USDA Blog » USDA Joins World Leaders at the United Nations to Kickoff International Year of Soils

Last week at the United Nations in New York, I joined top USDA officials to celebrate World Soil Day and the U.S. launch of the International Year of Soils, or IYS. Last year, the United Nations General Assembly designated Dec. 5 as World Soil Day and declared 2015 as the IYS to “serve as a major platform for raising awareness of the importance of soils for food security and essential ecosystem service.”  Representing the United States were Robert Bonnie, USDA under secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, and David Smith, deputy chief for soil science and resource assessment, with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Under Secretary Bonnie was one of 10 distinguished guests making presentations on the floor of the United Nations. He emphasized the serious challenges that are facing agriculture and food security, particularly in light of the fact that in the next 40 years, farmers and ranchers will need to produce as much food as they have in the last 500 years to feed a rapidly growing population. He also said that NRCS’ work in soil conservation, soil health and soil science has been integral to the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture.

USDA Blog » USDA Joins World Leaders at the United Nations to Kickoff International Year of Soils

Earth Day 2014: The Hope in Healthy Soil

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Ron Nichols, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on April 22, 2014 at 3:00 PM

Conservation tillage practices like no-till allow farmers to plant cash crop seeds with little disturbance to the soil, which protects the habitat for billions of the soil’s microorganisms. NRCS photo.

For years, it was believed that a certain amount of cropland soil erosion was inevitable. But by using conservation techniques like cover crops, no-till and diverse crop rotations, an increasing number of farmers are proving that we can actually build our soils and, in some instances, increase soil organic matter by as much as 3-4 percent.

In the process, these farmers are using less energy, maintaining or increasing production and improving their bottom lines. And that’s a reason to celebrate today—Earth Day 2014.

These farmers understand the soil is alive. So they’re farming with practices to ensure the soil ecosystem is alive and well and working for them. While management techniques vary from farm-to-farm, they all use these four key soil health principles. They…

1. Minimize soil disturbance. The soil’s natural biological cycles and soil structure can be disrupted through tillage, chemical disturbance or improper livestock grazing. By reducing or eliminating these activities, farmers will benefit from better plant growth, reduced soil erosion, increased profit margins and better wildlife habitat.

2. Energize with diversity. Biodiversity, growing more plants in rotation, increases the success of most agricultural systems. Diversity above ground improves diversity below ground, which provides an ideal habitat for the billions of micro-organisms that perform essential soil ecosystem functions like helping make nutrients available to plants.

3. Keep the soil covered. Using cover crops helps restore soil health, protects against soil erosion and groundwater leaching, and provides livestock feed and wildlife habitat. In addition, cover crops protect the soil ecosystem from temperature extremes and improve plant health.

4. Maximize living roots. Year-round, living roots are essential to provide the food and habitat for soil micro-organisms. These roots also create pores and channels in the soil that provide oxygen and increase water infiltration capacity — which helps makes cropland more resilient to weather extremes like droughts and floods.

Learn more about the “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil” campaign of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and hear what farmers have to say about the importance of soil health in these short “Profiles in Soil Health” videos.

Also, learn from soil health farmers in your state.

In addition to planting rotations, soil health farmers often use a “cocktail mix” of cover crop seed varieties to improve nutrient cycling and to improve soil ecosystem diversity and health. NRCS photo.

Top Five Reasons You Should "Root" for Soil Health Farmers on Earth Day 2014

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Ron Nichols, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on April 17, 2014 at 11:00 AM

What's underneath? Healthy soil has amazing water-retention capacity. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service is celebrating Earth Day by highlighting the importance of soil health.

Earth Day is next Tuesday.  To meet the growing sustainability challenges of the 21^st Century, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is reminding people that many of the solutions are right at our feet — in the soil.

Here are the top five reasons NRCS says why on Earth Day 2014 you should “root” for soil health farmers:

5. A lot of people are coming to dinner. We all rely on the soil for our food and fiber. By the year 2050, an estimated 9 billion people will join us at Earth’s dinner table, meaning we’ll have to grow as much food in the next 40 years as we have in the past 500.

