 Carrots growing in healthy soil on Glade Road Growing farm. You appreciate a fresh ingredient, layers of flavor, and a delectable dish. You might already know that healthy foods grow from healthy soil, and you're looking to support soil health in your community. We can start with our food! Soil is the foundation of our plates and food system. Acting locally can lead to regional and global impacts. Let’s explore four ways that food lovers can help build soil health.  Collecting food scraps for a collection site 1. Compost food scraps Soils need organic matter much like our gut and digestive system needs fiber. Rather than tossing food scraps in a landfill, where they build up and can release toxic methane gasses, we can collect vegetative food scraps for composting. Food scraps must be layered and mixed with carbon-rich materials, such as wood chips or dead leaves to enhance the decomposition and encourage the compositing process. Sylvie Aardema of Broadfork Farm talked with us about composting (and more!) on Episode 22-11. "It's more than just throwing away your food scraps in your backyard," she said. "You're returning this carbon to the soil, where it belongs." Food scraps, such as vegetables and fruits, provide essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Microbes munch on the scraps, decomposing them to cycle nutrients through the compost and eventually into the soil. Find a composting method to fit your lifestyle. There are a variety of techniques that can suit your space and effort level. For instance, you may have space for backyard composting or vermicomposting. You can find training videos on Virginia Cooperative Extension's website, and Junior Master Gardeners offers lessons on composting for youth. You may also drop off food scraps at a nearby community garden or collection center. Some communities are also beginning to offer curbside pick-up services to encourage composting and divert a renewable resource from being wasted in landfills. Find opportunities to do so on Green Paper Products’ Find a Composter directory or FindAComposter.com.  2. Grow an ingredient As many food lovers know, growing one or two ingredients can add a level of flavor and texture not typically found in a grocery store. Soil-friendly practices enhance not just the flavor, but also the associated nutrient contents of food, as at least one recent preliminary study has shown. Researchers continue to study the interaction of soil function with food properties that are health-promoting, including anti-inflammatory compounds, anti-oxidants, and fiber. By growing food, we can gain a better understanding of what soil health management requires. Even a small container garden benefits from practicing the 4 principles of soil health management. 3. Get to know and support your local farmers Support local farms by going to farmers markets as you are able. Get to know your farmer, and share with them your interest in helping build soil health. Learn how they are caring for the soil and how you can support their work. Many farmers markets gladly accept the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Virginia EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) Cards, and similar programs that increase access to healthy foods that support soil health. Virginia Farmers Market Association has a directory to help you find a nearby farmers market. Look for local vendors at local restaurants, too. We can support both businesses by eating as local as possible and shopping in markets and co-ops, where vendors sell wholesale.  4. Be a Soil Health Champion The agricultural community faces the challenge of an ever-evolving market demand. The typical grocery store shopper may not be aware of best soil health practices or know their impact on soil, water, food, and the climate, and so they might unknowingly not choose a food that supports soil health. Still, soil health is gaining ground in agricultural, water quality, and climate action conversations. We can help by continuing these conversations. We can also look for ways to support soil health management through community partnerships and collaborations. Chefs, too, are joining the movement to improve soil health around the globe. By increasing the demand for better soil health-building practices, we encourage helpful programs and policies to invest in agricultural communities who implement such practices. We can "Eat 4 the Soil." Soil health management practices happen locally, but the impacts can spread. We can make a difference by learning about and supporting these practices, through our plates and beyond. We can all be “4 The Soil!” Join the movement and take the pledge! 4 The Soil is a campaign by the Virginia Soil Health Coalition to raise awareness of soil as an agricultural and natural resource. When you take the pledge, you can join our bi-weekly newsletter to stay connected.  Resources Highlighted
Virginia Farmers Market Association Farmers Market Directory Farms following soil-friendly practices grow healthier food, study suggests, Hannah Hickey, University of Washington, February 2022 Do you compost? Use these tips to get the most out of yours, Devon Johnson, Virginia Cooperative Extension Composting, by Teens Acting for Carbon Capture, Sylvie Aardema Backyard Composting, Ed Rishell, Master Gardener, Virginia Cooperative Extension Worming Your Way into Home Composting, Kathleen Reed, Extension Agent - Agriculture & Natural Resources, VCE-Roanoke Master Composter training, Virginia Cooperative Extension Compost Critters, Junior Master Gardeners Find a Composter, Green Paper Products www.FindAComposter.com Chefs advocating for a change in our food systems to improve soil health, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, May 2020
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