May 14, 2024

VIDEO: The Market Gardener with Jean-Martin Fortier Part 5 Compost Strategies


One of the keys to Jean-Martin Fortier’s small farm, “Le Jardin de la Grelinette,” is sourcing high quality compost. In Part 5, he discusses implementing composting strategies that allow them to build natural soil structure while adding organic matter to each growing bed for maximum yield and highest quality produce.

19 thoughts on “VIDEO: The Market Gardener with Jean-Martin Fortier Part 5 Compost Strategies

  1. Thanks for sharing. Couple of things..
    -@01:20 Jean Martin talks about getting pH 'right'. I found this odd as the biological approach suggests (as does Elaine Ingham) that biology determines pH. Bacterial dominated soils will have aerobic bacteria forming aggregates with alkaline glues therefore making soil more alkaline (>7.0) and as fungi produce organic acids, fungal dominated soils are more acidic (5.5-7.0). So – you shouldn't need 'your agronomist' to set your pH – just understand the biology and get that right.
    – @3:40 You don't need to add 'soluble fertilisers' (even organic ones) as it's the biology that provides plant available nutrients, not chicken manure pellets or whatever… so 'no', conventional agriculture doesn't have a lot to teach us – Science has a lot to teach us and that is where we should look to understand these systems.
    Also, he keeps saying 'mineralising' – by which I think he means nutrient cycling (the breakdown of organic matter by soil life: bacteria, fungi, nematodes, micro-arthropods etc etc) which releases nutrients that are exchanged with the plants' roots by bacteria and fungi.
    – I thought i might clarify these points for people out there to avoid confusion on what is frequently a tricky subject!
    In fact, to be honest.. I got half way through and the definition of compost isn't really that correct because he doesn't understand it and admits he doesn't know how to make it (which is fine).. but maybe I would just recommend people just watch Elaine Ingham's videos instead and you'll have a much better idea of what's really going on.
    I'm not trying to be critical. Good on him for all his great work, and best of luck to him with it all. This is good for an intro – but there's just better information out there.

  2. but is it truly sustainable when you are shipping so much compost from off site? sure it may be affordable if youre independently wealthy starting off, but maybe its better to become the compost geek and make really good compost that you can use to make compost tea with added soluble nutrients for the plants, so you dont need 80 tons per acre to still put plenty of good biology and minerals out there.

    maybe the real benefit in putting lots of compost out is in the structure it gives to the soil by feeding the earth worms etc.

  3. Why not use a set of different cover crop mixes? That helps with insects and nutrient inputs. Mulching the soil greatly improves the habitat of biological communities. Also, in my experience no-turn compost is a superior product. I have worked with broad fork methods before in New Mexico and found it very destructive to the soil life. All the best great videos.

  4. ๐Ÿ˜‰ I feel like the lady which told you how terrible the leeks were, was doing you (and now me) a big favor. She made you realize that there was room for massive improvement. She made you do some research. With her help, You started to grow fascinating leeks. And with the help of her, and you, I can grow fascinating leeks. Thank you BOTH!

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