Healty Soils
About
The OACD Healthy Soils Project is a voluntary effort to conserve the natural resources of Oklahoma by encouraging agriculture producers to participate in proven conservation practices. Healthy soil is key to positively impacting all areas of our environment. By implementing soil conservation practices, we can improve water quality, increase the amount of water available for drinking and recreation, sequester carbon, provide cleaner air and improve the habitat for native wildlife and pollinators. Improving soil health increases organic matter in the soil, fosters the microbial life and provides nutrients for crops. Oklahoma is the second most ecologically diverse state in the United States with 11 different ecoregions. Because of a strong local conservation partnership and natural resource expertise, Oklahoma is a premier pilot site to test soil health projects for the Southern Plains and the United States.
Demonstration Farms
Since 2016, The Healthy Soils Project has established ten demonstration farms. The farms range in size from 45 acres to 120 acres. Demonstration farm locations are selected through a competitive, transparent application process. Farmers will be provided with a conservation mentor, seed for planting cover crops, technical advice from agronomists and testing and monitoring equipment.
Since the days of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, Oklahoma conservationists have been working at the local level to educate their neighbors about methods to preserve the land. By establishing demonstration farms on local, privately-held lands through a voluntary system, agriculture producers will be able to see firsthand the environmental and economic benefit of engaging in soil health conservation.