The Soil Health Solution: Improving soil health increases the productivity and function of our soil (including nutrient uptake to plants), which offers increased food security in a growing world.

4. There are fewer acres of land to grow the food we need. Globally, millions of acres of cropland are lost to development or resource degradation.

The Soil Health Solution: Improving soil health naturally can protect our working lands from erosion and desertification and ensure that our food-producing acres stay fertile and productive.

3. Weather extremes like drought and climate change pose increasing food production challenges.

The Soil Health Solution: Healthy soil is more resilient soil, with greater infiltration and water-holding capacity, which make farms more resistant to periods of drought. And since it holds more water, healthy soil helps reduce flooding during periods of intense rainfall.

2. There is growing competition for water and other food production resources — and many resources are limited (or in some cases finite) in their supply.

The Soil Health Solution: Healthy soils help optimize those inputs and maximize nutrient use efficiency. In addition, healthy soil keeps production inputs like fertilizers and pesticides on the land and out of our streams, lakes and oceans.

1. We can repair and rebuild it. For years, it was believed that a certain amount of cropland soil erosion was inevitable.

The Soil Health Solution: By using conservation techniques like cover crops, no-till and diverse crop rotations, an increasing number of farmers are proving that we can actually build our soils — and, in some instances, increase soil organic matter by as much as 3-4 percent. In the process, farmers are actually using less energy, maintaining or increasing production and improving their bottom lines. Meet some of those farmers.

In fact, there are many more reasons why soil health is important to all of us on Earth Day — and every day. Learn more about the basics and benefits of soil health and how NRCS is helping our nation’s farmers “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil.”

Healthy soil retains water, and is a key to the need to feed the world’s estimated 9 billion people by 2050. (NRCS photo)

USDA Celebrates Soil's Importance on its Special Day

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Terry Bish, Acting Director, Public Affairs, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on December 5, 2013 at 3:15 PM

In this photo from the 2009 Society for Range Management (SRM) Award tour, Soil Quality Specialist, Rick Bednarek, formerly of SD, explained the darkness of the soil was due to the organic matter which is the key indicator of the health of soil.

Too often, it’s treated like dirt. But this week our living and life-giving soil is finally getting some of the respect it deserves today, for World Soils Day.

While soil may not enjoy the media attention of Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s, it can be argued that it shares importance with all three. Where would we be without soil?

This amazing resource is responsible for nearly all life on the planet. Naturalist Aldo Leopold describes soil perfectly, saying: “Land is not merely soil, it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants and animals.”

Understandably, it’s easy to take soil for granted because it’s mostly hidden from view — and few who live off the farm have reason to give it a second thought. Fortunately, scientists, conservationists and farmers are increasingly recognizing that keeping our soil healthy and functioning is the key to our survival.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and its conservation partners are working directly with private landowners to improve the health of the soil on our working lands. And by improving the health of the soil, we are also improving the health and vitality of our farms, families and communities.

This renewed focus on the health of our soil has created an exciting new revolution in American agriculture as farmers, ranchers and other landowners are increasingly making their land more productive and sustainable through soil health management systems.

Although all farming operations are different, most all can benefit from:

• keeping the soil covered as much as possible;
• disturbing the soil as little as possible;
• keeping plants growing throughout the year to feed the soil; and
• diversifying plants as much as possible using crop rotation and cover crops.

By improving soil health can harvest benefits on and off the farm including increasing farmland sustainability and resilience, improving water and air quality, providing wildlife habitat and reducing flooding.

This work ensures healthy soil will be plentiful for future generations.

World Soil Day serves as a reminder to all of us that we owe our existence to the soil. President Franklin Roosevelt says it best: “The nation that destroys the soil destroys itself.”

In naming Dec. 5 World Soil Day and 2015 as International Year of Soils, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations aimed to focus attention on something we see, touch, walk on and depend on every day – and should never take for granted.

As we face mounting global production, climate and sustainability challenges, I believe there is no better time to work hand-in-hand with farmers and ranchers to improve the health of this critical living resource.

