Friable , ‘chocolate’ soil for a farm garden, Lima South, northeast Victoria, Australia

Description:          granitic sandy soil with areas of yellow or red clay and friable, chocolate coloured topsoil along drainage lines, where the veggie patch is.
Location:               sloping granite foothills of the Strathbogie ranges in N.E. Victoria Australia

“I believe a good farmer knows and understands the potential, and at the same time the limitations of each and every part of land under his/her control. This incorporates their knowledge of the diversity of soils within each area. “
©   Robert A. White, Lima South, 2015

Values for this soil:
– Family farming as a home vegetable garden, orchard and hens for eggs
– And commercial production of mixed meats, grains and nuts

Challenges – and their managements – for this soil:
– Low fertility for the needs of vegetables – improved by manure from hens
– Compaction and pugging in wet areas and drainage lines – cattle kept out in wetter times
– Erosion along drainage lines- native trees planted in gullies

See more about this farm at family farm snapshots – grazing NEVic   and in LN post
– For a comparison with a hilly French family farm Soil Selfies, visit the Koute de Tyon, in the Savoie ( which also has a family farm snapshot).
– This pdf handbook covers Strathbogies soils and their nature.

Credits: Robert A. White, of Lima South, gives permission for their photos and information to be used under a (cc) license 2015
Editing and page created by Jeanie Clark, enviroed4all®, Warracknabeal, for use in education under a (cc) licence 2015

Go on to visit other Soil Selfies

page published 30 August 2015, updated 9 January 2016