Story of Soil

We believe the food cycle begins with the soil. Soil is a living ecosystem, teeming with complex microbial activity. A single handful of healthy soil can contain thousands of different microbes, each working tirelessly to break down organic matter into nutrients that plants can easily absorb. It’s a relationship built on mutual exchange: plant roots release enzyme-rich secretions that serve as food for microbes, and in return, these microbes supply essential nutrients back to the plants. This delicate balance reminds us that the heart of farming lies in nurturing ecology and sustaining the soil’s vibrant ecosystem.

The true energy of the soil lies in its carbon content. Only trees and plants have the remarkable ability to capture sunlight and store that energy within their leaves, stems, roots and fruits. When a plant completes its natural life cycle, the stored energy—locked in the form of carbon—returns to the soil, enriching it and increasing the soil’s organic matter. It is said that around 60% of the soil organic matter consists of soil organic carbon. This is why returning as much organic carbon as possible back to the soil is essential. This is the very secret behind the richness of forest soil, where every day, plants, trees, and their fallen parts decompose, continually feeding and revitalizing the land.

Microbes - tiny organisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa—play a fundamental role in sustaining life by driving processes that keep soil fertile, plants healthy, and ecosystems balanced. In soil, their most important function is nutrient cycling through processes like the Nitrogen Cycle, Carbon Cycle, and Phosphorus Cycle, where they break down complex organic matter such as plant residues, roots, and animal waste into simpler forms that plants can absorb. This happens through the release of enzymes that decompose compounds like cellulose and proteins into sugars and amino acids, eventually forming humus, which enriches soil structure and fertility.

• Certain specialized microbes, such as Rhizobium, form symbiotic relationships with plant roots—especially legumes—where they convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, a usable nutrient for plants, while receiving carbohydrates in return.
• Fungi involved in Mycorrhiza extend the root system of plants through fine hyphal networks, significantly improving the uptake of water and nutrients like phosphorus.
• At the same time, many beneficial microbes protect plants by outcompeting harmful pathogens, producing natural antibiotics, and enhancing plant immunity.
• They also improve soil structure by producing sticky substances that bind soil particles into aggregates, increasing aeration and water retention.
• As microbes grow, die, and decompose, they continuously release nutrients back into the soil in a dynamic cycle that maintains long-term fertility.

This same microbial activity is harnessed in composting, where organic waste is transformed into nutrient-rich manure.

At Sun Green Farms, we strive to imitate natural forest processes on a smaller scale by adding as much as dry leaves, barks, twigs, animal waste like cow dung, urine, chicken droppings to the soil improving its organic matter. Also we try to bring as many birds to our farms land by planting bird attracting trees and flowering plants. This helps with bird droppings falling into the soil adding to its carbon content. Mulching also helps with building an ecosystem for the microbes and microbial activity to thrive.