In the second chapter of his five-part mini-series, “Bringing the Science of Soil Health Home,” Buz Kloot, Ph.D. tells farmers and gardeners about the five key lessons he’s learned on his episodic soil health trek across the country.
Dr. Kloot discusses critical facts about the nature and properties of soils and reminds viewers that:
1. Soils vary a great deal;
2. Soils are three-dimensional (and are deeper than six inches);
3. An acre of healthy soil contains at least a ton of microbes;
4. Fifty percent of a healthy soils volume is void space, or pore space, and
5. Soils can and do change with management.
Soil is a living and life-giving natural resource.
As world population and food production demands rise, keeping our soil healthy and productive is of paramount importance. By farming using soil health principles and systems that include no-till, cover cropping and diverse rotations, more and more farmers are actually increasing their soil’s organic matter and improving microbial activity. As a result, farmers are sequestering more carbon, increasing water infiltration, improving wildlife and pollinator habitat—all while harvesting better profits and often better yields.
The resources on this soil health section of our site are designed to help visitors understand the basics and benefits of soil health—and to learn about Soil Health Management Systems from farmers who are using those systems.
Learn more about the basics and benefits of soil health.