The Heart of the Soil: Our Farm’s Journey to Regeneration and Renewal
Upon the edges of the field, I rest
Worried mind with labored hands
Looking up to the sky
Realizing God made it easy for me today
Through soil seeds grew abundant with stems budded full
Jets of life abound whirling around my lightened mind
Colors drawing my attention closer and closer
Sensing how few have this moment in time capturing the essence of life
Blessed I suppose some would say
Burdens lifting into the ether as if they never were
Realizing God made it easy for me today
-Johnny Keifer 11/12/2024
Being in this special place, I would say that having this feeling, as described in the poem, comes upon myself and Tracey many times a week. It’s just a matter of whether we acknowledge it. Our start on this farm truly began with dirt and a dream. Over the past 7 years, we’ve been converting that dirt into soil and that dream into reality. We learned quickly about the transformation from dirt to soil. When creating a living farm, the plan needed a solid foundation. The principle of regenerative farming starts with strong, healthy soil. Our acreage was barren of most life when we began 7 years ago—few birds except the occasional passerby, no insects during my initial surveys, and nothing living in the soil from what we could observe, even down to the microscopic level. Knowing that, we began building the soil: limited tilling, planting cover crops, adding nutrients, incorporating trees, shrubs, and native plants, and always aiming to keep the soil covered.
After the third year, I distinctly remember seeing our first earthworm in an area that was once hard as concrete. In that moment, I knew we were on the right path. Capturing moisture in the soil had begun to take effect. Plant and grass growth, weed reduction—all of it became easier and less of a burden. Insects and birds started to appear, turning the land into a habitat that allowed us to avoid using pesticides. In fact, during this past July’s survey, I counted 14 types of bees within a 50-yard perimeter. Each season, the natural cycles lifted the labor and toil off our shoulders, allowing us to focus on the next part of this journey. This past spring, we converted our dry corn field into the beginnings of what will eventually be paddocks and orchards for our farm. So here we are again, bearing the burden once more, knowing that someday it, too, will be lifted. I can’t wait. -Johnny Keifer
04/10/2018
11/13/2024