Compost
The decayed remains of organic matter that has rotted into a natural fertilizer.
Composting for regeneration
When added to soil, compost provides biological, chemical and structural benefits, mimicking and supporting the natural cycle of soil health. The combination of these three components in combination with the plants growing in the soil, is referred to as the soil food web.
(Illustration by KT Shepard)
The problem with “conventional” (ie. non-”organic”) methods
The soil food web illustrates the intricate process that nature has in place to maintain soil health to adequately support life - whether that be bacteria, plants, insects, animals, or humans. Commercial or “conventional” (read: colonial) agriculture processes like the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemical pest control and tilling (as well as the effects of climate change) disrupt this balance, resulting in dense, compacted soil void of bacterial and fungal activities. Implementing these disruptive practices creates a spiral of doom: tilling the soil and adding chemicals breaks down the natural structure, biology, and supportive life in the soil, resulting in poor soil health, that is then tilled, chemically amended and further damaged, and so on…
yeah, compost!
Although just one component of healthy soil, decomposing material in the form of compost is a good start to healing (balancing) soil. By adding decaying material to soil, bacteria and other microfauna have a food source and the soil food web thrives. When the soil food web thrives, the spiral of doom transforms into a spiral of life and balance is restored throughout, resulting in living soil that is balanced and can adequately support plant life without artificial amendments.