Soil talks and are we listening? Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated, “The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”
DIBS reached out to the “pioneers of organic agriculture research” at Rodale Institute to see what soil has to say.
How important is healthy soil for the growth of food?
RODALE: Healthy soil is critical to the production of healthy food. Food gains its nutrients, vitamins, minerals from the soil it’s grown in. If we don’t take care of our soil, our food will suffer, and human health will be in danger.
How do you get healthy soil?
RODALE: Healthy soil needs to be treated like the resource it is. This means not using harsh chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides that kill the critical bacterial and fungal networks deep within the soil. This “organic matter” helps plants reduce disease, absorb water, and retain nutrients, and is the biggest part of healthy soil.
What sort of minerals do we find in soil that is beneficial?
RODALE: Healthy soil contains nutrients like nitrogen that is essential to plant growth. When the soil is degraded with the use of chemicals, nitrogen needs to be put back on the soil through the use of fertilizers, which are often synthetically-based and can run off into creeks and streams and pollute our water. When soil is healthy, it also contains a healthy network of mycorrhizal fungi that hold the soil together and prevent erosion.
What are the hazards to healthy soil?
RODALE: The main hazards of the ones in use every day in conventional, industrial farming systems: pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. While these chemicals claim to only kill weeds and pests, it also kills every living thing within the soil, ruining the carefully balanced microbiome that plants rely on in order to grow successfully.
Talk about the importance of soil microbiome in the productivity of crops, climate change, and health.
RODALE: Results from Rodale Institute’s long-term side by side comparison trials, like the Farming Systems Trial that has been running for over 40 years, have shown that organic soil not only produces the same amount of food as conventional soil after a transition period but that organic food has higher levels of nutrients. Organic crops have also been shown to perform better in the case of extreme weather, a growing concern as the climate changes and weather patterns become unpredictable. Regenerative organic soil also holds more carbon due to its bacterial and fungal networks, making a regenerative organic food system a viable solution to fight against climate change.
Talk about how soil microbes differ enormously from region to region.
RODALE: Soil types, as well as management practices, differ by region. That’s why Rodale Institute is opening Regional Resource Centers in agricultural hubs like Iowa, California, and Georgia to conduct research in regenerative organic methods in a variety of soil types, climates, and weather patterns.
What sort of discoveries or experiments is Rodale Institute finding or doing in regards to the soil?
RODALE: Rodale Institute has many research projects occurring at our farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and beyond. Our longest running comparison trial, the Farming Systems Trial, compares organic and conventional grain systems like corn, soybeans, and wheat, and has been running since 1981. Recently, we began the Vegetable Systems Trial, a side by side comparison of organic and conventional vegetable production systems that will run for over 20 years. This trial is focused on determining the difference in nutrient density caused by agricultural management. We also conduct research on farming practices and water quality in our Watershed Impact Trial, study the viability and uses of industrial hemp for the soil and beyond, as well as various research projects on the role of livestock, compost, and much more.
What does Rodale do to keep their soil healthy?
RODALE: Rodale Institute integrates regenerative organic practices like composting, natural pest management, cover crops, and crop rotations to keep the soil healthy. We also practice organic no-till management, using a technology called the roller-crimper that was developed by our CEO Jeff Moyer decades ago. The roller-crimper terminates cover crops without chemicals while creating a mat of the cover crop residue in the field, which then acts as a shield to protect seeds and block weeds from growing. This allows our organic fields to have fewer weeds without losing any carbon that is typically lost from tilling the soil.
What are the signs of healthy or unhealthy soil?
RODALE: Healthy soil is dark and sticks together—a clump of organic soil submerged in water will keep its shape. In contrast, unhealthy soil is pale, dry, and crumbles easily, providing less room for the plants to grow and eroding much more easily in extreme weather than organic.
What can WE (regular citizens) do to help keep the soil healthy?
RODALE: Buy organic! Look for products with the USDA Certified Organic label and know that your food was grown with practices that support healthy soil and healthy people. You can also look for products with the “Rodale Institute Approved” label; this is Rodale Institute’s seal of approval on products that we know were grown regeneratively, going above and beyond in sourcing practices and maintaining a priority on healthy soil. Coming Spring 2020, consumers will also start to see the Regenerative Organic Certification, developed by Rodale Institute and partners like Patagonia and Dr. Bronner’s. This “gold standard” goes beyond the USDA Organic label to not only prioritize soil health, but also animal welfare and social fairness.
Regular citizens can also get involved in organic farming near them. Rodale Institute offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, as well as internship programs for those interested in starting a career in organic agriculture. You can also support Rodale Institute with a one-time or recurring donation to help us continue doing the important research that grows the organic movement and proves that healthy soil = healthy food = healthy people.
Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been growing the organic movement through rigorous research, farmer training, and consumer education since 1947. Headquartered in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Rodale Institute operates a 333-acre certified organic experimental farm that hosts numerous research trials and projects, as well as a farm share program for underserved communities, and consulting services for farmers across the country. For seventy years, the Institute has been researching the best practices of organic agriculture and sharing findings with farmers and scientists throughout the world, advocating for policies that support farmers, and educating consumers about how going organic is the healthiest option for people and the planet. Rodale Institute holds workshops, events, training programs, and is open to the public year-round. Learn more at RodaleInstitute.org.
For more information, below are some links provided by Rodale
1.Soil Health - What Is Healthy Soil?
Photo provided by Rodale Institute