Soil Health |
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The ancient Greeks believed there were four elements on this planet; Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Chemistry would later prove them wrong. Three of these four items, Earth, Air, and Water; are essential to life as we know it. Clean Water and Air became rallying cries for the creation of Earth Day, but another name for earth, namely, soil has not received the same attention until recently. The South Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council has long realized the importance of soil to our way of life. Without healthy soils we would not have bountiful foods, our majestic forest, babbling brooks, potable water, or many other treasures of our environment. We often mistreat our soils. In fact, we treat them like dirt!!! Mismanagement erodes our cropland and urban soils leaving sediment in our waterways — our greatest water polluter. Soil Compaction is another example of soil mismanagement. Healthy soils are almost 50% pores. This pore space permits water and air to reach plant roots. Water also moves below the root zone which reaches ground water, the source for much of our drinking water. In compacted soils, this pore space is much less, reducing groundwater recharge and increasing stormwater runoff, i.e. flooding. The following projects are efforts by South Jersey RC&D and its partners to improve Soil Health:
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"Soil Health" in The Sandpaper Two Soil Health articles by Angela Andersen graced the March 3, 2010 issue of the Ocean County weekly, The Sandpaper. "Beaneath the Tap: Concern" delineates the apprehension about water quality and quantity in the aquifers located in the southern coastal plain of New Jersey. "Soil 'Health' Vital to Healthy Earth" describes the Soil Health Conference to be held March 9, 2010 at the Burlington County College Enterprise Center in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. The Sandpaper 030310 Articles - (PDF - 1.1MB) |
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Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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The “Blue Card for the Blue Crab Program” initiated locally by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, with technical assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Services, is designed to train specific target audiences to evaluate existing soil conditions utilizing easily measured indicators, and to offer management suggestions to improve and sustain healthy, functioning soils. The premise of the program is that healthy, functioning soils can improve both water quality and quantity. Ocean County lies nearly completely within the Barnegat Bay watershed, where blue crabs (Callinectus sapidus) are an important economical species both commercially and recreationally. Thus, healthy and viable blue crab harvests depend on healthy soil throughout the watershed. The Blue Card Program is formatted in 1-2 day training sessions which present basic soil information and management issues to specific audiences. Workshops typically entail both presentations and hands-on, field experiences. Biological, chemical and physical soil characteristics determine the behavior of soils; understanding and managing these characteristics requires a base of knowledge. The Soil Health Card for Barnegat Bay is the latest initiative and is a simple assessment tool to provide a relative “soil health” evaluation. Utilizing easily measurable indicators, the card uses is a relative scoring scale to give a “soil health overview.” The Soil Health Card is not meant to replace soil testing from an accredited lab, nor to provide specific data that may be necessary for proper soil evaluation. The Soil Health Scorecard will be presented at the Soil Health Conference on March 9, 2010. NRCS Resource Conservtionist Eileen Miller requests you evaluate the Scorecard before the Conference. Click the Soil above right. |
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Harvard Yard Soils Restoration Project The Harvard Yard Soils Restoration Project was a pilot effort modeled on the fully organic landscape maintenance program successfully operating at Battery Park City Parks in lower Manhattan since 1989. The project objectives were to:
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The Peanuts character, Linus, waited in a pumpkin patch every Halloween for the Great Pumpkin, who would give gifts to those who believed in him. These gifts were not toys you requested as it is with Santa. Instead, they were gifts the Great Pumpkin thought you needed. Perhaps the Great Pumpkin is giving us cleaner pumpkins and cleaner water. No mud in the field…no mud in the stream. This year South Jersey RC&D Council and Rutgers Cooperative Extension will demonstrate planting pumpkins that promises no mud in the field and no mud in the stream. This technique, known as no-till, will plant pumpkin plants directly into a field of cut and crimped cover crop. The fields will have a blanket of straw over them that reduce mud in the field. This allows for a cleaner pumpkin come picking time. This same blanket of straw or mulch, reduces soil erosion, thus less mud in the stream.
