2008 North American Farmers'

Direct Marketing Convention

Speakers:
Dick Wolkowski, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ruth Genger, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Soil is not just a matrix that holds plants upright to which all substances that support crop growth must be added. Soils have physical properties such as their composition of sand, silt, and clay plus the amount of air and water they will hold. These physical properties largely determine the amount of nutrients a soil can hold and make available for crop growth. When soils become compacted these physical attributes are altered. 

Soils also have a biological component. Fungi, bacteria, and other microbes make their home in the soil. Some of these microbes play important roles in soil function. Some management practices alter how many microbes are found in soil and how well they are able to function.

This workshop will provide the basis for understanding how soil works and will focus on practical steps you can take to ensure that your soil is as healthy as possible.