Celebrating the Life Beneath Our Feet: The Soil Food Web
Today is World Soil Day! This week (and every week) we are celebrating the life beneath our feet! At Frog Hollow, we know that healthy soil is the heart of regenerative agriculture and is essential for producing the incredibly flavorful and legendary, organic fruit we’re known for. But soil isn't just a growing medium, it is a complex, living ecosystem that sequesters carbon, filters our water, and supports a more resilient climate.
Farmer Al recalls the first time he encountered the concept of the Soil Food Web. It was 30 years ago at an EcoFarm conference, where soil biologist Dr. Elaine Ingham captivated the audience with her groundbreaking insights into the microscopic universe beneath our feet.
“It was blockbuster, exciting new info,” Farmer Al says. “George Lucas couldn’t have dreamed up anything more fantastic.”
The Underground Universe
The Soil Food Web operates like an intricate ecosystem, bustling with life on scales both tiny and visible. Microscopic organisms like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes coexist with larger species like worms and arthropods, creating a constant cycle of feeding, digesting, and releasing of nutrients that sustain plants and trees at their roots. These life forms also break down sands, silts and clays, releasing minerals and enhancing soil structure by creating soil aggregates.
At the 2024 EcoFarm conference, scientists shared a staggering fact: microbial life in the soil represents 60% of all species on Earth. This infinite, interconnected web of life works quietly to feed the world’s plants and trees, with forests as a perfect example of natural balance. Forests flourish without human interference—no weed pulling, pest management, irrigation or fertilization needed.
Inspired by this natural model, Farmer Al has incorporated these principles into the farming practices at Frog Hollow Farm.
Farming in Harmony with Nature
“We always think about that thriving forest,” Farmer Al explains. “It flourishes without fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. We aim to work with Mother Nature, minimizing the inherent disruptions of farming.”
At Frog Hollow Farm, the ground is kept covered with active plantings of cover crops, and weed killers are strictly avoided. Instead of viewing weeds as enemies, Farmer Al sees them as allies.
“Billions of acres of farmland are treated with weed killers because humans think weeds compete with crops,” Farmer Al says. “But weed killers are one of the worst things you can use—they disrupt the Soil Food Web.”
Weeds and grasses feed microbial life with carbohydrates and proteins while creating channels for water, so instead of uprooting or poisoning them, the farm lets them grow, then mows them and leaves the clippings as mulch. “Microbes dive into the cut grass and continue building their own Soil Food Web,” he adds.
The less we disturb this natural balance, the healthier the crops. A thriving Soil Food Web becomes the best defense against rogue pathogens. Diversity is resilience.
Thoughtful Intervention
Even with regenerative practices, farming inherently disrupts nature’s cycle. Every peach picked and enjoyed removes vital nutrients from the orchard ecosystem. Thoughtful intervention is necessary to maintain balance and replenish the soil.
“Whenever we harvest, we take minerals from the soil,” Farmer Al explains. “We have to replace what we remove, but we do it thoughtfully to grow healthy crops that create healthy food.”
This approach includes using compost to enrich the soil, applying compost tea to manage pests, and conducting annual soil tests to monitor mineral levels like calcium, nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium—key building blocks for crops.
By working with, rather than against, the Soil Food Web, Frog Hollow Farm ensures its orchards produce nutrient-rich fruits while supporting the complex, fascinating universe beneath the surface.
