These days, it seems like there’s a designated day to celebrate anything and EVERYTHING! And yes, there’s even a day to celebrate something that’s actually critical to the success of farming: soil. World Soil Day is today, Dec. 5.
The Soil Health Partnership, an initiative of the National Corn Growers Association, is encouraging farmers to take some time on this day to consider ways they can improve soil health. Not sure where to start? Take a few minutes to watch this fun and informative white board video, “Farmers to the Rescue: How Healthy Soil Can Save the Planet.”
The SHP also will host a Virtual Field Day Webinar on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 11:00 a.m. Central.
“Soil health is the next frontier in agricultural sustainability,” said SHP director Nick Goeser, who also serves as NCGA’s director of soil health and sustainability. “Restoring organic matter through practices like growing cover crops will help soil sequester more carbon while making it more resistant to drought, and more resilient to flooding. These are important goals worldwide as the population grows.”
In 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences made a resolution proposing the 5th of December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human wellbeing.
To learn more about the Soil Health Partnership, visit SoilHealthPartnership.org.
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.