Facilitators-Handbook-For-Permaculture

Workshop Module 4: Healthy Soil 115

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Presentation : Soil improvements

Method : Facilitator presentation and group brainstorms

Tools : Images of healthy and unhealthy soils, and relative productivity

References : PC Book MOD 4 - Healthy Soil

Objective : Participants understand healthy, living soil and how to achieve it

Healthy plants need nutrients to grow and produce; these nutrients are drawn
from the soil.

Therefore, healthy living soil is the most important factor in all successful agriculture and
gardening. If good techniques and management are used, soil quality will improve each
year.

Healthy living soil needs to be:

• Replenished with fresh nutrients each season.


• Protected from erosion, to build up good topsoil.


• Protected from the sun and wind to preserve moisture.


• Alive with very small soil animals and plants (biota).

The facilitator can encourage a discussion with the participants about:

• The benefits of healthy living soil.


• What healthy living soil is.


• Techniques that can be used to achieve healthy living soil.

The answers listed below are supplied for the facilitator only for prompting
ideas and discussions if the participants need help.

Some of the many benefits of healthy living soil:

• Better soil quality will not only increase produce, but will also improve
  the quality of this produce. This relates directly to good nutrition – better
  quality soil means better quality produce with more nutrients. And it tastes better
  too! This is a direct way of improving health. Improved health means fewer visits
  to the doctor, better concentration, more strength and energy, and a longer life.
  Good quality vegetables will also make people more full when they eat, and will
  keep them full for longer.


• Plants are more drought, disease, and pest resistant because they have
  all the water and nutrients needed to grow strong and healthy.


• Less watering is needed because the soil can hold and store more water and
  the soil doesn’t become water logged in the wet season.