BEFORE TACKLING ANY LAND RENOVATION, CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES. Walk around your property. Is the land rough, rocky, or sandy? Are there trees, shrubs, or saplings greater than 2 inches in diameter? Are there stumps left from logging? Wet spots? Think, dream, and scheme: How do you want to use the land? Perhaps you'd like to look out over an open green space or cultivate vegetables or flowers. Maybe you want to provide a habitat for birds or other wildlife. Do you want to sell hay? Pasture a horse or cow?

LEARN ALL YOU CAN

Begin regeneration by learning all you can about your land. Talk to neighbors or check town records to learn its prior use. Has it ever been used for a woodlot or to grow hay or vegetable crops? What use has been successful in the past?

Ken Van Hazinga, an organic grain farmer in western Vermont for more than 30 years (and my cousin), says that knowing the history of your land can be extremely helpful: "If you have a field next to a barn, for instance, it's likely to be rich, as it would likely have been spread heavily with manure. A field that grew corn is not as fertile as one that grew hay. These will be small changes in soil composition and fertility, but over the years, they add up."

"Old-time farmers really knew their soil. Instead of watching TV, they watched the soil," says Van Hazinga. He recommends consulting the Farm Service Agency (FSA, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture), which often has crop records that have usually been saved at the county level. Soil maps, rigorously maintained by the FSA, add more relevant information. "These maps differentiate types of soil to even 10 feet, and they are constantly rechecking and recalibrating them," Van Hazinga adds.

Soil testing is critical to understanding the earth's character and fertility. Rick Kersbergen, a University of Maine Extension educator, recommends taking at least 10 soil samples in neglected pastures. Your county's Cooperative Extension agent or Web site can help you with a test and suggest how to meet your soil's needs. Follow recommendations closely.

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