I quit tech
to farm.

One farmer for one season testing everything on half an acre with all data shared publicly.

Farm Protocols is an 8-month regenerative farming pilot testing whether soil amendments produce measurably more nutritious food. All data, lab results, and field observations are published in real time as the season unfolds 🌱.

Today's produce is measurably less nutritious than it was 50 years ago, this is one small attempt to see how we can close the gap.

Currently: tomatoes are in the ground, baseline soil tests are back, and the first Brix readings are coming up once fruit sets.

SEASON DAY
ZONES ACTIVE
1 · 2 · 3
AIR TEMP HIGH
RAINFALL (IN)

The Experiment Three zones, one question
ZONE 01
No additional input
This soil carries 25 years of farmer Ethel's amendment history. It's the starting point for this experiment.
ZONE 02
Compost added
Does adding horse manure compost alone move nutrient density at all within a single season?
ZONE 03
Compost + biochar
Same compost as Zone 2 but with biochar mixed in. Biochar is supposed to help plants take more nutrients out of the soil, can it help in one season?

This experiment runs on half an acre. The other two acres of the 2.5-acre farmable area are where I'm learning to farm alongside Ethel, an experienced farmer who is teaching me to grow vegetables and fruit for us and the community.

Field Log What's happening out here
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View full field log
Live Data Posted as it comes in
Season Dashboard
Brix & Harvest
Soil & Water Lab Results
Project overview
Latest Writing From the field
A cluster of golden oyster mushrooms growing in the woods
A single shiitake mushroom fruiting on a log
Soil sample cups next to a moisture meter and a field notebook
A young tomato plant staked in the bed
Overhead view of rows of lettuce, bok choy, and arugula
A truck bed loaded with wood chip mulch
A wide view of the field under blue sky, lettuce in the foreground
Large squash leaves with insect damage, rows of crops behind them
The farm in full midsummer growth, rows of vegetables in warm light
A closer view of the farm in summer
Another summer farm view