fungal focus soil plans
helping farmers and gardeners work with fungi & plants for thriving soil and resilient crops. we test for heavy metals & petroleum hydrocarbons.
WHAT CAN FUNGI DO FOR YOUR GARDEN?
Fungi play critical roles in nutrient cycling, drought tolerance, disease resistance, pest resistance, root & shoot growth, and overall plant vitality. Check out this study that calls fungi “the most important microbial symbioses for the majority of plants.”
There are so many ways to work with fungi for soil and plant health, and yet they are often underutilized as allies in the garden.
Fungal Focus wants to help you incorporate fungal friendly farming and gardening strategies to improve your soil quality, reduce the need for soil amendments (fertilizers, pesticides, etc) and grow thriving, resilient crops.
what is a fungal focus soil plan?
First, we want to hear what your goals are. Then we will run some soil tests to assess your soil’s baseline. We combine this information with our knowledge of soil fungi and plants to write a personalized Soil Plan.
Strategies could include crop selection, fungal inoculation, incorporating organic matter, garden design, water filtration, and other techniques. We have lots of ideas and, in most cases, can provide several options so that you can choose what’s right for you. Nothing we suggest will exceed the physical or financial requirements of standard gardening techniques. We rarely, if ever, recommend tilling.
We will provide you with a written plan addressing both short and long term goals. We will also schedule a half hour zoom chat to talk about your Soil Plan and answer any questions you may have.
How do we assess your soil’s baseline?
To help us establish your soil’s baseline, we will collect a soil sample and test for heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons (gasoline and diesel waste). These materials are not always present, but testing for them provides us with key information. We also do a germination test to help us identify other problems like residual herbicides.
How much does a fungal focus soil plan cost?
For a typical urban garden or farm, we start with the following:
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) Test= $80
Heavy Metals Test= $225
Germination Test= $50
Written Soil Plan with Half Hour Zoom Call= $145
Total Package Price= $500
Because we need all of the testing information to build a Soil Plan, we currently only offer these services as a package. One package as described above is suitable for most home gardens and some small farms in an urban setting. We may recommend a different testing plan depending on your site’s specific conditions (example: we may recommend E coli testing for rural farms using a water source near livestock. Or if you know herbicides have been applied, we may suggest formal herbicide testing). Soil from different regions (for example, backyard and front yard) should be tested separately. We may request a travel fee if the soil sample needs to be picked up outside of SLC.
WHY WORK WITH FUNGAL FOCUS?
Katie’s experience working on farms, growing mushrooms, and studying mycology gives her a unique and practical perspective on working with a wide range of living things. In addition to over a decade of farming experience, she has dedicated the last two years of her research to soil health, including starting the Fungal Focus Research Garden and traveling to the Telluride Mushroom Festival to learn from experts in this field. Incorporating fungi into agricultural landscapes is Katie’s specialty. Local, equitable, and safe food are the focus of Katie’s professional endeavors and a big part of her personal life.
You can read more about Katie’s background here.
Where can I learn more about fungi, soil health, and soil contamination?
Check out Fungal Focus on PBS Utah Modern Gardener to learn more about fungi in the garden.
This 2018 report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization calls attention to soil contamination.
We also really enjoyed reading about mycoremediation (working with fungi) and phytoremediation (working with plants) in Earth Repair by Leila Darwish.