The Helpful Hands Foundation

I start this post with a question…

How long does it take for one inch of soil to form?

The formation of soil is a complex process that can take more than a thousand years to produce just a single inch of soil.(soilscience) Soil has been defined as the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains.

It’s worth repeating: 1 inch can take more than a thousand years to produce!
It is upon US… not governments, but INDIVIDUALS… people like you and me, to rebuild soil: Plant trees. Grow food. Make Do. Do Without.

Where ever you are, young or old, you can start today to replenish the soil by composting.

And ask yourself “What else don’t I need so I can be the change that offers a chance to the future.” Soon you’ll discover that most of the time you don’t NEED anything… it’s the WANTs that makes gluttons out of decent souls.

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States of America, quoted on Nature:

There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm.

Conservation means development as much as it does protection.

From garbage to garden. Composting is a natural process that turns organic material into a dark rich
substance. This substance, called compost or humus, is a wonderful conditioner for your soil.

“BEFORE”. Like homemade soup, compost is different every time depending on what materials go into it. Compost can be made out of leaves, grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, wood chips, straw, small twigs and similar materials.

“AFTER”. Thoroughly decomposed compost should look like dark crumbly soil mixed with small pieces of organic material, with a sweet “earthy” smell.

Help mother earth and start composting today!

Support the Helpful Hands Hobby Farm CLICK HERE Thank you for your support.

We humans can help mother earth reclaim organic materials so it can maintain soil fertility.

Compost is a gardener’s best friend. It improves the textures of any type of soil. When compost is added soils can both hold more water and drain more efficiently. Compost, along with the beneficial soil life which includes bacteria, fungi, redworms and dung beetles replenish the soil to make it a healthy, productive environment for plants to grow and thrive.

Why composting? There are a number of reasons.

Composting provides a partial solution to an issue of great concern in many communities. It provides a way not only of reducing the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of, but also of converting it into a product that is useful for gardening, landscaping, or house plants.

Composting provides a way of instilling in children a sense of environmental stewardship. Children can see the entire cycle, from food scraps or other organic wastes to something that is pleasant to handle and is good for the soil. Children who are introduced to composting become aware of organic wastes as potential resources rather than just as something “gross” to be thrown away and forgotten. They learn through direct experience that they personally can make a difference and have a positive effect on the environment.

A common assumption is that composting makes sense only out in the country or in suburban areas where people have large yards. However, people that live in the heart of inner cities can make a great difference in helping restore or replace worn-out or contaminated soils for school or community gardens.

Composting is a topic that addresses a real-world issue and helps to instill a sense of environmental stewardship in both young and old.

While doing routine “dung patrol” for our compost bin, Alyzza (who was volunteering at the Helpful Hands Hobby farm for the day) heard noises coming from the dung pile. She inspected the dung pile and picked out a Rainbow Scarab dung beetle busy at work.

The Dung Beetle is one of the most important insects when it comes to fertilizing soil. If you remove the Dung Beetle, you lose your habitat, the natural fertilizer called the Dung Beetle is the one that does the job. It works like this: Once the animals make their poop, Dung Beetles are attracted by scent. They will roll little dung balls and move it for some distance before they dig it into the soil. Eggs are laid in this dung ball ensuring the survival of the species. In this process a couple of things happen, the soil is fertilized, the species is secured and also the plants that need the elements to grow on. This IS natural fertilizing of the soil. The world worked like this for millions of years! Only humans changed it.

Here at Helpful Hands Hobby Farm, we partner with mother nature, the dung beetles and count on cow droppings to rebuild and replenish the soil.

To donate for this cause and support Helpful Hands Hobby Farm CLICK HERE Thank you for your support.