Soil Health is for Everyone

Educational

Let’s grab our shovels and explore the often unsung hero in our farming and gardening adventures: soil. 

In the grand view of life on this little blue planet, it is humbling to acknowledge that much of our existence hinges on just a few inches of minerals, air, water, and organic matter.

If you own or manage any amount of land, I invite you to consider soil health and what you can do to support the soil where you are and with what you have. Whether you grow corn, cattle, cucumbers, or cosmos. Or you are in rural Indiana with 100s of acres or on a small urban lot. Soil health has many benefits to you, your business, our community, and our ecosystem.

First, when we talk about soil health, four key principles help guide the practices recommended for soil health:

  • Minimize disturbance
  • Maximize soil cover
  • Maximize continuous living roots
  • Maximize biodiversity

Let’s take a step back and look at the big-picture benefits of having healthy soils. As outlined by the USDA, managing soil health reduces erosion, maximizes water infiltration, improves nutrient cycling, saves money by reducing inputs, and improves the resiliency of your land. Wow! Those are all great benefits, so why isn’t everyone doing all the practices already? Great question! Sadly, some people just haven’t heard about them yet. Maybe these practices are different from the ones that have been used for generations on their land. Or other folks may not understand how to use the practices or why they are important.  

These reasons are completely valid and that’s where we come in! By the way, hello! I would like to introduce myself: My name is Terri Theisen and I am the newest addition to the Urban Soil Health team as part of the IASWCD. I started in Oct 2023, but I am no stranger to diversified farming and soil health. I have worked on and managed diversified farms, and I’ve been dabbling in farming and food systems for almost 15 years. 

A little bit about our team, we are a small but mighty group of regional soil health specialists who strive to improve soil health on Indiana’s urban and small-scale, diversified agricultural land. How do we do it? We increase the use of soil health practices by providing education to farmers and gardeners and enhancing local conservation partnerships. Soil health is for everyone and there are steps that all of us can take to better support the precious resource under our feet. 

Getting down to brass tacks, there are a few things you can implement today to get you on your way toward soil health rockstar status. First and foremost, test your soil. Soil testing is like a health checkup for your farm or garden. The results tell you what you need more of and if you are overindulging in others. If you want some help with testing, drop me a line and I can help! 

But wait, there is more! Beyond testing your soil, there are a few practices you can start planning for today: 

  • practice no-till or reduced till 
  • plant cover crops 
  • integrate livestock with rotational grazing
  • use diverse crop rotations
  • apply natural mulch
  • nutrient management
  • integrated pest management (IPM)  

Do you want to bring more of these to your farm or garden and are not sure how to start? I can help; let’s talk! Do you own or operate a small-scale, diversified farm? Let’s meet! I would love to learn more about what you are doing and how you are doing it. We provide many services including soil testing and technical assistance on a variety of topics that support soil health on your diversified farm or garden. 

Stay connected with the Urban Soil Health team and upcoming events: 

Keep sowing the seeds of good soil health, my fellow dirt enthusiasts! Until next time, stay rooted! 

Written by Terri Theisen Urban Soil Health Specialist – Northeast Area

This article was originally written for St Joseph Co Annual annual report January 2024

Edited May 2025 with updated contact information.