Crews disproportionately made of young, Mexican men bale pine straw by hand. They're not always fairly compensated.

Once the pine straw is pristine, they rake it into loose piles. The mounds dotting this field are six feet tall, pitchforks and gloves balanced at their edges. After raking, the bare forest floor ...

Mulch can be almost any loose aggregate material that will stay put and not significantly reduce air exchange out of the soil. But what kind is best?

If you live someplace with lots of pine trees, pine straw is a cheap option for mulch—or even free, if you rake it yourself.