The Adventure Begins

Welcome to the Dirt Detectives Blog, “Adventures in Soil Sleuthing”! This is the first official blog post in Dirt Detectives’ history!

It’s a snowy day in Albuquerque, NM, and soil temperatures won’t be ideal for testing for a little while longer, so I figured this is as good a time as any to give an introduction and some background into why I decided to launch Dirt Detectives.

I began my farming journey in 2014 at a 30-acre organic farm. I knew next to nothing about farming, and from my very first day as a farm intern, I found myself absolutely immersed in new learning opportunities and a way of life that strengthened me physically, spiritually and emotionally. The people I farmed alongside taught me so much about skill and technique, and the land taught me so much about myself - all lessons I carry with me to this day.

The things that struck me the most about farming were the overwhelming beauty and fulfillment in watching things grow, and receiving the gift of nourishment through your love and nurturing. There is a connectedness one feels with the earth when you help to steward its life. One of my most distinct memories is tasting a Cherokee Purple tomato straight off the vine that I had grown from seed, and after spending my entire life hating the taste of tomatoes, I was surprised to find it was one of the best things I’d ever tasted. I think that’s the beauty of cultivation, of having this connection with the land. What you put into it is what it gives back.

What also struck me about farming, even organic farming, is the exploitation that takes place in order to make way for more production. I saw how clearing out vegetation and tilling changed the soil’s composition, saw the decrease in wildlife populations, and saw the farm increasingly adding more costly inputs to the field. I saw how the weed and pest pressure increased, and our farm crew spent more time pulling weeds and lost more produce to insects than we actually harvested. I also saw how the exploitation of the land was reflected in the exploitation of workers. I began to get very curious about this.

I am also an herbalist, and studied for several years under the Albuquerque Herbalism Project founded by Dara Saville. Dara taught me that not only are many of the weeds on farms medicinal, but they are also indicators of soil health. I learned how to “read the weeds” and learned that the soil on the farm where I was working was really unhealthy and struggling. I learned that much of New Mexico has deeply eroded and unhealthy soils, largely due to the large cattle operations that moved through here and decimated our grasslands and prairies. The eradication of both native vegetation and Indigenous peoples had lasting impacts on our soil. I was beginning to make some connections. Eroded soil is just another symptom of colonization and exploitation of land and people.

Fast forward several years later and I found myself working at a local non-profit serving Indigenous and Mexicano farmers and gardeners, teaching them practical skills for developing their own growing practices. Through my work I met a couple in Vanderwagen, NM who were practicing regenerative farming, and they gave me an in-depth lesson on soil health from the lens of Navajo cosmology - their Indigenous science. Everything clicked into place for me, and I understood that everything is interconnected. A teaspoon of soil is a world in itself, and what affects that teaspoon also affects us.

My new mission became to assist as many farmers as possible in embracing more regenerative strategies on their farms. Too many of the farmers I worked with were reliant on external inputs on their farms and were seemingly addicted to tilling their fields, both costly endeavors. By this time, I understood that their soil was dying because of these practices and farmers were losing money on farming, and with many of these farmers relying on this land to provide sustenance for their future generations, it was clear that regenerating the land needed to become a priority. I learned that many of the farmers I worked with already had regenerative concepts through the teachings of their ancestors, but through colonization, they were taught that those ways did not work. I set out to help them re-embrace their agricultural traditions and steward the land as generations before had done.

I began researching regenerative strategies and attended the Soil Health Academy where I gained in-depth knowledge in deciphering soil health tests and improving soil fertility. Coupling this knowledge with the wisdom shared with me by farmers allowed me to develop practical solutions for farmers to increase the health of their soil and nutrient density of their produce. But I began to notice that what worked for some farmers did not work for others. There wasn’t a catch-all solution for everyone, so soil health testing became a priority so I could pinpoint exactly what the soil was asking for to help it function the way nature intends. Observation can tell us a lot, but using the scientific tools available to us helps us get an even clearer picture so we can be more intentional in our practices.

Over 50 soil tests later, it’s safe to say that I am addicted to learning about what the soil has to say. Each soil test result I get back is like hanging out with a friend who spills all the tea to me. I’m like, “Yes girl, tell me more!” And I’m the friend who gives the sound advice that helps you make smart choices and be your best self, not just for you but for others who will benefit from your choices. Improving your soil health is really about taking care of your community, your ecosystem. It’s not just about you, your family, and your neighbors; it’s also about the trees, the water, the birds and insects, and the microbiology in the soil. We are all connected and we all have the capacity to care for one another.

I am excited for the adventures that await! Hope to see you soon!

-EQ