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Farmers on cusp of soil health revolution
A soils expert says farmers are on the verge of a revolution focusing on soil health. Speaking at the South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts annual convention in Sioux Falls, University of Washington professor David Montgomery tells Brownfield a shortcoming of the last 100 years of farming is the loss of emphasis on soil life and nutrients necessary to maintain plant life. That, he says, will change.
“We’re really poised for, I think, a renaissance in farming practices that can combine the benefits of some of the wisdom of ancient practices that helped build fertility,” said Montgomery, in an interview with Brownfield Ag News, “but also take advantage of modern technologies and modern science, the kinds of things we have gotten very good about over the last 100 years, and bring those sort of two very different views of the soil together.”
Montgomery – a geologist by training and author of several books on revitalizing soil, including his latest, Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life – also spoke Monday at South Dakota State University. He emphasizes how far farming has come toward soil revitalization, but also how far it needs to go.
“It’s one of these rare examples of a triple win,” said Montgomery, “where it’s better for the land, better for the farmers, and better for the people who then end up eating the food down the road.”
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