Soil Health Benchmark

Healthy soil is the basis for both sustainable farms and healthy ecosystems. Yet most farms in the prairies are losing soil organic matter, are at risk of erosion, and have low year-round soil cover. We’re measuring a comprehensive array of soil’s physical, biological, and chemical attributes, including aggregate stability, compaction, infiltration, organic matter, microbial respiration, and nutrient levels. We’re also putting these soil attributes into the context of field management techniques, including tillage frequency and intensity, cover cropping, and organic matter inputs. This year, we will be collecting soil samples from eight producer’s sites.