www.sare.org publications farming-with-soil-life microfauna Microfauna Protozoans KINGDOM: Protozoa* PHYLA: Amoebozoa, Cercozoa, Ciliophora *The classification of different protozoan groups is in constant fluctuation as scientists better understand how these organisms are related to each other and to other groups. Currently the groups included in the kingdom Protozoa may not all share a common ancestor. Some protozoans are more closely related to […]
www.sare.org publications farming-with-soil-life the-life-in-soil The Life in Soil As the title Farming for Soil Life indicates, soil is a living system. It is both the product and producer of dynamic interactions between life above the soil surface and below it. Most plants cannot grow without soil, and healthy soil cannot form without the contribution of plants and microbes. Once the process of soil […]
www.sare.org publications farming-with-soil-life farming-practices-that-support-soil-health Farming Practices that Support Soil Health Farming practices that support soil health often need to be customized or adapted to local conditions. However, some overarching strategies are used in nearly all climate zones, soil conditions, or crop systems. Broadly speaking, some of the strategies that support soil health focus on a few key actions: Any one of these strategies is worthy […]
www.sare.org publications farming-with-soil-life farming-practices-that-can-put-soil-health-at-risk Farming Practices That Can Put Soil Health at Risk As a geological and biological matrix, healthy, living soil is protected and buffered against dynamic changes or degradation. However, physical or chemical disruption of the soil environment destroys the healthy function between minerals, water, gases, roots and animals. Landslides, floods and storms are naturally occurring disruptions to soils. Many conventional practices used in growing crops […]
www.sare.org publications farming-with-soil-life observing-soil-life Observing Soil Life As both the understanding of soil as a living system and the interest in improving soil health increase, the need to reliably evaluate soil health is becoming more apparent. Observation and measurement can help track changes at the same location, allowing you to, for example, compare baseline conditions with conditions present after a few seasons […]
www.sare.org publications farming-with-soil-life soil-health Soil Health Soil is the foundation of all terrestrial life, including humans. This includes the life generated by both wild soils, such as forests and grasslands, and by the agricultural soils that are the focus of this handbook. Given this, it’s natural to be interested in the health of our soils, and indeed people often talk about […]
www.sare.org publications farming-with-soil-life our-living-soil Our Living Soil Typically, if soil gets much attention from the general public, it is simply for how well (or poorly) plants grow in it. Soil science—an incredibly rich, complex and multifaceted academic discipline—has long recognized that Earth’s soils are a dynamic interaction of physical, chemical and biological properties. Yet most of us rarely give any thought to […]
www.sare.org publications managing-stress planting-seeds-of-help Planting Seeds of Help Leroy Hardy’s journey into financial crisis began when tight finances kept him from sticking with the schedule of payments on a farm loan. As a fifth-generation farmer and operator of Hardy Family Farm near Sedley, Virginia, Hardy had years of experience growing and marketing produce and cut flowers. But trying to navigate the muddy waters […]
www.sare.org publications managing-stress changing-lives-through-better-communication Changing Lives Through Better Communication When Marc Cavatorta heard about a reflective, supportive retreat for farmers being offered not far from his organic vegetable farm near Palermo, Maine, he jumped at the chance to attend. It was late 2021, and he was just finishing his first year of farming on his own. The year had been particularly stressful. “I was […]
www.sare.org publications managing-stress the-biggest-asset-is-you The Biggest Asset Is You Utah State University (USU) Extension professor Josh Dallin had just wrapped up a presentation about livestock before an audience of farmers and ranchers, and he asked if there was any other information his listeners needed. The response was surprisingly out of the ordinary. “One of our largest cattle producers raised his hand and said, ‘I’m […]