Closed Loop Fertility
I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge animal person by nature but I’ve witnessed the power that animals have in transforming farms, as well as spaces and people, so I’ve committed to include them in our gardens in some fashion. One of the pillars of biodynamic agriculture is to create a “healthy” farm, or garden, by creating a closed loop fertility cycle. This means all the nutrients needed come directly from the farm as byproducts of farming. When farms need to bring materials in from outside it’s often an indicator of a “sick” farm. This is a lofty goal for any farm, or garden, and certainly difficult in urban settings, but still one worthy of consideration. To reach this goal—animals are key! This philosophy came from Rudolf Steiner in the early 1900’s. Here is a quote from his second Agriculture Lecture from 1924:
“A farm is true to its essential nature, in the best sense of the word, if it is conceived as a kind of individual entity in itself—a self contained individuality. Every farm should approximate to this condition. This ideal cannot be absolutely attained, but it should be observed as far as possible. Whatever you need for agricultural production, you should try to posses it within the farm itself (including in the “farm,” needless to say, the due amount of cattle.) Properly speaking, any manures of the like which you bring into the farm from outside should be regarded rather as a remedy for a sick farm. This is the ideal. A thoroughly healthy farm should be able to produce within itself all that it needs.”
Cattle in particularly was mentioned and loved for their ability to fertilize soil, in addition to producing meat and milk. Of the typical farm animal manure (cow, horse, chicken, goat), cow manure is considered the most balanced in nutrients. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, as well as calcium, magnesium, sulfur and even trace minerals.
So what does this mean for home gardeners who don’t want a cow? Here are some strategies we’ve used to incorporate the benefits of cows and other animals into our gardens.
We spray our entire property with Biodynamic Field and Garden Spray every spring. This is a mixture of plant, mineral, and animal materials which help enliven the soil with beneficial bacteria, enzymes, fungi, and plant growth hormones. We purchase all of our biodynamic preparations from Josphine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics. We make a slurry of this powder and let it sit for 24 hours, then dissolve it into water and use a backpack sprayer to apply it to the land. You can get different sized packages so no farm or garden is too small.
We also have a small flock of chickens, and once had a rabbit. Both take up very little space but produce manure high in nitrogen. All animal bedding goes right into the compost pile which amazingly heats it up and cooks it down in record time. Before we had animals our compost pile would have to sit for a solid year until it turned to humus. We feed the hens, they feed us, then fertilize the soil. Compost is not only great for gardens but its great for lawns too!
We get truckloads of horse manure from neighbors to mix into our compost piles and we use a compost starter which contains animal materials. I began using this years ago in a small backyard plastic compost bin and still use it today. Purchased through the Josphine Porter Institute. At our local community garden, we’ve partnered with a llama farm to take their manure. If you don’t have animals find someone who does. They are usually happy to give it to gardeners but most likely you will need a truck to pick it up at their farm.
When getting compost delivered from a local company, we rotate animal based vs veg based. Animal manure does have salts in it so you’ll need a soil test so you don’t add too much. We use Colorado Materials, Pioneer Materials, and A1 Organics Compost delivery services.
You can also buy composted cow manure in bags at garden stores.
Note: Pet manure is not recommended for use as fertilizer.
Is this not the sweetest calf you’ve ever seen? Whether you are an animal lover or not, I hope this post helps you understand why animals are important for the fertility of soil to create healthy farms. Fertility is not the only reason to have animals but it was the doorway for me to gain a better understanding and appreciation for farm animals, especially cows.
A good place to start,
Gina