Rebuilding The Soil Project
Rebuilding The Soil Project - 100,000 plus worms in our worm house to process farm food waste for amending damaged lands on Oahu
Regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting bio-sequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil for generations to come.
From Worm to Worm
Living Circle Farms Hawaii is in the 100% Regenerative Phase. That means everything we do is fully renewable. Soil that starts in the worm house is then used to plant seeds which grow into food for community consumption. From there, humanure is composted for 8 months, then put back into the worm house for further processing and composting. This process is called "Keeping Poop in the Loop"!
Worm composting or vermicomposting, uses the digestive power of earthworms to consume and recycle kitchen waste and other organic matter to create a nutrient rich soil amendment called worm or vermicompost. Worm composting reduces the amount of garbage entering landfills and improves garden soils.
Worm Tea
Worm Tea is not for drinking!! It’s a natural type of liquid fertilizer made by taking worm casting (otherwise known as worm poop and juice) and soaking them in water.
These castings are generated by the worms as they devour kitchen and food scraps and poop out the castings, which are loaded with lots of helpful microbes and nutrients plants thrive on. it's a great way to reintroduce IMO back into dead soil.
Worm castings have been shown by the US Department of Agriculture to cause a 50 percent hike in growth. Plus, it helps to keep away unwanted pests, assists the plants to develop stronger roots, and causes the soil to retain more water that your plants can use as needed. Another benefit is it boosts plants’ immune system.
BEFORE
AFTER
Regenerative Soil
Regenerative Farming: A Step Above and Beyond "Sustainable"
Regenerative farming takes farming to a higher, more complete part of nature's life cycle. It works with the rhythms of the land to build healthy farmlands that produce bountifully, which in turn supports our farmers and employees, protects the local environment, and enables us to pass on our healthy stewardship of the land to future generations. Small, family farms are an essential part of Hawaii's food system and community. And it all starts with the health of the soil.
Why Regenerate the Soil?
Traditional farming competes with nature and disturbs the natural habitats to create a monoculture. Regenerative farming partners with nature through diversity of living things: micro-organisms, plants, insects and animals. Instead of disturbing and poisoning the soil with aggressive tilling and chemical fertilizers, regenerative farming works to protect the soil and return the biodiversity and health just as nature does. Regenerative farming protects the nutrients in the soil, which results in more productive crops with greater nutritional value.
Regnerative Soil for You
We can help you fix your soil - "Big AG" has destroyed a lot of land in Hawaii and all the good and healthy microbes in the soil, then sold the land to you and now it's the small family farmer that is tasked with the responsibility of rebuilding the soil one microbe at a time. It is our mission to help small farms in Hawaii restore their soil to reach their own regenerative phase.
We offer a variety of specialty fertilizers, plus our famous "Worm Tea" to help give your soil a boost. Regenerative Farming Consultations are available and we have helped many small, family farms in Hawaii fix their damaged soil to reach their own "Regenerative Phase".
Composting Done Right
~Basics of Composting~
There are five main areas that must be “controlled” during composting:
1. Feedstock and Nutrient Balance
2. Particle Size
3. Moisture Content
4. Oxygen Flow
5. Temperature
1. Feedstock and Nutrient Balance
Composting, or controlled decomposition, requires a proper balance of “green” organic materials and “brown” organic materials. “Green” organic material includes grass clippings, food scraps, and manure, which contain large amounts of nitrogen. “Brown” organic materials includes dry leaves, wood chips, and branches, which contain large amounts of carbon but little nitrogen. Obtaining the right nutrient mix requires experimentation and patience. It is part of the art and science of composting.
2. Particle Size
3. Moisture Content
Grinding, chipping, and shredding materials increases the surface area on which microorganisms can feed. Smaller particles also produce a more homogeneous compost mixture and improve pile insulation to help maintain optimum temperatures (see below). If the particles are too small, however, they might prevent air from flowing freely through the pile.
3. Moisture Content
3. Moisture Content
3. Moisture Content
Microorganisms living in a compost pile need enough moisture to survive. Water is the key element that helps transports substances within the compost pile and makes the nutrients in organic material accessible to the microbes. Organic material contains some moisture in varying amounts, but moisture also might come in the form of rainfall or intentional watering. The easy way to test moisture content is to just squeeze it, the soil should hold togather.
4. Oxygen Flow
3. Moisture Content
4. Oxygen Flow
Turning the pile, placing the pile on a series of pipes, or including bulking agents such as wood chips and shredded newspaper all help aerate the pile. Aerating the pile allows decomposition to occur at a faster rate than anaerobic conditions. Care must be taken, however, not to provide too much oxygen, which can dry out the pile and impede the composting process.
5. Temperature
3. Moisture Content
4. Oxygen Flow
Microorganisms require a certain temperature range for optimal activity. Certain temperatures promote rapid composting and destroy pathogens and weed seeds. Microbial activity can raise the temperature of the pile’s core to at least 140° F. If the temperature does not increase, anaerobic conditions (i.e., rotting) occur. Controlling the previous four factors can bring about the proper temperature.