What exactly is Soil Health, you might ask?!
According to USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), “Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. This definition speaks to the importance of managing soils so they are sustainable for future generations”
This page shall be dedicated to Soil Health and the ever expanding resources available to learn and understand how vital Soil Health is to everyone! Please check back often for additional updates and resources.
Informational Links and Publications on Soil Health and Cover Crops:
A fun, new video on cover crops. “Don’t treat your soil like dirt” https://youtu.be/Dd11VU7AmhI
USDA/NRCS SoilHealthNuggets2019
Purdue Soil Health: http://www.purdue.edu/soilhealth/
USDA/NRCS Resources: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/
Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSi): http://ccsin.iaswcd.org/
Indiana Conservation Partnership: http://www.in.gov/isda/files/ICP_Soil_Health_Philosophy_final.pdf
Purdue Extension Publication: AY-363-WPurdueExtPub4WaysToImproveSoilHealth
“The Hope in Healthy Soil” YouTube Series by USDA/NRCS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4J8PxoprpGaCb1k93_Y5pOm9b-9V1pMX
Complete List of Video Recordings from the 2017 National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health. Click link below: https://www.sare.org/Events/Cover-Crop-Conferences/2017-National-Conference-on-Cover-Crops-and-Soil-Health/Complete-List-of-Video-Recordings
Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide Mobile App!!http://mccc.msu.edu/midwest-cover-crops-field-guide-mobile-app/
Library of Cover Crop and Soil Health Images
10_ways_cover_crops_enhance_soil_health
USDA-NRCS Web Soil Survey: https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx
SARE, Managing Cover Crops Profitably, https://www.sare.org/resources/managing-cover-crops-profitably-3rd-edition/
IN NRCS Soil Health Page, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/in/soils/health/
IN NRCS Cover Crop Seed Calculator, https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/IN/Indiana_Seeding_Tool_Seeding_Guidelines.pdf
Purdue Extension Cover Crop Information, https://ag.purdue.edu/agry/extension/Pages/cover_crops.aspx
Midwest Cover Crops Council website, https://mccc.msu.edu/
Green Cover Seeds, www.greencover.com
The social factors influencing cover crop adoption in the Midwest: A controlled
comparison. Purdue University TNC Cover Crop Study in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa: TNC_CC_report_final20201130-1
Conservation Talking Points: Conservation_Talking_Points_CoverCropSpecies_May2021