“Healthy soil is darker in color, crumbly, and porous. It is home to worms and other organisms that squirm, creep, hop, or crawl. Healthy soil provides the right amount of air, water, and organic matter for microorganisms to thrive and for plants to grow” (1). Healthy soil is the backbone of a healthy, productive farm.
Photo Credit: Pink Sherbet Photography via Compfight
The ideal soil will have an earthy smell, is easy to dig into, moist, and full of life. By using correct management practices, you may be able to maintain and improve the health of your land. Why is soil health so important? Healthy soils have “increased organic matter, more soil organisms, reduced soil compaction and improved nutrient storage and cycling. As an added bonus, fully functioning, healthy soils absorb and retain more water, making them less susceptible to runoff and erosion. This means more water will be available for crops when they need it” (2).
Soil is the backbone of every farm and needs to be managed for maximum production. Are you using the most current techniques for the best results?
Join us at our Soil Health Field Day where you will enjoy:
- Dinner on the farm
- Demonstration cover crop plots
- A farmer panel
- Soil health demonstrations
- Equipment demonstrations
Our speakers include:
- Olga Vargas a NRCS Soil Scientist, Paul Salon, the NRCS Plant Materials Specialist, and Frank Gibbs, a Certified Professional Soil Scientist and Certified Crop Advisor.
This meeting will be held on August 21st, 2014 from 4:30-8:30 pm at Kinderhook Creek Farm, Inc., 5168 South Stephentown Road, Stephentown, NY. There are 1.5 DEC Credits and 4 CCA credits available at the meeting! The meeting is FREE, but please RSVP by August 18th, 2014. For more information or to RSVP please contact Marcie Vohnoutka at (518) 272-4210 or mmp74@cornell.edu.
1. USDA-NRCS “Unlock Your Farm’s Potential: Dig a Little, Learn A lot”
2. Ibid.
3. USDA-NRCS “Healthy Soils Are: High in Organic Matter”
