By Monica Jean and Jennifer Silveri et.al
The idea of soil health the health of Gimaamaaminaan Aki, Mother Earth is not new. It is rooted in centuries of Indigenous knowledge, which forms the basis for good land stewardship and relationships. Only over the past decade, however, have scientists developed ways to quantify what is living below our feet. By breaking down soil health into physical, chemical and biological aspects, we can holistically compare management practices across different time scales.
A newly funded project, “Replenishing the Beings, the Soil Beneath our Feet,” is working through a partnership with Michigan State University Extension and Michigan Inter-Tribal Land Grant Extension System (MILES) educators, community partners, technical assistance networks, U.S. Department of Agriculture staff, and Natural Resources Conservation Service tribal liaisons to assist Indigenous farmers with soil health sampling. Our project seeks to understand how soil health and Indigenous farming practices interact and influence soils’ capacity to grow food, enhance fertility and withstand weather extremes.
This work is supported by the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Initiative program, project award no. 2023-70417-39233, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Options for levels of farmer participation
- Interested in attending educational events and field days.
- I am an Indigenous farmer who is interested in participating in soil health testing. Up to five samples can be taken depending on your farm size.
Source : msu.edu