“If I had heard myself talking like this five years ago, I would have thought I was off my rocker […] But I have looked into it, I have talked to other farmers, I have attended workshops and conferences and done some research. And now after three years of trying it myself, I see there is something to it. I just have to stop beating up the soil and allow the biologicals to work.” – Franck Groeneweg
Our June Regen Reads Recommendation is an article written about Franck Groeneweg titled “Build your own bioreactor” from Grainews.
Franck has had an amazing life journey that has brought him across oceans and borders, revealing exciting prospects and new challenges around every corner. Franck grew up on the French countryside with his family who ran a wheat and potato farm close to Paris, France. As a young adult, he moved his life overseas to America, where he met his wife, Kari, and the two of them started a family farm in Saskatchewan.
Franck’s wheelhouse of knowledge continued to expand, and regenerative agriculture was a huge component of his life. But something was missing for the Groenewegs, and they found that missing part in Montana, where the wheat grows as far as the eye can see, right up to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The Groenewegs practice regenerative agriculture on Living Sky Grains and couldn’t be happier.
In the article by Grainews, “Build your own bioreactor”, Franck illustrates the idea that compost extracts and teas are incredibly effective at feeding the soil microbiome, increasing fungal connections, and increasing nutrient cycling that nourishes his crops and boosts their nutrient density. He indicates that making your own compost extracts is a great way to offset costs for fertilizers, which can be pricey for many producers. Franck is especially interested in building the fungal population in his soils, because fungi are crucial organisms that build soil aggregation and therefore increase water infiltration, which is much needed in the dry Montana climate. This article intricately defines the steps that Franck takes when making compost extracts with his Johnson-Su bioreactor, and it is a must read for any and all producers interested in delving into the compost journey themselves.
Read “Build your own bioreactor” from Grainews here, and have a look at Franck’s Living Sky Grains website here for more information about his life, his family, and his farm.
Regen Reads is COG’s monthly regenerative agriculture reading list. 📖