POWER YOUR SOIL WITH Probiotics

HEALTHIER SOIL MAKES FOR HEALTHIER PLANTS AND PEOPLE

- MOIRA K. MCGHEE

Probiotics are good bacteria that are good for people, and probiotic farming can pump up plant health, which is also good for people. Healthy crops start with healthy soil. Probiotic farming not only makes your soil healthier, but it also offers a wealth of other benefits for farmers who want better crops while improving the growing area and the environment as a whole.

WHAT IS PROBIOTIC FARMING?

Probiotic farming, sometimes referred to as biointensive agriculture, combines various organic farming techniques that focus on making soil healthier by introducing beneficial microorganisms into the growing environment. Probiotic farmers utilize live microbes that are beneficial bacteria, just like the beneficial bacteria people ingest in probiotic foods or dietary supplements.

In this sense, probiotics in farming act as supplements for the soil and ultimately the plants. The more beneficial the bacteria, the more fertile the soil, which potentially maximizes your crop yields while limiting the need for harmful chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides.

In 2018, Luke Heidt, owner of Wisconsin Hemp Flower in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and author of Luke's Hemp blog (https:// lukeshemp.com), realized that he was a probiotic farmer. "Probiotic farming is a generic term for the best organic practices to increase the life in the soil and to feed the plants by feeding the soil," he says. "Plants do better when they are healthy. Healthy soil makes healthy plants."

WHY CHOOSE PROBIOTIC FARMING?

Probiotic farming is a technique nearly any farmer can use to provide the nutrients their crops need to flourish. Plant probiotics is a promising alternative for soil fertilization that improves crops while protecting the land, without any adverse effects.