Question 1

What the heck is "edaphon?"

Accepted Answer

The term "edaphon" was coined by the Austrian botanist and microbiologist Raoul H France to describe the "plankton of the soil." Edaphon has come to be defined as "the aggregate of life in the soil." The name Edaphon Farm is a tribute to all the life we do not see and often do not even consider but which is vital for everything from cleaning our water to feeding the plants and trees and even sequestering carbon. The more science looks closely into the soil and understands more of what and how the billions of microorganisms under our feet do what they do, the more we see that the soil is a vast and complex ecosystem. When the soil environment is healthy, balanced, and diverse, we can grow plants that are healthier and that don't succumb to pests and disease. We can grow food that is full of vitamins and minerals, but also the huge portfolio of secondary metabolic compounds that plants are only able to make when they living with a healthy microbiome. Just like we are beginning to understand that the human microbiome is the foundation for vitality, the same goes for plants. In humans, we now know that most of our neurotransmitters are formed in our gut. An unhealthy gut microbiome has been shown to not produce what we need to function at a high level and can cause depression, fatigue, and all kinds of degenerative diseases. It is a similar situation in plants, but we are only beginning to understand what a truly healthy plant is capable of. Our goal at Edaphon Farm is to support our local edaphon, to grow the healthiest food, to cultivate the most vibrant communities.

Question 2

Are you organic?

Accepted Answer

Our growing practices fit under organic guidelines, but we are not certified except for our mushrooms. For our fruit and vegetables, we follow the guidance of Korean Natural Farming, Jadam biological farming, and mineral balancing theories as communicated by teachers including Graham Saite and John Kempf. 
We do not use any non-biological forms of nitrogen and most of our crops' nutrition comes from fermentations, composts, home-produced worm castings, and mineral dusts. We use leaf and woodchip mulches to support the soil biology, we do not till, and we frequently utilize foliar sprays for increased effectiveness in how we feed the plants.

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