E5: Soil Health, featuring a soil scientist, a cotton farmer and an organic farmer

This is U.S. Sustainability

What is soil heath? Why is it important? And how can it be improved? Tune in to the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability to find out.

We speak to Professor Michelle Wander, a soil scientist at the University of Illinois whose entire career has been dedicated to understanding soil stewardship, and we hear from two award-winning farmers:

Cotton farmer Barry Evans, Field to Market’s Farmer of the Year

A third-generation cotton grower in the Texas panhandle, the heart of America’s historic Dust Bowl, Barry has experienced the dangers of blowing topsoil first hand. He shares his resilient approach to dryland farming and how he rises to the dual challenges of water and wind erosion of his soil.

Organic farmer Amy Bruch, The Organic Trade Association’s Organic Farmer of the Year

A follower of the Albrecht Kinsey principles of soil fertility, Amy is credited with evolving her family operation in York County, Nebraska into one of the most cutting-edge organic farms in the country. She talks to us about intentional soil balancing and how, by feeding the soil, she’s feeding the plants and achieving optimal yields.