Photos by Sabrina Williams

Soil is...

not dirt, of course. Many of us who have spent time in the garden know that dirt is essentially dead. Soil, on the other hand, is a living, complex ecosystem. As one of a triumvirate of life-giving elements — the other two being sun and rain — it has the power to sustain agricultural productivity and protect environmental resources. When you look at it up close, the world within it is reason enough to be impressed. In one cup of soil there are upwards of 200 billion bacteria, 20 million protozoa, 100,000 nematodes, and 100,000 meters of fungal hyphae! Sadly, human activity has contributed to the degradation of soil ecosystems, and consequently, a warmer, dirtier planet. 

Soil Health Is…

also referred to as soil quality, and is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. According to the Soil Health Institute, a healthy soil provides many functions that support plant growth, including nutrient cycling, biological control of plant pests, and regulation of water and air supply.

Assessing how well soil performs its functions in the present, and its ability to do so in the future, can't be determined by any single result. Assessment relies upon many indicators.  A “short” list offered by the folks at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service includes soil organic matter, soil structure, soil depth, water holding, habitat for soil microbes, tilth, reactive carbon, soil nitrate, soil pH, phosphorus and potassium, plant and microbial activity, earthworms, soil respiration, and total organic carbon.

Prioritizing Healthy Soil Is…

the best way to create resilient ecosystems. In doing so, we can reduce global food insecurity and environmental impacts of greenhouse gases. There is a lot of talk about CO2 (carbon dioxide) and its contribution to greenhouse gases. A powerful way to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere is to sequester it in our soils. Plants naturally help remove it through photosynthesis and sending the balance to the soil. So, not only does soil do the yeoman's work of retaining water and nutrients, but incredibly, it also sequesters carbon in excess of that retained by the sum of all plants and the atmosphere! 

Importantly, healthy soil also feeds the world. It helps the 500-million smallholder farms globally who produce 80% of the world's food. According to the World Resources Institute, these farms will not be able to produce enough food for over 9 billion people without dramatic changes in how food is produced, including focuses on soil health and water management.

We are…

all stewards of the soil. The benefits of healthy soil don't just accrue to the small farms described above. Home gardens worldwide also can combat soil-depleting practices through crop diversity, proper fertilization, and no-till gardening. And, as more households in urban areas grow more at our homes, yards and urban gardens, we are altogether more productive per unit of area than are large producers. 

We aren't often presented clear opportunities to have a hand in averting a point-of-no-return climate crisis. As growers, soil is…ours.