Got the new soil test results today -- a mini-crisis

[GreatGazoo]

Test took longer because this is peak season. I am growing on a larger farm, 300-acres, and I had a sample from the exact plot that I am planting in tested. Got the results this morning and it turns out that the soil is 5.5 ph. That's just too low for my beans.

Organic matter is 3.0% which is good but the soil is crusting as it lacks air space and any life. It has decent P and K but no worms. Little to no rocks but no root matter/decaying cover crop either.

I planted sunflowers, favas, canellinis, flagolets, snow peas, quinoa, baby bok shoy, fresh soy beans (edamame) and green beans (bush, Maxibel) about 3 weeks ago. The weather went from 30F nights and 45F days to 58F nights and 80F days like a someone flipped a switch. Winter lingered late here, had a frost on Apr 26 and light snow then the next day it's like Arizona. I think the snow peas, favas and probably the quinoa are done for now. The sunflower have done the best and I have planted twice more since 4/19 and added zinnias to the row.

But the beans...only the Maxibels emerged. And they seem burnt now. The soy has done nothing at all. I found one seed that the root had cracked the casing on but it seems to have not made it to emergence. Other seed holes seemed to empty (?) and the soy I planted last week with inoculant is just dry and dead looking.

I took on small farming as a challenge and it is one. Rewarding and challenging. Addictive really because the learning curve is steep and you want to apply what you learn next season

So I'm looking at other options -- stuff that likes 5.5 ph and can deal with some crusting and sandy loam soil that overdrains by a little. I think that makes my options: potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, basil or corn. (?) I can't make money on any of those because so many other local farmers do them well and at scale. And I kind of have to grow the beans regardless.

I grew for some restaurants last year and they want the beans and edamame this year so I may have to just find space on another farm and leave this 5.5 desert with just the sunflowers. It is an organic far so I can't use a quick lime; dolomite would be preferred but the soil test rec's "4000 pounds per acre" in order to get to 6.5. Pricey but it would work and would add calcium, which is also lacking in this soil and crucial for taste in beans. Problem there is the PH probably wouldn't drop significantly in time for me to get this first crop in again.

Thanks for listening. I wanted a challenging and rewarding hobby and I found one in small farming. Appreciate any ideas or feedback.

Happy May gardening!