As I was out planting and working in some of our gardens today I dug down 3 or 4 inches and uncovered the red clay that we initially started with in our gardens. It is amazing how much soil has built up on the surface over the years with regular applications of compost and mulch. Now, instead of being rock hard, you can easily push a metal rod several feed down in to the ground of the garden! And these beds are never tilled or plowed to 'loosen' them. One of the biggest secrets to soil improvement, apart from minimal soil disturbance and keeping mulch on the surface, is the addition of compost. Compost is decomposed organic matter chocked full of beneficial microorganisms. We make this on our farm from waste materials in large piles. We turn these piles with the front-end loader of our tractor. When done right the compost can get upwards of 130 degrees! This helps kill any pathogens or weed seeds. We are grateful to our mentors who taught us how to make high quality compost and look forward to making a good supply for next season!
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Building soil on Alabama Red Clay!
About the farm
Rora Valley Farms is located in beautiful rural Coosa County, Alabama and is owned and operated by the Sanders Family and was established in 2009. Currently my wife Dorothy and I (Noah) oversee the vegetable and bakery operations while my cousin Luke Sanders and his wife Kristin oversee the meat and egg production. Our kids help out as well! Here at Rora Valley Farms we strive to produce real food. Many industrial foods today put on a good show, but fail to provide our bodies with the nutrients we need to function properly. When God designed our bodies, He also designed amazing foods to fuel them. But most industrial foods have strayed from that original design, and we have reaped the consequences. Through building healthy, living soil and utilizing natural systems of production and management we strive to harvest food that feeds our bodies, as well as our taste buds.
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