For more information on soil, visit NRCS’ soil health awareness campaign, “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil.”

The South Dakota Legislature made Houdek (pronounced hoo-deck) the official State Soil in 1990. South Dakota has over 650 different soils.

Mimic Nature to Harvest Benefits of Healthy Soil, Expert Says

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Michelle Banks, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on December 3, 2013 at 2:00 PM

NRCS joins others to celebrate World Soil Day on Dec. 5.

In the minds of many, a freshly tilled field is picturesque – clean and ready for the next planting. But according to a soil health expert, what looks good to the eye, isn’t always good for the soil – or a farmer’s bottom line.

Thursday, on World Soil Day, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is celebrating the importance of healthy soils and sharing how farmers and ranchers can help care for it through conservation practices like no-till.

When soil is heavily tilled, the stalks from the previous crop are chopped, and the top several inches of soil structure are disturbed. Conventional thought suggests this fluffing action allows for better seed placement, but Ray Archuleta, NRCS conservation agronomist, said that no-till systems, especially when combined with cover crops, are better – and lead to healthier, more drought-resistant soil.

Archuleta, who works at the agency’s East National Technology Center in Greensboro, N.C., said no-till has significant financial benefits for producers, too.

“No-tillage can save thousands of dollars every year in fuel, labor and equipment maintenance,” Archuleta said.  “The key is to let the soil organisms do the work.”

Tennessee grain farmer Bartt McCormack has refrained from tilling — instead using no-till planting — for more than 35 years.  He knows first-hand why no-till with cover crops has created a favorable soil ecosystem. They’ve had a positive impact on his bottom line, he said.

“We’re a 90-95 percent no-till operation,” he said. “When you start pulling iron over 6,000 acres, it takes a lot of labor and a lot of fuel.”

McCormack grew up using tillage on the family farm, but after enrolling in NRCS programs, the farm began implementing no-till on more and more acres.

But McCormack cautions there is a process in transitioning to a no-till operation. He advises that farmers have to re-tool and change management practices on herbicides and rotations, but most importantly, they need to have an open mind at the possibilities that no-till with cover crops can bring.

“It’s not like changing a pair of pants,” he said.

McCormack has seen a boost in yields since he made the transition to no-till. “I’ve seen a 60 bushel difference in yield,” he said. “That’s a tremendous amount.”

On fields where he also planted cover crops, McCormack said his yields were event better. “Looking back, plowing up my fields was reducing my yields.”

Like a growing number of farmers across the nation, McCormack is sold on the benefits of improving soil health. He plans to continue experimenting with different varieties and combinations of cover crops, including planting multiple species on nearly all of his 6,000 no-till acres this fall.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has designated Thursday, Dec. 5 as World Soil Day.  To find out more about soil health click here.

Bartt McCormack uses cover crops and no-till to improve yields on his Tennessee farm.

Risk Management Tools Help Farmers Create a More Environmentally Sustainable Future

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Brandon C. Willis, Administrator, USDA Risk Management Agency, on December 3, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Good risk management tools aid in conservation efforts and help protect beautiful views like this for the next generation. USDA photo.

American producers know that crop insurance is a proven tool for managing the risks of farming.  But many folks may not be aware that it also promotes sound practices that encourage environmental sustainability.

One of the primary reasons the Federal crop insurance program is good for conservation is that it requires producers to exercise good farming practices in order to be eligible for coverage.  Good farming practices vary from crop to crop and from region to region, but follow the principle that the farming practices carried out are considered prudent and responsible by local extension agents and certified crop consultants. And this means planning for the long-term future, not just the current crop year.

One area where crop insurance encourages both maximum productivity as well as beneficial soil health is through requiring crop rotation when appropriate. Based upon the opinion of local experts, producers are often required to rotate crops in order to remain eligible for crop insurance coverage.

