Soil Health and Conservation in the DR

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Natural is best unless necessary when it comes to farming, according to Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Eli Gottfried. Luckily for him, farmers in Las Rosas, the Dominican Republic are dedicated to the principles of soil conservation and a more natural approach to farming.

Gottfried trained the farmers of Las Rosas in July 2019 on three areas: soil conservation, crops for each environmental situation, and composting methods. He visited 10 sites and reviewed the soil to see if they were able to produce specific crops. Gottfried also gave three workshops in the community on soil health and conservation.



The community of Las Rosas is located between two mountain ranges with sandy clay soil. This environment yields crops such as cacao, banana, coffee, peas, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, and mangoes.




Gottfried appreciated that the farmers he met already had soil conservation techniques implemented and with a lot of natural methods. These practices can help maintain a balance of microorganisms, insects, and plants. However, when the system gets out of balance due to an invasive species destroying crops, the limited use of pesticides, herbicides, and commercial fertilizers can be used. Ultimately, the most sustainable practices are the best practices.

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