En español

Farm fertility can be a puzzle – whether it’s assessing your farm’s soil, building an on-site composting system, or configuring your Organic Systems Plan (OSP). Join us as we walk through some of the considerations and unique approaches to soil health solutions available to farmers.

During this 2-part  event, we’ll start by exploring your own role in testing your farm’s soil, learning about a variety of tests and how to interpret them. Some of these tools include, refractometer, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) meters. We’ll take a look at the standard soil tests, discuss how to interpret them as well as which information is the most valuable to you and management practices.

In the second part of this event, we’ll focus on soil management practices at Late Bloom Farm.  Farmer Anna Kelchlin will guide us through their process in moving from deep mulch composting systems to investing in vermi-compost teas as a fertility solution. Deep mulch composting can be labor intensive and may not deliver the biological activity that is necessary for delivering nutrients for robust plant health.  You’ll also learn about Late Bloom Farm’s inspiring experiments with cover cropping seed mixes as a part of their soil health investment plan.

Cost:  Free. Registration opens July 20. Sign up for our events newsletter for updates!

NOFA/Mass is happy to provide travel stipends to BIPOC and/or beginning farmer participants in this workshop. To submit a request for a travel reimbursement, please email [email protected] and include: 1) the event you attended (date, time, location) 2) your starting location 3) total mileage and 4) the name and address you’d like us to send a check to by September 14, 2025.

Schedule/Agenda:

10:00 AM – The why & how of soil tests

11:00 AM – Interpreting the results

12:00 PM – Break

12:30 PM – Vermicompost tea demonstration

1:15 PM – Cover cropping mixes

2:00 PM – Wrap up and thank you

About:

Late Bloom Farm is a certified organic, small scale, growth-intensive farm that is deeply invested in the world of organic no-till agriculture. They and other farms throughout the region are organizing  a group to spearhead these practices and present no-till growing solutions as a key piece in the puzzle surrounding fertility, carbon sequestration and climate resilience.

About Anna Kelchlin

“I believe in connecting people to the land through growing food. I am honored to be a part of the process of healing land and community with a reciprocal and regenerative mindset. I spent seven seasons farming at Waltham Fields Community Farm and five seasons at Gaining Ground both community based nonprofits working to make food accessible for all. I hold a Master’s degree in education with a focus on multicultural community education. I am a heart transplant recipient, a certified Iyengar yoga teacher, and enjoy speaking Spanish and traveling to places near the sea. Raised by the Minnesotan prairie, I am grateful to grow deeper roots in Massachusetts and am pumped to plant more cover crops, spread mulch piles, and discover diverse life forms above and below the soil!”

Rubén Parilla, Soil Technical Coordinator, NOFA/Mass 

Rubén is a Certified Lab Tech with 15 years of experience working at different capacities in the environmental laboratory industry. He trained in microscopic soil microbial identification through the Soil Food Web School and studied Environmental Design at the University of Puerto Rico. He leads and performs all components of NOFA/Mass soil technical services and has extensive experience farming and working with growers, including beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers. Rubén performs soil health-related outreach and education for NOFA/Mass through monthly farmer learning calls, hands-on workshops and instructional events, and networking with farmers and individuals in the agricultural industry. Finalmente, Rubén es bilingüe y quiere saber de usted.

About the Project:

Our morning session is supported by the Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program where our soil technician will help farmers deepen their understanding of soil health and best management practices. Our afternoon session is supported by the Transition to Organic Partnership Program; Anna was matched with a mentor in 2024 as part of TOPP and received her organic certification last spring.  Late Bloom Farm uses values of no-till and on-farm fertility as a part of their organic fertility plan..

Accessibility:

The bathroom is only accessible by stairs. If this is an issue, please share with us your needs regarding (but not limited to): physical accessibility, allergies, noise, scent, gender, intellectual accessibility, etc, to help you fully participate. 

Refund/Inclement Weather Policy:

For information on our refund and inclement weather policy, click here. 

Capacity:

Capacity for this event is limited to 25 people. Register ahead of time to secure your space! 

Registration to come – sign up for our Events Newsletter to get reminders!

Questions?

Contact info Hannah at [email protected]

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