In regenerative agriculture, feeding the soil is more than a nutrient transaction—it’s a relationship. Chemical fertilizers may offer quick results, but they often disrupt microbial life, degrade soil structure, and leave long-term damage. Fortunately, there’s a growing toolbox of alternative fertilizers that nourish the land while restoring its natural rhythms. 🌿 Compost Teas: Microbial BoostersContinue reading “Alternative Fertilizers in Regenerative Farming: Compost Teas, Biochar, and Beyond”
Author Archives: Traci Houston
Farm Table Talk: No Vouchers? We’ll Build Something Better
By Traci Indiana says no new child care vouchers until 2027. That means thousands of families—including mine—are left scrambling. The COVID-era funding dried up, and instead of building a bridge, the state just walked away. They knew the funding would expire.They had years to prepare.And they chose not to. But here’s the thing: I’m doneContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: No Vouchers? We’ll Build Something Better”
💔 The Weight of the Work: Mental Health and the Reality of Farming
Farming is beautiful. Farming is brutal. It’s early mornings, late nights, and the kind of exhaustion that settles deep in your bones. It’s watching animals you love suffer or die. It’s fixing broken fences in the rain, hauling feed with a fever, and wondering if you’ll ever catch up—financially, physically, emotionally. Even on a smallContinue reading “💔 The Weight of the Work: Mental Health and the Reality of Farming”
Farm Table Talk: If I Weren’t Living Here, I’d Be Laughing Too
If I weren’t living here, I’d probably be laughing too. From the outside, America looks like a reality show with too many seasons. The plot twists are absurd, the characters are corrupt, and the audience is wondering how we haven’t canceled ourselves yet. But I’m not on the outside. I’m in it. And I askContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: If I Weren’t Living Here, I’d Be Laughing Too”
The Soil Is Listening: How Microbial Life Responds to Our Farming Choices
We talk a lot about soil health—about cover crops, compost, and carbon. But beneath all that, there’s a quieter truth: the soil is listening. Not metaphorically. Literally. Every choice we make—every till, every mulch layer, every grazing rotation—sends signals to the microbial life beneath our feet. And those microbes respond. They shift, adapt, multiply, orContinue reading “The Soil Is Listening: How Microbial Life Responds to Our Farming Choices”
The Role of Ranching in Preserving Open Space and Wildlife Habitats
In the ongoing efforts to conserve land, protect biodiversity, and mitigate the effects of urban sprawl, ranchers play an often underappreciated role as stewards of the land. The vast open spaces managed by ranchers provide critical habitats for wildlife, preserve ecosystems, and serve as buffers against the encroachment of urbanization. Far from being just centersContinue reading “The Role of Ranching in Preserving Open Space and Wildlife Habitats”
Environmentalism By Participation Not Abandonment
Why showing up again—after the weeds, the chaos, and the chickens in the garden—is still environmentalism. This year, we kind of abandoned things. Life got hectic. Health issues flared. Finances tightened. And the farm—well, it slipped through our fingers a bit. The chickens took over the garden. The weeds took over the yard. Some ofContinue reading “Environmentalism By Participation Not Abandonment”
Farm Table Talk: The Barn Is Falling Down
I don’t give a flying monkey fart who’s to blame for the shutdown. I don’t care if it’s the Democrats refusing to budge on healthcare or the Republicans refusing to come to the table. I don’t care whose press conference sounds more polished or who’s winning the blame game on cable news. What I careContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: The Barn Is Falling Down”
Things Nobody Told Me About Raising Livestock (That Would Have Saved Me Hours of Headache)
A practical-but-honest guide for beginners who think livestock is just feeding and collecting eggs. When we started raising livestock, I thought I was signing up for fresh eggs, happy animals, and a wholesome connection to the land. What I got instead was a crash course in disappearing chickens, suicidal rabbits, and goats with a personalContinue reading “Things Nobody Told Me About Raising Livestock (That Would Have Saved Me Hours of Headache)”
Farm Table Talk: I’m Not Lying Down for the End of Days
I’ve been attending church lately. It’s new for me. I haven’t decided if I’ll get baptized. I’ve got a lot of questions, a lot of history, and a lot of hesitation when it comes to organized religion. But I’m showing up. I’m listening. I’m learning. And I’m also pushing back. Because recently, in a conversationContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: I’m Not Lying Down for the End of Days”
