Soil Health is the Key

Healthy soil is the key to so much: healthy food, clean water, increased crop yields, drought resistance.  It’s integral to a healthy food system, but for the last 50 years or so, it’s been relegated to the background as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, tillage, and monocropping have come to the forefront.  Dust storms that harken back to the dust bowl are still the reality in areas where soil is left bare and exposed to the wind, particularly in the Midwest and Southwest. However, as we look to improve water quality in Vermont and to develop a strong and sustainable food system, more attention is being refocused on the health of our soils.

That was the theme at October’s Vermont Farm to Plate Network Gathering, and keynote speaker Ray Archuleta, a Conservation Agronomist at the USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service, couldn’t have been clearer.  To prove that farming in nature’s image was more productive and better for our environment, he conducted a soil stability test, similar to the video below.  What soil won out?  Soil that had not been tilled and that had been actively managed for diversity and supported with cover crops.  It didn’t necessarily need to be soil from organic production (although organic production has a suite of positive impacts for our environment) – even conventionally managed soil that had not been tilled was more stable (better at infiltrating water, which means less runoff and better moisture levels both in the soil and groundwater, and didn’t fall apart).


Archuleta also showed a video of a rainfall simulator and the effect rainfall has on different soils – soils that are left exposed to the elements with no crop cover, soils that are monocropped year after year,  pasture, etc (similar to the video below).  The amount of soil runoff and the difference in infiltration was dramatic, with no-till soil coming out ahead in both respects.


So what does this means for us, consumers of food?  It just further emphasizes the need for “knowing your farmer.” When we know our farmer - when we go out to the farm and visit, or talk to him/her during a product demo, or even visit their Facebook page or read their website – we have a better sense of the practices they employ on their farms and we get a sense of their farming beliefs and passions.  When shopping, flag down one of our buyers and ask what they know about certain farms, as they tend to deal directly with our local farmers and producers. If a producer is demoing their product in the store, take a moment to ask them how they manage their soil and fields.

By taking these small steps, we can all help promote soil conservation and regeneration in our own communities.  Soil health isn’t just a problem that is relegated to the farmer.  We all eat, which means we are all responsible for doing what we can to encourage good agricultural practices.  And if you have your own green thumb, perhaps you can take a small step by focusing on soil health in your home garden in the spring!

If the topic of soil health and piqued your interest, check out this interesting video from NASA showing CO2 levels across the globe for a full year (the dark red areas are emitting the most carbon dioxide).  It's interesting to notice that the CO2 levels in the northern hemisphere increase dramatically in the spring, when many farmers plow their fields.