DISCOVER SOIL HEALTH | AT THE GROUND LEVEL
Why is soil health important?
Soil health is a hot topic and for good reason. Soils are one of our most vital resources and we must give them the attention they deserve. The goal of Stories From The Soil is to advance the collaborative and innovative soil health efforts occurring across the United States by sharing the soil management practices of leading growers, researchers, and land stewards. There has been tremendous progress in recent years in better understanding the importance of soil health practices to provide agricultural and horticultural productivity and sustainability. Follow along as we tell these stories and learn more about the soil beneath our feet.
What is soil health?
Historically, soil has been overlooked – seen as merely ground for holding plants while fertilizers, nutrients, and water help them grow. Over time, our topsoil’s have deteriorated due to erosion and some practices such as mono-cropping and over-tillage.
A third of the planet’s land is severely degraded according to the UN, and some experts consider most of the soil in the U.S. as very degraded or degraded. With global population growth expected to reach 10 billion in 2050, soils are becoming increasingly important.
Good soil is alive with billions of microorganisms and it has the proper structure to hold water and nutrients. These attributes allow the soil to better absorb and retain water and nutrients for plants and to better protect against pests. Good soil health can improve farm productivity, improve the long-term sustainability of our soils, and help mitigate climate change . The impact of this degradation isn’t just on farmer’s economics, but extends to American’s health. The United Nations considers soil degradation one of the central threats to human health in the coming decades.
Stories From the Soil
Cool Planet is a company and team dedicated to innovation in agriculture and turf, nursery, and ornamental markets. In order to continue to advance our innovation of soil health solutions, we set out to hear from expert farmers and land stewards on the realities of their soil health management practices. Their expertise, lessons learned, and approaches will be used as the foundation for our research and development process of new biochar-based technologies that can promote crop productivity, land sustainability, and plant beauty and resiliency. We hope you follow along with Stories From the Soil to learn about soil health practices that are impacting our communities and world for good.