One would think the primary focus on a ranch would be the animals but there's an operation in the Kamas Valley that is doing things a bit differently.
3 Springs Land and Livestock co-owner and operator Mitch Dumke said they run a holistic ranch operation on 190 acres of leased land and its most important priority is right at their feet.
“Our focus is on soil health, first and foremost," said Dumke. "So in our ranch operations, we prioritize the way we manage our animals, the way we see the land. Are the grasses growing and the animals around it–are they working together? And are they thriving and becoming more diverse over time?”
3 Springs Land and Livestock was awarded $75,000 in 2021 from the Park City Community Foundation’s Climate Fund. It is committed to working with nature to produce healthy soil, healthy meat and a healthy community.
The ranch sells pastured chicken with regenerative beef coming in the fall. It will also offer tours, workshops and will be hosting Recycle Utah’s free monthly Green Drinks event on Sept. 12 featuring insights about sustainable production agriculture and its impact on soil, water and ecology.
So, how do they know if the soil is healthy? Dumke said they monitor two things. One is soil organic matter and the other is carbon respiration or how much the land is breathing carbon back into the atmosphere. “So when people talk about carbon emissions, if we can create a system that sequesters carbon and keeps carbon in the land, that is one of the primary functions of the Park City Climate Fund."
How do we keep carbon in the ground? It all starts with photosynthesis but then humans complicate the matter. Dumke said from the moment we till the ground, we're resetting our soil all the time, we're breaking all those roots. And so if we can keep living roots in the system, cycling nutrients and storing nutrients long-term, that is a way we store carbon in the ground.
What can the home gardener do to help with carbon emissions?
“Candidly, I mow my lawn about every three weeks," said Dumke. "I have diverse plants in my lawn. When you're weeding your garden, try to be efficient with your hands and less with large tools. Vegetable garden weeding is tricky. You want to pull everything and use a big old hoe and just hack at it. But the more you can keep your soil undisturbed, the more you can have a healthy soil system functioning.”
The good news is if you hate weeding and mowing your lawn, just tell the neighbors you’re doing your part to help the planet.
