Join the conversation: Celebrate Ohio Soil Health Week at Nov. 12 breakfast event

COLUMBUS, Ohio —Celebrating the vital importance of soil health during the inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week, the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) in The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), will host a special Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) breakfast event on Nov. 12.

“The breakfast will bring together a diverse group of individuals interested in soil health from agricultural, land use, and ecological perspectives,” said Harrison Fried, EPN program director. “There will be ample opportunity for participants to connect and discuss soil health science and policy, and we look forward to engaging dialogue of the connection between soil health, environmental health, and human health.”

Ohio Soil Health Week, organized by Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) and the Ohio Soil Health Initiative, provides a time and space to celebrate and protect Ohio’s soils. This weeklong event, which henceforth will be held annually during the second full week of November, includes outreach and educational opportunities aimed at raising awareness of Ohio’s most valuable natural resource: soil.

“It’s been a joy and privilege to watch OEFFA develop the Ohio Soil Health Initiative and their openness to partner with the EPN and many other entities across Ohio to launch the inaugural Soil Health Week,” said Joe Campbell, SENR senior lecturer, who was instrumental in bringing this program to the EPN while serving as director. “They’ve invested a tremendous amount of effort to this, and the EPN is grateful for the opportunity to showcase some of it, as well as to hear perspectives from leading soil scientists, farmers, and organizations across Ohio.”

This year’s event will honor the late David Brandt, a pioneer in sustainable agriculture. Randall Reeder, executive director of the Ohio No-Till Council, will recognize Brandt’s legacy during the breakfast.

“Healthy soils are the keystone for any successful civilization, supporting life in various ways,” said SENR Professor Jim Ippolito, holder of the Dr. Rattan Lal Endowed Professorship of Soil Health and Soil Fertility. “Healthy soils not only store abundant water, but also purify it for further use, provide essential nutrients for crops, and help ensure that both animals and humans receive adequate nutrition.”

“Soil health knows no boundaries, and we should consider the implications of improving soil health in Ohio’s agroecosystems from local to global perspectives.”

SENR Professor Gary Pierzynski, associate dean for research and graduate education and director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, noted the critical role that soils play in recognizing the broader implications of Ohio State’s land-grant mission.

“Soil health is an excellent opportunity to apply the land-grant mission. We can deploy the entire spectrum of basic to applied research to further our understanding of the concept and potential applications, and then work to improve the soil resource across the landscape to the benefit of society,” said Pierzynski.

SENR focuses on quantifying soil health in managed agroecosystems and comparing these systems to potential benchmarks. This research aims to enhance the performance of these systems in terms of carbon and water storage, nutrient cycling, and support for microorganisms that facilitate nutrient turnover, benefiting plants, animals, and humans.

“Our greatest scientists are our state’s producers,” Ippolito noted. “They observe, draw conclusions, and make changes to their operations daily. Minor adjustments in managing Ohio lands can lead to significant improvements in protecting our natural resources, including soil. Their insights are invaluable for researchers striving to replicate or enhance producer findings across various agroecosystems in Ohio and beyond.”

The breakfast will feature a welcome from Ippolito and Sakthi Kumaran Subburayalu, associate professor at Central State University, who will join remotely from the 2024 American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

Pierzynski will discuss the land-grant mission’s connection to soil health, and Manbir Rakkar, SENR assistant professor of soil fertility and nutrient management, will provide an overview of the mechanics of healthy soils.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Ohio soil health advocates and innovative producers in a panel discussion moderated by Amalie Lipstreu, agriculture conservation regional hub director at the California Climate & Agriculture Network.

To learn more and to register, visit epn.osu.edu.