Connecticut Soil Health Initiative
The Connecticut Soil Health Initiative is a long running program to promote education and practice is promoting the health of our soil. We do this through hands-on demonstrations and field exercises on rolling cover crops, soil pit investigation, and rainfall simulation on healthy and not-so healthy soils. Healthy soils, rich in organic matter, drain better, have greater disease resistance, and better water holding capacity in times of drought.
Soil health is the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem to support plants, animals and humans.
CT RC&D hosts workshops, educational events, and pilot programs in partnership with USDA NRCS staff, who provide valued expertise and instruction to attendees. Events are held around the state, typically on working farms and are highly attended by agricultural producers, non-profit, federal, and university staff.
Soil Health News Across Connecticut
Ongoing farmer trainings and projects.
CT Compost Alliance
CT RC&D provides administrative support to the Connecticut Compost Alliance to offer conferences and workshops for composters, farmers, educators, municipal leaders, policymakers, and sustainability advocates. Speakers from Connecticut and across the country come to share innovative ideas and practical approaches to composting, soil health, and resilient systems.
A New Program to Improve Soil Health on Connecticut Farms
The Connecticut Agricultural Composting Program will support up to 15 Connecticut farms interested in establishing or improving an on-farm composting system. Through a combination of education, individualized technical assistance, and a grant opportunity, participating farmers will develop the knowledge and resources needed to create a composting system tailored to their farm.
CT Agricultural Composting Program
Gain the knowledge and tools to develop a successful on-farm composting system.
Soil Health Management Principles
- Minimize soil disturbance — fewer tillage passes
- Maximize soil cover — plants year round
- Maximize biodiversity — changing plant types between vegetables, grains, grass and legumes.
- Maximize the presence of living roots. Living roots equal living soil.
Benefits of Soil Health
Fields with soil health systems, such as no-till, cover cropping, or crop rotation have demonstrated positive results through:
- Increasing the soil's organic matter and improving microbial activity
- Sequestering more carbon
- Increasing water infiltration
- Improving wildlife and pollinator habitats
- Harvesting better profits and often better yields
- Reducing labor, fertilizer, and energy costs
This project is made possible in part through partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.