Soil health goes beyond soil fertility and considers factors like compaction, microbial diversity, organic matter content, stability, and structure. Healthy soils function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.
Get the latest information about soil health events and opportunities for farmers at nhsoilhealth.org
Books
A Soil Owner’s Manual, by Jon Stika
Growing a Revolution: Bringing our soil back to life, by David Montgomery
Building Soils for Better Crops, by Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es (buy the book or read online for free)
The Soil Will Save Us, by Kristin Ohlson
Sites and articles
SARE Learning Center: Cover Crops Practical information for any farmer who uses cover crops or wants to, including info on mixes, crop rotations, and the economics of cover crops.
NRCS Soil Health page This site covers the basics of what soil health is, and has links to webinars and videos, printable fact sheets and other publications, and more.
Find out what’s going on outside New Hampshire and take advantage of the resources available from these groups:
Soil Testing Services
Cornell University: Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health
Financial resources for implementing soil health projects
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
NH State Conservation Committee “Moose Plate” Grant Program