1. Paige Buck, Public Affairs Officer, NRCS The case for Healthy, Productive Soils United States Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

2. 5 Reasons Why Soil Health? Why now?

3. Top five reasons NRCS says you should teach your students about soil health: soil health

4. A lot of people are coming to dinner. We all rely on the soil for our food and fiber. By the year 2050, an estimated 9 billion people will join us at Earth’s dinner table, meaning we’ll have to grow as much food in the next 40 years as we have in the past 500.

5. The Soil Health Solution: Improving soil health increases the productivity & function of our soil (including nutrient uptake to plants), which offers increased food security in a growing world.

6. Globally, millions of acres of cropland are lost to development or resource degradation. There are fewer acres of land to grow the food we need.

7. The Soil Health Solution: Improving soil health naturally can protect our working lands from erosion & desertification & ensure our food-producing acres stay fertile & productive-- long-term.

8. Weather extremes like drought & climate change pose increasing food production challenges.

9. The Soil Health Solution: Healthy soil is more resilient soil, with greater infiltration and water-holding capacity, making farms more resistant to periods of drought. Since it holds more water, healthy soil helps reduce flooding during periods of intense rainfall.

10. Many resources are limited— or in some cases finite— in their supply. There is growing competition for water & other food production resources.

11. The Soil Health Solution: Healthy soils help optimize those inputs & maximize nutrient use efficiency. In addition, healthy soil keeps production inputs like fertilizers & pesticides on the land & out of our streams, lakes & oceans.

12. We can repair & rebuild our soil. For years, it was believed that a certain amount of cropland soil erosion was inevitable. “T By 2000” Soil Loss is not TOLERABLE

13. The Soil Health Solution: By using conservation techniques like cover crops, no-till & diverse crop rotations, many farmers are proving we can actually build our soils — and, in some instances-- increase soil organic matter by as much as 3-4%.

15. In the process, farmers can actually use less energy, maintain or increase production & improve their bottom lines

16. N Levels

17. NLRS: Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy Water quality issues - Hypoxic zone - Clean water Conservation concepts… Practices Planning Soil Health …are needed now more than ever!

18. 1 teaspoon of soil…

20. Livestock & Soil Biology Benefits

21. Heard of Probiotics? Soil Biology/Microbiology is the same thing— good bacteria, fungi, nemotodes, viruses— help soil be more resilient & productive. Naturally!!

22. “Resilient” Healthy Soils… Adapt Absorb Infiltrate Recycle Protect Eat & Excrete Must be fed! Are cover crops NEW?

23. Marketplace Stakeholders Growing interest in sustainability by consumers will continue to push the following stakeholder groups to adopt and implement sustainability goals and actions. – Food Processing Sector – Food Retailers – Producer Groups & Producers – Sustainability Consortia Groups – Ethanol Industry – Standards, Certification & Label Groups

24. Consumer Markets Consumer demands are changing “Farm to Fork” Locally grown food movement McDonalds, Chipotles, Dunkin Donuts Teaching students about the miracles of soil is one more way to do that.

25. City vs Country Whether your students live in the city or are growing up on an Illinois farm, teaching them about THE SOIL can change their whole outlook As you teach students, they teach their parents, impact the community and on and on… NRCS: Helping People Help The Land. Their Soil

26. Benefits of Healthy Soils Improve water quality Regulate water & reduce flooding Cycle organic wastes & detoxify noxious chemicals Increase soil carbon, remove CO 2 Save energy Save water & increase drought tolerance Improve income sustainability Improve plant health; Increase nutrient- rich food production Improve wildlife habitat & estuarian food production Reduce disease & pest problems Reductions in sediment & nutrient delivery to surface waters decreases potential for downstream hypoxic zone formation Increased infiltration & water holding capacity.

27. A Landscape Example… The amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in 83 days.

28. Soil = Life Soil is ALIVE We need soil to eat From your orange juice this morning to your blue jeans: Soil makes it possible. Nations, empires & countries who deplete soil? They disappear. Ag is strong. Careers that involve ag are too! Re-engage students to the farm, to soil, to life!

29. Final Four 1. Keep It Covered (residue & cover crops) 2. Do not Disturb (or till) 3. Maintain living roots 4. Diversify rotations (or include livestock)

30. Practices Related to SHMS Primary 328 Conservation Cropping Rotation 329 No-till or Strip-till 340 Cover Crops 590 Nutrient Management 595 Pest Management (Integrated) As Applicable 512 Forage and Biomass Planting 345 Mulch 393,332 Conservation Buffers, Filter Strip As Applicable (Con’t.) 449 Irrigation Conservation 311 Alley Cropping 317 Composting Facility 610 Salinity Management Deep Tillage? Recommended Precision Application of Nutrients Controlled Traffic no Tillage Flotation Tires no Tillage Strip Cropping

31. National Soil Health Website

32. Take the QUIZ !!

33. Soil Health Website Video links TV & Radio PSAs Producer profiles from across the country Cool infographics Posters Factsheets Brochures

34. NRCS has Soil Health “Reps” who can come out with their Kit and do demonstrations, pull soil cores and do fun, hands-on activities!

35. Don’t Forget! Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History has the “Underground Adventure”—14,000 square-foot exhibit about SOIL! Lincoln Park Zoo has a “Farm in the Zoo” area w/ our “Scoop On Soil” interactive touch-screen KIOSK!

36. Plant the Seeds! Help us grow conservation farmers, smart consumers, wise landowners & homeowners. Teach teachers & students to look DOWN. Discover the miracle that lies beneath our feet! Visit www.il.nrcs.usda.gov & click on Soil Health!www.il.nrcs.usda.gov

37. Thank You! USDA is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender. NRCS: Helping People Help The Land.

38. United States Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity provider and employer. The case for Healthy, Productive Soils Paige Buck, Public Affairs Officer, NRCS