Growing Together Project Update #1: Healthy Soil Begins Here

Growing Together


Project Update #1: Healthy Soil Begins Here


The Growing Together project officially got its hands dirty this week.


If you haven’t read the original Growing Together post, that’s the best place to learn what this project is all about. Think of this as our first field report.


This week, Clayton, Izzy, and I started working on one of the most important—and least visible—parts of the project: the soil.


After talking with the North Carolina Extension Service and doing a lot of reading, we began tackling years of soil compaction around some of the trees. Instead of hauling away leaves, branches, and other natural materials, we’re putting them back to work. Cardboard, woody debris, leaves, and organic matter will slowly break down and help rebuild healthy soil beneath the surface.


We also planted the first young native tulip poplars. These won’t be the last. The woods behind the parsonage are full of volunteer seedlings, and over time we’ll carefully transplant many of them to places where they have room to grow.


Right now, it doesn’t look like much.


In fact, it looks a little messy.


That’s okay.


Healthy forests don’t begin looking finished—they begin with leaves, fallen branches, living soil, and a lot of patience.


This is only the first step, and I’m looking forward to sharing the progress as we learn together.


If you have ideas, experience with native plants or regenerative gardening, or you’d simply like to spend an hour helping sometime, I’d love to hear from you.


One small contribution at a time.


—Karen From the Parsonage 











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