This project is funded through a Conservation Innovation Grant provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to the Council. The grant funds the actual plantings, purchase of this specialized equipment, and field days. Next year the field days will demonstrate the system to local farmers and conservationists. Rutgers Cooperative Extension will supervise the plantings. They will work with the farmers to select sites for this technique and similar sites where pumpkins are planted using conventional means. Rutgers will monitor and measure soil moisture and yields for each plot to assess the success of this technique. Rutgers and the Council will hold two Twilight meetings at both sites to show the crimping operation next spring and the final yields in the fall. [insert photo of Bill or Ray taking measurements or a twilight meeting] We expect the field days to encourage farmers to use this system. The crimper and No-Till planter will be available to farmers at a nominal fee.
View No-Till Roller Crimper Description
Click here if the above video is not working.
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Blue Card Program Blue Card for the Blue Crab |
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To make this connection between healthy soils and water quality in the bay, the Council will assist with Ocean County Soil Conservation District (SCD) to educate landscape contractors, ground maintenance workers, and engineers on how to recognize, fix, and prevent soil health problems created during site development and landscape maintenance. The primary goal is to make the connection between healthy water and healthy soil.
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Healthy Soil for a Healthy Watershed  a Hands-On Blue Card Workshop |
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Blue Card for the Blue Crab - Connecting Soil & Water October 22, 2009 — Cattus Island Park |
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The 2-day workshop, sponsored by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District will explore basic soil properties and their relationship to soil function. Through a combination of classroom and field experiences, participants will:
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Soil Quality Workshop |
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Soil Quality Workshop overflows the hall! |
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$ave some Green, Love your Loam! February 26, 2009 The South Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council and Burlington County Freeholders jointly hosted the $ave some Green, Love your Loam! Workshop on February 26, 2009. The workshop drew an audience of 40 farmers and conservationists to hear discussions on Soil Quality and Water Quality. Burlington County Freeholders provided a tasty quick meal, enjoyed by all, which provided an opportunity for neighbors to reunite.
You may view the entire presentation here. Burlington County received a DEP grant to further study the source of this pollution and develop a plan to reduce these contaminants to acceptable level. Sandra was enlisted from Rutgers to evaluate water from the watersheds. Her water testing found phosphorus and fecal coliform levels were excessive in around 50% of the samples. Her next steps are to identify pollution sources and model this watershed in order to create a plan on how to most effectively reduce these contaminants.
Many of the farmers in the audience were already aware of the water quality issues in the watersheds. A portion of the Annaricken-Assiscunk-Barkers Brook watersheds grant funds the Friendly Farms project operated by South Jersey RC&D. In this project, Rick Parenteau (right) conducts personal evaluation interviews with participating farmers in the watershed to discuss Best Management Practices and water quality. |
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  Gina turned the meeting over to Ken Taaffe (left), Coordinator for SJRCD, who introduced Ray Samulis (right), CEDH, Rutger’s Cooperative Extension of Burlington County. Ray began his presentation by answering all previously unanswered questions from the audience. He then explained the role of Rutgers Extension in the county. He invited the audience to contact the Cooperative Extension to assist in the resolution of any issues. |
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The Soil Quality Workshop was an absolute success. SJRCD and Burlington County propose future workshops. Topics will include use of the soil quality test kit, a no-till demonstration for vegetable cropping, and a tour of the Rodale Farm.
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This project actually starts this fall with two 
This program, named the Blue Card Program, is modeled after Delaware's highly successful Contractor Training Program.
Burlington County Resources Water Coordinator, Gina Berg (right) introduced Eileen Miller, NRCS Resource Conservationist, who spoke on Soil Health. Eileen explained we need to manage our soil properly with good conservation practices to improve soil function. She emphasized the following ten crop management strategies to assist farmers in improving Soil Health and the bottom line:
Next Gina Berg introduced Sandra Goodrow (left), the Program Associate for Rutger’s Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program. Sandra presented “The Assiscunk Creek Headwater Restoration and Protection Plan: Water Quality, Site Evaluation and Next Steps.” This presentation focused on water quality findings in the Annaricken-Assiscunk-Barkers Brook watersheds. Earlier samplings of these watersheds had shown high levels of phosphorus and fecal coliform in these waters. Sandra explained there were six water quality sampling sites and four biological assessment sites. Flow measurements (right) and other water quality samples were taken at
each site during each water quality
testing event. Long term monitoring of water
elevation is being recorded at the
three main watershed outlets.
Ken Taaffe finally introduced Nicole Ciccaglione (right), NRCS District Conservationist. Nicole explained the NRCS mission and services and introduced her staff. She invited the audience to contact any member of her staff with agriculture or conservation issues.