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BF 110: Soil Health

General Course Resources

Instructor Contact
Webinar Schedule and Participant Guide
Pre-Course Survey
Kiva US - 0% Interest Loans up to $15,000
Navigating in Teachable; Getting a Course Completion Certificate; and More

Week 1: Introduction to Basic Soil Science and Soil Health

CLASS: Week 1 Webinar Slides, Join Link, and Recording
FORUM: Introduce Yourself; Meet Your Fellow Farmers
ACTIVITY and FORUM: Map Your Soils
ACTIVITY: Determine Soil Texture by Feel
ACTIVITY: Start Your Soil Health Plan
VIDEO: Understanding Cation Exchange Capacity and Other Soil Terms
READING: Course Text Chapters 1-3 and 5
VIDEO: Soil Health 1-Minute Lesson
RESOURCE: Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel and Appearance

Week 2: Understanding the Ecosystem Processes

CLASS: Week 2 Webinar Link, Slides, and Recording
ACTIVITY: Start Your Soil Health Plan
ACTIVITY: Test Your Soil
READING: Course Text Chapters 4 and 7
READING: Improving Ecosystem Processes on a No-Till Organic Farm in NY
READING: Ecologically Based Nutrient Management
VIDEO: The Mineral Cycle Explained
VIDEO: Regeneration of Our Lands - Gabe Brown TEDx
FORUM: Ecosystem Process Improvement?

Week 3: First and Second Principles of Soil Health: Maximize Soil Cover and Continuous Living Roots

CLASS: Week 3 Webinar Link, Slides, and Recording
ACTIVITY: Find Your Hardiness Zone
READING: Course Text Chapters 10-11
VIDEO: Soil Health 1-Minute Lesson: the Importance of Cover
FORUM: Soil Cover
RESOURCE: Cover Crop Resources: Options, Comparisons, and Benefits
RESOURCE: Understanding a Soil Test
RESOURCE: Tarping

Week 4: Third Principle of Soil Health: Minimize Disturbance

CLASS: Week 4 Webinar, Slides, and Recording
ACTIVITY: Look at historical images of your farm
READING: Course Text Chapter 16
VIDEO: Soil Health 1-Minute Lesson: Benefits of No-Till
VIDEO: Benefits of Good Soil Structure
VIDEO: Benefits of Soil Invertebrates - Conservation Webinars
FORUM: No Till/Reduced Till
RESOURCE: No-Till Resources

Week 5: Fourth Principle of Soil Health: Maximize Biodiversity

CLASS: Week 5 Webinar Link, Slides, and Recording
READING: Course Text Chapter 12
VIDEO: Practices from Out in the Field: Video Collection for Crop Farmers
VIDEO: Improving Soil Through Winter Grazing
FORUM: Animals for Soil Health Improvement
RESOURCE: Strategies for Increasing Biodiversity

Week 6: Review, Questions, and Monitoring

CLASS: Week 6: Webinar Link, Slides and Recording
Post-Course Survey: Complete for a Chance to Win!
ACTIVITY: Soil Health Monitoring
READING: Course Text Chapters 21, 23-24
FORUM: What Will You Change?
RESOURCES: From NRCS
RESOURCE: Soil Health Plan Example
RESOURCE: Link to State Climate Change Summaries
Staying Connected After this Course Ends + A Special Offer

READING: Course Text Chapters 1-3 and 5

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