Broad View; still some work to do...

The view from the hill helpfully hides at least two thirds of the workload behind the windbreak of Italian Alders...Nitrogen fixers plus potential firewood..

But it's starting to feel like a few things are getting under control...

Ha; what a statement to make...

Control is a hopeless word; for a situation where it's far more about keeping the plates spinning; and trusting that natural processes will continue to do their thing.

All we can do, is to encourage natural flows to go towards where we would like them.

"Working with nature" is an much over used; nebulous; means nothing; and yet means everything term...

At least in the world of organics; and general 'Greenery'.

It presupposes that we even know, how nature really does work....Mysterious ways muchly....

Good solid science can tell us a lot. 

But there's still an awful amount of research yet to be done around understanding how something as seemingly mundane; yet complex and life sustaining, as soil, actually fuctions.

In a healthy loam there are a myriad microscopic organisms; plus associated buglets; endlessly interacting; and producing and consuming micronutrients, and minerals.

Then there are multiple soil types; climatic conditions; crops that can be grown..

How do you set up empirical tests for all that? In each and every situation? 

And who is going to fund all that research?

When at the end of it all there is no actual marketable product; or magic bullet to sell to us organic growers...?

And even if a sustainable one were to be found; could we afford to use it?

For now; and I suspect in the longer term;, we just have to trust our instincts; whilst making best use of that experience and knowledge we, and others may have garnered over the years...

And of course keep on larding on the love; and compost....