P 17 Soil Everything starts with excellent soil quality! Without a healthy soil there is no healthy meadow, water or field edge. It has been scientifically proven that a rich soil life ensures optimization of soil processes, that more nutrients become available for the plants and soil structure remains airy. Frequent and deep plowing damages life beneath the surface. Also the use of fertilizers is harmful to soil life, besides the fact that it takes a lot of energy to produce. We therefore encourage the organic method, without the use of fertilizer and pesticides. Another application we promote to stimulate life beneath the surface is to distribute solid manure on the mowing plots. Areas for pasture, on the other hand, we will not further fertilize. We also don’t use heavy machines because they cause soil compaction. As a result, life beneath the surface and the root system of the grasses would not be able to function optimally. By using lighter tools we prevent compaction. Not plowed for 15 years Dairy farmer Jakob and his son Feitze tell us that they have not plowed their land for about 15 years. This is clearly visible above the ground. Their meadows are much more colourful then the at the adjacent farms. Buttercups, dandelions, cuckoo-flowers, sorrel, etc. provide a colourful meadow. “A meadow like a meadow should be.” Hooidammer farmer Jakob Solid manure as the black gold Dairy farmer Jan-Klaas sees solid manure from his stable as the black gold. All life beneath the surface, including bacteria, fungi and protozoa, benefits from the application of solid manure. Cow feces are swarming with earthworms. The more earthworms in a meadow, the better it is for the birds in the meadow. Manure also attract additional flies and dung beetles, which are also a healthy feed for the meadow birds and their chicks. Because, “what is good for the earthworm is good for the cow” is Jan-Klaas’s motto. Hooidammer farmer Jan-Klaas
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