Take a look at this year's harvest: a whole pallet of pumpkins and squash, and then some. 🎃 A big part of the credit goes to something pretty humble, a thick layer of wood chips.
Manure is full of nitrogen and other nutrients, but left on its own, a lot of that can wash away in the rain or escape into the air. Wood chips are rich in carbon. When manure lands on them, the carbon soaks up and holds onto those nutrients, so they stay put instead of disappearing.
As the chips slowly break down, soil life like fungi and earthworms gets to work. Bit by bit, those stored nutrients become rich, dark soil that feeds whatever we plant next. The chips also hold moisture and keep weeds down along the way.
No synthetic fertilizer, no chemicals. Just manure, wood chips, time, and a lot of very happy pumpkins.