ENDEAVOR

101. Drip Irrigation
• Uses less water
• Good for permanent
crops like blueberries,
raspberries, asparagus
• Long season crops
under black plastic
• Requires filter
• Produces garbage and
continual expense
• Hard to keep up in an
extreme drought
• Great for tunnels
Overhead Irrigation
• Uses more water
• Gets seeds started
• Requires filter
sometimes
• More efficient at getting
transplants watered in
• More expensive initially
• Good for cover crops
IRRIGATION

102. Irrigation
• Critical when
growing produce
• In summer heat,
need up to 2” per
week
• PLANTS NEED
THE WATER
AROUND ROOTS
TO ENABLE
EXCHANGE OF
NUTRIENTS
IRRIGATION

103. TOO MUCH RAIN!

104. • Inexpensive
• Was $1 per
foot
• Tool to
Manage Risk
• Fast Return…
Carrot Crop
lost
FIELD TILING

105. Organic Soil Mix:
4 buckets (5gal) compost
4 buckets (5 gal) horticultural grade peat moss
1 ½ buckets of perlite
4# organic fertilizer 5-3-4
*Test soil mix for pH and
salts and nutrients
*Test greenhouse water for
pH
*Work with professionals if
issues
GREENHOUSE

106. SEEDS
GREENHOUSE

107. • Diseases-Root Shield and
Root Shield Plus
• Actinovate-Fusarium
• Biological Stimulants
• Humic Acids
TRANSPLANT
SOLUTIONS
Water in
GREENHOUSE CARE

108. WATER WHEEL WITH NUTRIENTS IN TANK

109. MYCORRHIZAE
• Mycorrhizae.com
• Beneficial Fungi
• Not for Brassicas
• Fertilizer
• Humates
• Compost Tea
• Biologicals
WATERWHEEL GREAT FOR DIRECT AMENDMENTS

110. • Know
nutrient
needs of
each crop
DIVERSITY & ROTATION

111. Diversity and
Rotation for Health
of Soil

112. • Rotate families
• Break insect &
disease
cycles
• 3-4 Year
minimum
ROTATION IS KEY

113. GROW HEALTHY FOOD TO FEED
THE COMMUNITY YEAR-ROUND!

114. Well-managed soils yields produce with
increased nutrients

115. HEALTHY SOILS YIELD QUALITY PLANTS

116. HEALTHY SOILS MEAN LESS DISEASES & INSECTS
NOVEMBER 22ND 37 DIFFERENT ITEMS FOR SALE!

118. WHERE WE GET OUR
ELECTRICITY & HOT WATER!
SOLAR, SOLAR & MORE
SOLAR!
NETMETERING 10Kw + 19Kw
Evacuated Tubes-Hot Water

119. THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT
2013 SEASON!
Hawaii 2006
Alaska, Glacier 2011