Soil is essential for everyday life. Not only do we walk on it, but we also rely on soil for gardening, producing food, growing plants, and much more. But most importantly, farmers depend on rich, fertile soil to grow vigorous crops to feed the world. Soil is made up of a mixture of organic and inorganic matter, minerals, water, air, and organisms. These elements working together create a vital component of our natural resources.
World Soil Day is celebrated annually on Dec. 5, to bring attention to the importance of healthy soil and protecting one of the most valuable resources available to us. This year’s campaign “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity” urges us to focus our attention on the workers below ground: the microorganisms that are responsible for supporting healthy soil and plant growth.
We can all play a role and protect soil biodiversity by raising awareness and advocating for soil biodiversity education. We can also manage soil resources sustainably, support soil biodiversity and sustainability research, and invest in innovation and refusing, reducing, reusing and recycling materials before sending them to a landfill.
An integral part of protecting soil biodiversity is sustainable soil management techniques tailored to the type of soil and its uses. Some of these practices are simple. These include avoiding the removal of vegetation from the soil cover, maintaining crop diversity, avoiding monocultures, and incorporating no-till and strip tillage systems. Other practices are more complex. Crop rotation or agroforestry, for example, can mitigate climate change by reducing emissions and storing carbon in plant biomass and soils. Using these practices can increase the microbial activity underneath the soil. At the Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), we are committed to proactively improving soil health by working with landowners and residents to implement sound soil health principles and systems to ensure the soil biodiversity is not only healthy today, but for future generations to use and enjoy. These practices improve productivity and resilience on the farm, as well as protect our lands and waters to help achieve healthier soil and cleaner water.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can improve your soil health today, contact the Stearns County SWCD office at (320) 251-7800 ext. 3 or via email at StearnsCountySWCD@gmail.com.
To learn more about World Soil Day, visit http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/en/.