Soil health is in serious jeopardy nationwide –and yet it can be restored and in doing so serve as a vital solution to many pressing challenges at once. The benefits of soil stewardship are impressive for both farmers and the environment:

Healthy soils have a much greater ability to absorb and hold water, which cuts down on evaporation and creates resilience to drought and extreme weather events. With soil microbes providing nourishment for plants instead of synthetic fertilizers, nutrient density in foods is increased which improves public health. Crops are better able to fight pests and disease, reducing the need for expensive chemicals –this is good for farmers’ bottom line and at the same time helps lessen pollution, leading to improved watersheds and water quality. Healthy soils also foster biodiversity, enhanced wildlife and pollinator habitat and absorb atmospheric carbon.

With all these benefits in mind, the overarching goal of New Mexico’s Healthy Soil Initiative is the long-term prosperity of our farms and ranches, rural and urban communities and the ecosystem that binds us.