June 6: Soil Club Gathering and Farm Tour

This farm tour is an informal gathering for commercial market gardeners to discuss nutrient management strategies for West Kootenay Soils with Dr. Bill Chapman, owner and operator of Hawthorn Creek Farm. A large part of the discussion will be reviewing soil sample results from from two different local farms where topics like soil texture, available nitrogen and phosphorus are being investigated. Dr. Bill Chapman and his wife Louisa have been market gardening for over five years at Hawthorn Creek Farm and are using as many forest products as possible such as soft wood and ramial wood chips to enhance soil texture and manage soil nutrients. 

Farming Kootenay soils requires a different approach for each micro environment and therefore this discussion club is intended to support producers to understand some of the key principles to soil management.