On April 30, 34 Western Colorado residents congregated at the Hit the Hay Farm in Loma for Western Colorado Alliance’s recent Soil Tour.

For the next two hours, they learned a ton about the role good soil health plays in healing our environment, making our food fresher and better, and bolstering local growers’ bottom lines significantly.

Farmer and rancher Lowell King spoke to those who attended the free event, focusing on his transition from a more “traditional planting structure” to a soil health-focused approach over the last five years. He explained how this has caused him to increase the use of cover cropping, a farming approach in which some crops are planted strictly for fertilizing and to foster soil health, and so-called “no-till” farming, which reduces soil erosion and helps ensure a healthy soil biosphere. King explained how he has also gotten results from animal integration, and by lessening inputs. Overall, King says, he’s seen great success in regards to yields and reduced fertilizing costs.

This was the second Soil Tour our Alliance conducted this season, and an example of the kind of public events we continue to offer to increase awareness of good soil health and local agriculture.