Soils Around The World!

I am not much for made up holidays but I have to admit special days in agriculture has brought awareness and made a difference.  As a farmer, I always like National Agriculture Day and Farm Safety Week.  They both have brought about a lot of good things we need to practice.  Even Earth Day has brought farm and non-farm a little closer together.

Nothing on this earth is more important than our soil.  It is useless without water and air but I have always been intrigued about the plants that grow from the earth.  That requires soil.  Soil requires fertility and management to be productive.

"World Soil Day, and the launch of the 2015 International Year of Soils, is just around the corner, on Dec. 5. Numerous key events related to soils are already taking place around the globe.

 

Advocacy, awareness raising, and education are at the core of this International Year with theme “Healthy soils for a healthy life”. The year aims to increase knowledge and understanding about the importance of soil for food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, essential ecosystem services, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development.

 

The Permanent Representation of Thailand to FAO was elected to Chair the International Year of Soils (IYS) Steering Committee today during the first IYS Steering Committee meeting held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Headquarters. The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) is part of the Steering Committee representing the world’s farmers and supporting awareness raising among civil society and decision-makers about the profound importance of soil for human life.

The main focus of the IYS Steering Committee first meeting was to establish a Steering Committee and to elect a Chair. Other key points on today’s agenda included discussion of the IYS plan of action, which was endorsed in July 2014 and is meant to be of “guiding nature”. Discussions moved onto the IYS launch event, which is set to coincide with the first official World Soil Day on 5 December 2014, coupled with concurrent events at FAO Headquarters in Rome and in Bangkok."

I've been blessed to put my hands in soil in the states, provinces and 35 countries.  The picture is soil on the North Island of New Zealand.  I am even more blessed to be "temporary caretaker" of soil right here in southwest Ohio in the bottom picture.

Nothing is more valuable than our soil.

Ed Winkle