25 Reasons To Be Grateful For Soil: Why Soil Is Important?

By Kaitlyn Ersek on Nov 17, 2022 10:00:00 AM

Soil Health

This Thanksgiving Season, our team takes a few minutes to pause and reflect on why we are grateful for soils, and specifically why healthy soils are so crucial to our future - whether or not you are in the agriculture and turfgrass industries.

Check out our SlideShare on the 25 Reasons To Be Grateful For Soil below. Or, skip the SlideShare and keep scrolling to skim through our bullets.

If you are reading this blog via email, click here to view the SlideShare.

Soil is the backbone of our food security. Without healthy soils, farmers wouldn’t be able to provide us with feed, fiber, food, and fuel.
Just like how a foundation for a home is critical, healthy soils act as a foundation for plants by supporting plant roots and keeping plants upright for growth.
Soils act as a pantry for plants, storing and cycling essential nutrients and minerals that plants need to grow.
Soils store water for plants. In fact, according to the USDA, “every 1% increase in organic matter results in as much as 25,000 gallons of available soil water per acre.” That’s a lot of water!
Soils maintain adequate aeration for plants, providing oxygen for microbes, insects and plant roots.
Soils are habitats for beneficial soil microbes; these organisms are nature’s hidden helpers. They form synergistic relationships with plants to protect them from stress and provide them with nutrients, among other tasks. According to the USDA, “one teaspoon of healthy soil contains, 100 million-to-1 billion individual bacteria alone.”
Soils are homes for many other organisms like insects that lay and hatch eggs in the soil.
Soils filter surface water of dust, chemicals, and other contaminants. This is why underground water is some of the cleanest sources of water. In fact, according to Soils.Org, “through natural processes, such as soil absorption, chemical filtration, and nutrient cycle, the Catskill Watershed provides New York City with clean water at a cost of $1-to-1.5 billion, much less than the $6-to-8 billion one-time cost of constructing a water filtration plant.”
Healthy soils help protect the planet from climate change. According to Columbia University’s Earth Institute, “soils remove about 25 percent of the world’s fossil fuel emissions each year."
Healthy soils provide farmers with better crop yields and protect plants from stress.
When it comes to human health, almost all of the antibiotics we take to help fight infection were obtained by soil microbes.
Healthy soils protect the land from erosion.
Soil is a nonrenewable natural resource. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it can take hundreds to thousands of years to form a centimeter of soil. But, that single centimeter of soil can be lost in a single year due to erosion.
11% of the total U.S. employment works in the agricultural and food sectors - that’s 2.16 million full- and part-time people working on our soils each day.
Soil is made up of 45% minerals, 25% water, 5% organic matter, and 25% air.
Soil acts as a holding facility for solid waste.
Soils help regulate the Earth’s temperature.
Healthy soils mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.
Archeologists have determined that many sophisticated civilizations such as the Mayans and the Harappan, fell because they mismanaged their soils.
According to Soils.Org, “about 70% of the weight of a textbook or glossy paged magazine is soil.”
Putting clay soil on your face as a “mud mask” cleanses the skin’s pores.
According to the World Future Council, “soils help control weeds, plant pests, and disease.”
The best china dishes are made from soil.
Soil is the foundation of our buildings, roads, houses, and schools. In fact, soil affects how buildings are made.
Soil holds Earth’s history, containing artifacts - from dinosaurs to ancient human civilizations - from our Earth’s past. There’s a lot of history stored in soils!

Why Soil Health Matters at Holganix?

At Holganix we revolutionize the way the world grows by harnessing the power of soil microbes. In fact, our flagship product Holganix Bio 800⁺ Agriculture contains over 800 species of beneficial soil microbes, that work to build soil and plant health naturally. Our products are used by farmers to increase crop yields and by landscapers and golf courses to reduce their need for fertilizer and pesticides. It’s official, SOIL MATTERS!

What’s The Dirt on Soil Science?

Digging into Soil Science 101: Beginners Guide to Understanding the Soil Food Web eBook

We know soils are important and we know why we should be grateful for healthy soils. But, how do soils work? And, what does healthy soil look like? Dig deeper into soil science by downloading our FREE eBook by Holganix Director of Soil and Plant Science, Dr. Robert Neidermyer.

Download our eBook to explore:

1. How does the soil food web support healthy crops?

2. The power behind soil microbes and what they do to build resilient crops

3. Soil types and how to improve the health of your soil