The International Year of Soils
I am very excited that 2015 is the as . Many soil science societies around the world are promoting recognition of the importance of soil and policy making that will support its conservation.
Healthy soil is the foundation of viable and sustainable farming operations in organic agriculture. We spend most of our time thinking about how to manage soil properties to optimize the yield and quality of our products. The soil serves a much greater role than just a growing medium for our crops. Soil provides habitat for plants, animals and microorganisms, it is a filter for removing toxins, it holds nutrients that otherwise would be lost, it holds water and buffers extreme rainfall events, and it holds carbon which buffers climate change. The soil can be incredibly variable across the landscape and in different regions of the country, being influenced by the nature of the mineral materials left by glaciation, the shape of the land, climate, and of course the influences of biology, particularly vegetation.
As Les Molloy stated 鈥�... only rarely have we stood back and celebrated our soils as something beautiful, and perhaps even mysterious. For what other natural body, worldwide in its distribution, has so many interesting secrets to reveal to the patient observer?鈥� Let us take this year as an opportunity to celebrate soil as an entity of itself, as well as the foundation of our organic food system.
A Rainbow of Soil
A rainbow of soil is under our feet;
Red as a barn and black as a peat.
It鈥檚 yellow as lemon and white as the snow;
Bluish gray. So many colors below.
Hidden in darkness as thick as the night;
The only rainbow that can form without light.
Dig you a pit, or bore you a hole,
You鈥檒l find enough colors to well rest your soul.
F.D. Hole, 1985
Sincerely,
Andy Hammermeister, Ph.D., P.Ag.
Director, OACC
Assistant Professor, 网红黑料 Faculty of Agriculture
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