BF 110: Soil Health

Investing in the Vitality of Your Farm

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Investing in the Vitality of Your Farm

The health and productivity of the soil forms the basis for any farm’s success, profitability, and ecological sustainability. Successful farmers need to develop a holistic approach to preserving and building soil health and fertility. Stewardship of the soil is arguably the most important job of any farmer or gardener.

Target Audience

All levels — This course is for field crop, vegetable, and livestock producers. We expect that students will have some experience in managing soils, even if minimal. Farmers looking for more productive soils to increase forage and crop production will benefit from taking this course.

Course Objectives

Through this course, participants will:

  • Know how soil properties affect growing crops and pasture
  • Learn how to “read the land” and improve the four ecosystem processes
  • Determine appropriate soil practices to improve soil health
  • Begin work on a soil health improvement plan for their farm

Webinars

The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in Teachable, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the online interface of the course to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from presenters and ask questions in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing.

Webinar Schedule

Live instruction for 2025 has concluded. You are welcome to enroll now to complete this course on a self-paced schedule and join our next live session in Winter 2026. All webinars are recorded and posted in your online classroom to watch anytime. Once enrolled in this course, you will retain access to all materials indefinitely and may return to participate in future live offerings of the course as well. Please join us!


Your Instructor


Aleah Butler-Jones
Aleah Butler-Jones

Aleah Butler-Jones is a Cornell MS/PhD candidate in Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie's lab studying weed ecology and management in specialty crop systems. Originally from northeastern New Jersey, Aleah attended Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and received a BS in Agricultural Sciences with a minor in Horticulture. Aleah's research examines the impact of novel weed management strategies on weed communities and the greater agroecological landscape, specifically electrical weeding. Through this work, Aleah hopes to use weed ecology to improve the sustainability of crop production and expand the control options available to growers.


Student Testimonials

"Aleah Butler-Jones is very knowledgeable regarding soil health and has a very personable and effective communication stye. She is passionate about soil health."

"This course greatly improved my confidence."

"From this course, I learned a substantial amount about the overall picture of soil health and how I might use that information to improve my soils in the future – it needs to be a primary focus, and is key to running a profitable agribusiness."

"I find it interesting that I took this course thinking I needed to learn how to improve our soils but I am realizing that more than anything the pasture has been poorly managed. I now feel empowered with knowledge to move forward with more livestock and a rotational grazing plan. Thank you for the great course!"

Course Curriculum


  General Course Resources
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  Week 1: Introduction to Basic Soil Science and Soil Health
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  Week 2: Understanding the Ecosystem Processes
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  Week 3: First and Second Principles of Soil Health: Maximize Soil Cover and Continuous Living Roots
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  Week 4: Third Principle of Soil Health: Minimize Disturbance
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  Week 5: Fourth Principle of Soil Health: Maximize Biodiversity
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  Week 6: Review, Questions, and Monitoring
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course officially starts and ends on the dates given above, when the instructor gets involved and begins hosting live weekly webinars. If you are registering after the webinars have concluded for the year, you will have immediate access to all the course materials, and will be able to participate in the next year's webinars if you choose to.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 7 days and we will give you a full refund.

Online Course Tiered Pricing

The Cornell Small Farms Program offers a tiered pricing model to provide greater access to our online courses. To determine your course enrollment cost, please consult the chart below, and honestly identify your current financial situation.


We realize that not everyone is able to afford the price of our courses, so we also offer a small number of scholarships each year to New York State residents. To apply, please read scholarship requirements and complete the application here.

Get started now!