By Tony Bailey

Decorate the cake and get out the streamers to celebrate World Soil Day! It’s observed on Dec. 5, in case you didn’t already have it circled on your calendar. Hoosiers are fortunate to experience some of the best soils in the world here in our own state. Soil is one of our greatest natural resources and plays a very important role in our lives.

Yet, because soils are underfoot, they’re often taken for granted. Homes, businesses, schools, roads and farms all depend on soil for their foundation. In honor of World Soil Day, let’s measure, monitor and manage potential threats to maintaining healthy, productive soils.

Soil facts

See if you are surprised by the following information:

Potential threats

Even though soil is one of our greatest natural resources, it is still threatened. Consider these potential threats:

Loss of soil organic matter. On most cropland, organic matter has decreased by about half since it was converted from forests and prairies. Do you know the organic matter levels in your soils? Over the last 20 years, have organic matter levels in your soils continued to decrease, leveled off or started to increase?

Related:What soil types are in your field?

Soil erosion. Highly productive topsoil washes off or blows away. In the U.S., 4 to 6 tons of topsoil per acre are lost each year on average. How much is your topsoil worth? Are your fields protected from soil erosion?

Reduced soil biology. Consider nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon cycles. All these cycles rely on biology to make nutrients available to crops. Cornstalks left on the surface don’t need tillage. They will break down naturally if you have enough soil biology in your fields. Does your soil biology “process” cornstalks on the surface, and capture and cycle nutrients?

Farmland conversion. Farmland converted to houses, subdivisions, schools, strip malls, storage warehouses, factories, parking lots and roads likely will never be farmed again. The U.S. loses between 2 and 4 acres of agricultural land to urban sprawl every minute. Consider the local impact of urban sprawl. What has happened along the road you’ve taken to town over the last 20 years? How many acres of farmland have been lost?

Related:Soil health experts make case for regenerative agriculture

It is time to care about our soils instead of treating soils and farmland like dirt. Give soils the respect they deserve. Start your soil health journey by celebrating World Soil Day on Dec. 5. Stop by your local soil and water conservation district or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office to start your conservation or regenerative agriculture journey.

Bailey is state conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana. He writes on behalf of the Indiana Conservation Partnership.