Kathleen Hilimire Home  Directory Kathleen Hilimire
|
|
|
| Research Focus | |
|
“Improving soil quality with pastured poultry: an innovative solution for organic crop farmers.”
My research explores how the incorporation of poultry into crop farms shifts the biological, chemical, and physical parameters of soil and may provide a cost-effective organic alternative to conventional fertilizers, composts, and cover crops. Recently, California has become home to a growing trend of integrating pastured poultry into organic crop farms. Farmers who are a part of this trend report that by planting pasture and grazing it with poultry before planting crops they are able to increase soil fertility and soil organic matter. This is because pasture plants are similar to cover crops, and grazing poultry is similar to applying manure. This method of soil quality enhancement is made profitable by the sales of meat and eggs. This study will document and publicize a way for farmers to afford reduced tillage and reduced fertilizer application, making the results of this study immediately useful for soil conservation and affordable organic farming. |
| Education History | |
|
Pitzer College, B.A. Political Ecology, 2003 |
|
