In order to bring science-based information to SoilNOW, we assess available resources and work together with our collaborators and partner programs to find answers to today’s pressing issues and fill in any knowledge gaps. We do this by directly asking gardeners, farmers, Extension educators and others about their questions and needs, and then develop content through research initiatives led by our team at Cornell and others working in soil health, urban ag, and related fields.
SoilNOW then provides science-based resources that inform best practices for gardening and sustainable soil management. Effective practices to build healthy and productive soils are the foundation of our work.
Research Activities and Collaborations
SoilNOW brings together information from a variety of places to help make soil-related resources accessible and understandable. Much of our Extension and outreach programming comes directly from research initiatives led by our team at Cornell, as well as those of our partners and collaborators.
Explore our projects, and those of our partners at Cornell and beyond involved in soils research and soil testing.
- Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities – Science-based information about soil contaminants and healthy gardening practices.
- Ag Soils of the City – Research and outreach partnerships to build sustainability from the soil up. Areas of focus include: characterizing and improving urban soils, refining recommendations for constructed soils (from sediment/compost blends), improving information access through virtual reality technologies and other outreach innovations.
- 2022 New York State Agricultural Land Classification – Soil characteristics by county in NY State agricultural lands; data sourced from NRCS and NYSERDA.
- Cornell Soil Health Program – Research, outreach and lab services to protect and improve soil health planet-wide.
- Urban Soils Institute – Advances the scientific understanding of urban soils and promotes their sustainable use for the health of all life, through soil testing and other services.
SoilNOW Survey
We want to hear from you! We’re interested in understanding your information needs, where you’re getting information, and as the ways you’d like to receive information.
We’re building a new page where you can take a look at our 2020 survey results to see how we select new topics and resources featured on the SoilNOW website. We’ll also offer a way for you to contribute to the direction of our research and extension efforts through a new ongoing survey.
In the meantime visit our SoilNOW Survey page for more information about the survey project.
Ag Soils of the City Research
Below are some photos from our Ag Soils of the City project where we are using DSNY municipal compost and NYC Clean Soil Bank sediment to answer three questions:
- What is the best OM to soil mix for urban growers?
- What is leaching from this material (nitrate, pH, EC)? Where is it going?
- How will these soils perform over time?
Click on the photos below to enlarge them.
Please contact us if you still have questions about this topic, and don’t see the information you need on our site. Remember, you can always navigate this website by topic using the Key Resources section/sidebar.