May 4, 2015
Our Soil-ution: increasing important organic matter in soil
Rhiannon Davis
Soil Association
Soil is always at the forefront of the Soil Association’s work, but especially so during 2015’s International Year of Soils: a year designated by the United Nations to highlight how soil – full of life and frequently overlooked – is essential to all human life. The health of soil is being rapidly degraded, which will […] ...
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May 1, 2015
Technology to Help Us Deal with Drought
Dennis O’Brien
Agricultural Research Service
With droughts becoming more severe, water tables getting lower and an increasing demand for water from growing suburbs and cities, farmers know they need to use water more sparingly. That’s why recently patented technology developed by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Texas is so important. Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on the [& ...
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April 29, 2015
Mapping Restoration Opportunities through Soil Surveying
Stephanie J. Connolly
USDA Forest Service
Recent collaborative research by West Virginia University (WVU), the USDA-NRCS and USDA-Forest Service has linked spodic soil properties to the historical range of red spruce (Picea rubens) in the Central Appalachians. The data collected has allowed researchers to map the occurrence of these properties to help project the historical extent of red spruce before railroad [&hellip ...
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April 24, 2015
An Old but Still Pertinent Soil-ution from West Sumatra
Carol J. Pierce Colfer
Cornell University
CIFOR
In 1983, our team (from the University of Hawaii, North Carolina State and the Indonesian Center for Soils Research) began a multi-year program in Sitiung, West Sumatra. We began our work using a Farming Systems approach, living in a village and working collaboratively with local farmers. The Indonesian policy at the time called for food […] ...
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April 22, 2015
The sustainable solutions at our feet: Top five reasons you should “root” for soil health farmers on Earth Day 2015
Ron Nichols
USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service
To meet the growing sustainability challenges of the 21st Century, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is reminding people that many of the solutions are right at our feet — in the soil. Here are the top five reasons NRCS says why on Earth Day, you should “root” for soil health farmers: A lot of people […] ...
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April 7, 2015
Calling all Land Managers: Give us Your Dirt!
Louis Wertz
EcoAgriculture Partners
During Global Soil Week, April 19th-23rd, stakeholders from the around the world will join forces to discuss the role of sustainable soil management in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. So this month the Landscapes for People, Food, and Nature Blog is digging deeper into soil. And we want you, landscape managers, to join the discussion! […] ...
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