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Hoorman Soil Health Services

 There is a renewed interest in improving human health. About 95% of the food we eat, comes from the soil and human health is directly related to good soil health. Soil and plants also improve the air we breathe and the water we drink. Keeping soils healthy is an important goal. Unfortunately, worldwide; soil are degrading quite rapidly. The loss of topsoil due to erosion, loss of soil organic matter (SOM), and human changes to soil (compaction, tillage, development) makes our soil less healthy. Here are some ways soil health and human health are linked together.  Human health and Mother Nature are closely linked. The microbes in our gut and bodies are similar to the microbes in the soil. When Mother Nature finds a way to advance life and be successful, it often repeats itself in a slightly different way. For example, the thin layer of topsoil on our planet is very similar to skin on our bodies. Our lungs and the alveoli (air sacs) are designed and look very much like mycorrhizae netwo

As our national elections close, a new Republican administration is taking over with different priorities, so expect some major changes in agricultural policies. The current administration’s priority was on climate smart agricultural policies that helped reduce greenhouse gasses. Expectations are that new agricultural priorities will center on expanding agricultural markets by increasing tariffs, increasing sustainability and/or soil health initiatives, and improving healthy food.  Foreign tariffs on USA agricultural goods average 62%, which reduces USA farm commodity market share. China tariffs reduce our sale of USA commodities by 75% while European tariffs reduce sales by 42%. In a free market place, the USA would have much higher export sales for agricultural commodities. While details are short, expect more trading negotiations because rural communities were the backbone to our incoming president’s election.  Europe has a long history of imposing high tariffs to protect their farm

Fall harvest is starting to wind down. For most farmers, the dry August-September weather hurt yields. I have heard corn yields from 120-180 bushels and 30-60 bushels soybeans where moisture was limiting most of the summer. A few farmers tell me they got good rains until August and are getting 150-220 bushels corn with 50-75 bushels soybeans. One farmer had excellent yields, with good rain but also irrigation, so his yields were 250-270 on corn and around 70+ bushel on soybeans. Generally, rain makes grain if it comes in moderation.  For most of Ohio, especially Southeast Ohio, this was one of the worst droughts in many years. With improved genetics, crops have adapted to drier weather conditions, so crop yields generally are a little higher. However, with high fertilizer prices and low crop prices, even slightly lower yields are devastating to crop profits. In the agriculture world, ag is going through at least a recession if not a depression.  One thing farmers always talk about is t

An important date for farmers has passed. The Farm Bill officially expired on September 30, 2024. What happens next? Various farm bill commodity support programs will be extended until the end of the year, but then they need to be replaced. Congress has a guarantee, built into the law, based on parity, but almost all experts expect that Congress will need to prevent return of these old programs, so expect some type of action soon on a farm bill.  The current farm bill has been in place since 2018 and extended. The last several years, climate-focused conservation programs have been a major focus. Programs on storing carbon long-term and reducing greenhouse gases have been a priority, but the base money for that program has run out. The new Inflation Reduction Act added $18 billion dollars for climate-smart or climate-related conservation programs, and that does not run out until 2031. Examples include the Conservation Stewardship Program, Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP),