As Master Gardener Volunteers, our work begins within the soil - though it may not always seem that way. We recommend soil tests, help people make decisions about fertilizers, and encourage mulching for good soil care practices. But beyond supporting the plants we grow, why else should we care about soil? It turns out, not only is soil important for growing the plants we enjoy and the food we eat, but this limited resource has the potential to help mitigate the effects of climate change by taking carbon out of the atmosphere.  

The best way to cultivate healthy soil is to care for the nutrient rich soil organic matter, where the life of the soil exists. Soil organic matter (SOM) generally composes less than 6% of a typical agricultural soil, but contains much of what feeds our plants. Read Soil Organic Matter Does Matter to learn more about SOM. Then read What is Organic Matter and Why Is It So Important to learn why we should care about soil organic matter. Next, learn what you can do to cultivate a healthy soil by reading the Living Soil, Healthy Garden article. 

Apply What You've Learned

Complete the Living Soil: Soil Organic Matter Worksheet to apply what you’ve learned. 

Facilitator's Guide

This facilitator’s guide provides guidance for facilitating a group of adult learners through the process of analyzing and reflecting on the topic of Living Soil: Soil Organic Matter.