Boosting soil fertility and making money from compost tea in Canada

Terrance Boyle, the owner of Forever Green Organic Farm and Gardens in Canada has seen first-hand how an unusual kind of soil testing has helped Oregon, U.S.A. farmers boost crop production. "There is nothing like talking to a farmer to tell you what works and what doesn't work," says the organic beef and vegetable farmer, who visited Oregon farms several years ago. The Chronicle Herald recently ran a story on the unique type of soil testing.

Typically, soil is tested for chemicals like potassium, potash and nitrogen, but soil foodweb science looks deeper. It measures "the life" or micro-organisms in soil such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes.

Soil Foodweb Canada East Ltd. opened in Halifax in November 2006 and is using the methods of Oregon scientist Elaine Ingham, a pioneer in the field. The lab analyzes the microbiology of soil, and then recommends the correct compost or "compost tea," a liquid brewed using compost material to replace missing micro-organisms in the soil. Besides micro-organisms, compost tea contains the right food for the micro-organisms to grow.

"Not every compost is the same. You have to match the compost with the crop and the soil deficiency," says Glenn Munroe, business manager of Soil Foodweb. "Essentially this is about being able to reduce disease and grow things with a very high level of productivity without commercial fertilizer and without pesticides," said Munroe said, who is one of three owners
of the business.