Another way that crop insurance maximizes productivity while improving the soil is by ensuring that crop insurance policies are consistent with the latest science based research on soil health. Cover crops for conservation have been around for a long time but are now being embraced by more farmers due to the increased understanding of the benefits of soil quality, nutrient cycles, erosion control, weed management, and soil water availability.  RMA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently worked together to clarify guidance for producers who want to ensure good soil health and retain crop insurance.  For crop insurance, producers can determine the recommended termination time for a cover crop by referring to the NRCS Cover Crop Termination Guidelines. This benefits both farmers with their planning option, as well as the land itself.

Good risk management tools aid in conservation efforts and help protect beautiful views like this for the next generation. USDA photo.

Finally crop insurance protects the soil through prevented planting coverage. Prevented planting coverage offers producers the guarantee they need so they do not take unnecessary risks with soil health by forcing a crop on land that is too wet or too dry.  Because of prevented planting provisions farmers who may otherwise be forced to make risky farming decisions that can harm the soil are able to instead plant cover crops and protect one of our most valuable resources – our soil.

Risk management is about making sure farmers can put seed in the ground the year after a drought or a flood, but it’s also about making sure the soil health is maintained to produce a good crop year after year. It is difficult for a grower to consider investing in new (and more sustainable) production methods or equipment if they are uncertain whether they will make it through the next year.  Crop insurance gives growers a degree of security that helps them to take a more long-term view of how they farm and the sustainability of their methods.

Good risk management tools aid in conservation efforts and help protect beautiful views like this for the next generation. USDA photo.

Leading by Example: Conservation in Arizona

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USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Beverly Moseley, NRCS, on September 18, 2013 at 11:05 AM

Newly installed pivot irrigation lines run behind Gerry Gonzalez, NRCS district conservationist in Douglas (left) and farmer Alfredo Zamora.

Travel 30 miles south of Alfredo and Sabrina Zamora’s farm in Cochise County, Ariz., and the imposing border fence between the U.S. and Mexico rises up across the horizon. This border county is rural, arid, open land where the Zamoras have spent their lives farming.

The couple is well known in the area for their cotton, pecans and alfalfa crops and they are no strangers at the local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Douglas. They’ve worked with NRCS over the years to plan out and implement conservation on their farm, including more efficient water and irrigation practices, the use of crop residue to improve soil health and the reduction of soil erosion.

Both Zamoras grew up in Cochise County, and from a young age, they were in the fields working for area farmers. They left to attend college, but returned home after graduation in the 1990s to farm their own land. Almost immediately, Alfredo consulted with NRCS about available assistance.

“It was very hard for somebody like me with very little experience and no money to go into a government office and ask for things. We’ve come a long way in the last 20 years; I’d say in that I feel completely comfortable going in there,” Alfredo says.

Recently, the Zamoras replaced four outdated pivot irrigation systems with new upgraded ones on their cropland with help from the USDA StrikeForce Rural Growth and Opportunity initiative. The new pivot irrigation lines are 10 percent more efficient in water use and electricity and should last up to 30 years, ultimately saving not just water, but also money.

The national initiative addresses high-priority funding and technical assistance needs in rural communities in 16 states, including Arizona, with a special emphasis on historically underserved communities and areas with persistent poverty.

Gerry Gonzalez, district conservationist with the NRCS in Douglas, was excited when he learned that Arizona was part of StrikeForce, because the initiative provides NRCS additional funding to do specialized outreach to historically underserved communities.

“Here along the border areas, there are a lot of small landowners—a lot of underserved, nontraditional clients and the USDA Strikeforce initiative provides opportunities for them,” Gonzalez says.

The Zamoras have worked closely over the years with Gonzalez and agree with him that the initiative provides an opportunity for people interested in farming to possibly reach that goal.

The Zamoras serve as an example of how NRCS can help make a difference on their operation. They regularly hold field days on their farm to share with other local farmers the benefits of USDA programs and to increase participation in those programs, especially among Hispanic farmers, who USDA considers a historically underserved population.

Follow NRCS on Twitter.

Check out other conservation-related stories on the USDA blog.

Vibrant alfalfa, along with other crops like cotton and pecans, are grown by Alfredo and Sabrina Zamora on their farm in Douglas, Ariz.