Page 54 - Climate Compliance

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Soil protection and enhancement

The intensive garden at the Academy is 5000 square feet and has sandy and acidic
soil. In order to grow organic vegetables, fruits and herbs it is necessary for the
topsoil to have a structure that:

• enables retention of water and nutrients
• provides a cool and protected home for all the important microbes

To this end, many techniques are implemented daily to:
• improve the structure of the soil
• reduce soil compaction

• improve water cycling and capture
• boost plant growth

The intensive garden at RVA is based on
1
Permaculture principles, which view the
garden as an ecosystem and use a holistic
system approach management.

1 “Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted &
thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants &
animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system.” Sour-
ce: About Permaculture. Retrieved from http://www.permaculture.net/about/definitions.html.