The 6th workshop was held at Menno Village Naganuma. Feel the soil through 12 soil assessments

The sixth workshop of the educational program to learn about regenerative agriculture, "My Regenerative Journey" (1st year), which began in January this year, was held at Menno Village Naganuma on June 7th and 8th. More than 40 people participated, including members of MRJ and the research team on regenerative agriculture from Hokkaido University and RIKEN.

土の団粒化を調べるSLAKEテスト

Once at the site, Raymond explained the objectives and menu of the workshop to us, and the six groups then headed out to the fields equipped with soil evaluation sheets, shovels, and penetrometers to measure soil compaction.

The check items were 12, such as the number of earthworms, other living things, soil color, soil smell, soil hardness, crumbliness, soil permeability, etc. One group found 12 earthworms in one scoop.

The members, who have learned that RA is not a farming method but a mindset, come from a wide range of fields, including conventional farming, organic farming, dairy farming, and people just starting out in farming. By sowing a mix of plant seeds, you can diversify the organisms in the soil, create a soil structure, and create pathways for air and water.

Raymond is using a backhoe to dig about 1m into the soil and check for layers in the soil.

The important point of cover crops is that by sowing a mixture of seeds, they increase biodiversity, expand mycorrhizal networks, store carbon in the soil, and cultivate healthy soil. When Raymond was organically farming, there were no earthworms in the soil of Menno Village, but now, five years after the shift to regenerative agriculture, earthworms can be found in the soil.

Each farm has its own characteristics, and no two fields have the same conditions. The area in the photo (above) is a converted paddy field with a strong clayey soil and poor permeability. Raymond said "It's important to observe the growth of the cover crop and find out what is needed and what is lacking."