Project Conclusion

We worked with the SAGE garden staff to test their soils for various factors that would help them plan for next year’s harvest. This project is directly connected to soil because we tested it for factors that affect the SAGE garden soils, such as carbon to nitrogen ratio, cation exchange rate, pH and the percentage of different nutrients. Soil makes this farm work by providing nutrients needed to grow their plants.

From this project we learned how much the soil can vary in one small area, depending on how it has been used and managed in the past. Although the SAGE garden has the same basic soil type (Willamette Silt Loam) throughout, there were substantial differences in compaction, organic matter content, and nutrient content. The garden has problem areas which our data may provide insight into; there may be management practices which can be changed to improve the soil in those areas.

We noticed that the farm was on an incline and that at the bottom of the slope there would be more clay particles due to erosion. Soil management practices could be altered to utilize erosion prevention techniques such as no till or planting rows perpendicular to the slope.

This project helped us learn how to properly use the equipment needed to test the soil for the various conditions with the help of Will Austin. It helped us solidify the idea of cation exchange rate and why the pH of a soil is important when dealing with agriculture. This experience left us feeling confident about handing the data to the SAGE garden and helping them make a difference in their farming.

The SAGE garden is a wonderful organic farm that is run primarily by volunteers. They are a community garden that encourages school-age children to learn more about agriculture and the impacts of organic farming vs conventional farming. This was a wonderful project and we want to say thank you to the SAGE garden and also to Will Austin for assisting us on how to properly conduct soil testing.

SAGE Garden Ducks doing their bit