Page 28 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2025

IT'S TIME FOR SHARING (Continued)
have to build soils for long-term
successful agricultural production,
sustainability. I would like this farm
to produce nursery plants for 100
years. Compost can be an aid
to satisfy this need in addition to
reducing compaction, holding
water, supplying nutrients, and
buffering pH. By mixing soils deeply
with compost, down to 20 inches,
we are making topsoil and possibly
produce more topsoil than we
remove. This is speculation.
2. Water is the oil of the future. As
of 2008, it was projected that by
2050, development in Maryland
would consume 685,000 acres or
1/10th of the state's land mass to
provide housing and commerce
for an additional 1,500,000
citizens. That in itself is scary, but
you also need to know we don't
have enough water resources
and/or infrastructure to support
our current population in many
jurisdictions during drought
years according to a report by
the Maryland Department of
Environment. Who do you think 3. Nutrition and microbial activity.
will get the short end of the stick
when we run low on water? Water
conservation is mandatory and
supports our argument to make it
available for our field production if
we can show how little we use.
Since 1950, the state has lost more
than half its farmland, with less
than 2 million acres remaining
in 2022, according to the most
recent data available from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
As of 2025, Data Centers have
28 WINTER 2025 • Free State News
become an additional concern Timber Press. It's the ‘Cliff Notes’,
related to water. Frederick County lay version, of an untold number of
produces and uses an average publications available about the
of 5,500,000 gallons of water per soil food web.
day. The new data center being If one comes to the point of
built a few miles from Waverly has acknowledging the benefit of
a projected water need in excess compost, (it is not a cult culture
of the County consumption when anymore) the next question is how
water is needed for cooling. Beyond can we afford it? Cover crops are a
that, when completed, electricity great source of organic matter if one
consumption will exceed that used can take ground out of production
by Pittsburgh. I’ll just say it - I hate for a year between rotations. In-row
data centers. I would be happy to production of cover crops provides
go back to backing up my photos
great benefits.
and computer documents on a
The major hurdle in using compost
thumb drive!
is cost. There are numerous benefits
It is generally believed that 100 tons achieved from compost beyond
of compost per acre increases the nutrition. It doesn't have to be equal
soil's organic matter content by in cost to fertilizer, but for us to stay
1%, which is huge given that good profitable both short and long term,
soils in Maryland contain 2-3% cost is part of the equation.
organic content. We have seen Initially, we bought compost in bulk
the percentage of organic matter from the leaf composting facility
increase here up to 4 % in some in Dickerson, MD. The freight cost
areas. It is known that stabilized more than the compost but I was
organic matter can hold up to six committed to the concept.
times its weight in water for long
periods. Two years later we began receiving
horse manure and its bedding
Compost can displace the need companion from many small
for traditional fertilizer. It’s all equestrian operations in the area.
about the soil food web which The material is brought to us at no
is fodder for several articles. cost by a contractor who relieves the
NPK availability from compost operations of the need for a Nutrient
is variable depending on input Management Plan. The product is
manure and bedding comprised of
sources, but it is substantial in most straw, sawdust, or wood shavings. I
cases. A ton of compost can also am amazed at how much bedding
contain hundreds of dollars’ worth material is thrown away, but then I
of bacterial and fungal inoculants. don't know a thing about modern
Compost aids the soil in storing horse management systems. I grew
nutrients for long-term availability.
If you are interested, read Teaming up with two horses and we cleaned
the stalls when they started hitting
with Microbes, published by