Robert Sakata, president of Sakata Farms in Brighton, Colorado, checks the soil. Photo by Matthew Ross, Center for Science Communication
Soil health movement takes root in Colorado
story by Rhea Maze
published Sept. 28, 2023
Growing up in southeastern Colorado, near an area among the hardest hit by the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, James Pritchett remembers hearing stories of “Black Sunday.”
On April 14, 1935, drought combined with over-plowed land culminated in one of largest dust storms of the era, one that blotted out the sun and swept through seven states. In Baca County, Colorado, alone, this dark chapter in agricultural history reduced its wheat production from 237,000 acres to only 150 acres of farmable land and forced over 40% of its residents to leave.
“Over decades, we’ve learned how to better take care of the land and to improve the soil so that we wouldn’t face this kind of ecological disaster again,” said Pritchett, dean of Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “But amidst climate change and other modern challenges, there is more urgency now for us to pay closer attention to ecological systems in the soil.”
A fresh focus on soil
Researchers in CSU’s Department of Soil and Crop Sciences are partnering with the new Saving Tomorrow’s Agricultural Resources (STAR) program to help Colorado farmers and ranchers improve their land for future generations. The Center for Science Communication is sharing the stories of their soil-health journeys in a new film series called “Hold Our Ground.”
Colorado STAR launched in 2022 as a partnership between the Colorado Department of Agriculture, CSU, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other partners. The program aims to incentivize the adoption of healthy soil management practices.
Professor Emeritus Jim Ippolito and Research Scientist Megan Machmuller are part of the CSU research team collaborating with STAR. Their work includes installing soil moisture sensors, testing soil and water quality, and using cutting-edge tools to monitor greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration. The program is also collecting data on management techniques, yields, inputs and other economic and social factors.
“It is so exciting to see the willingness of Colorado farmers and ranchers to work together with all these different people and to see everyone coming to the table to find common ground,” Ippolito said. “We’ve caught the soil health wave and there’s so much energy behind it by so many different entities — we are all working together to get things done.”
At left, Michael Vicenti, irrigator with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Farm and Ranch Enterprise in Towaoc, Colorado, examines a handful of soil. At right, a late summer potato harvest from Elliott Farms in Monte Vista, Colorado. Photos by Eric Forbes, Center for Science Communication
The future of food and water
For the CSU team, working directly with Colorado farmers and ranchers has been a rewarding co-learning experience. “They truly care,” Machmuller said. “And many of them are already doing very innovative and exciting things for soil health.”
Access to advanced analytical tools in metagenomics and metabolomics, which look at what microorganisms are in the soil and how they function, sharpen the STAR research team’s ability to detect soil changes and enhance their understanding of soil health. But their work goes beyond high-tech metrics. “Our research is really taking a holistic approach,” Machmuller said. “We are trying to understand the ecological, economic and social benefits of soil health practices.”
To complement the science, the “Hold Our Ground” film series seeks to engage both agricultural producers and the public in the importance of soil health through visual storytelling. “Soil health is integral to CSU’s land-grant mission,” said Ippolito. “And we have the world-class scientists needed to lead this effort, as well as the communicators who can tell the story.”
Storytelling as a catalyst for change
At left, Mike Peterson, owner of Pasture Perfect Premium Beef in Sedgwick, Colorado, uses a soil probe. Photo by Eric Forbes, Center for Science Communication. At right, Nancy Roberts, owner of Arrowpoint Cattle, checks on a few of her Highland cattle that are wearing virtual fence collars. Photo by Matthew Ross, Center for Science Communication
The “Hold Our Ground” film series highlights the soil-enhancing, relationship-building work taking place with STAR farmers and ranchers across the state.
“This program took so much time, energy, effort, research and listening sessions to understand all of the challenges, barriers, opportunities and what the farmers and ranchers here in Colorado need,” Machmuller said. “Those critical conversations brought everyone to the table and it is so exciting to be off and running. The most meaningful science is done this way — it is all about relationships.”
The Center for Science Communication’s film crew traveled all around Colorado to connect with the people behind the food. Through documenting their ideas and progressive soil health practices, the series aims to further the soil health movement.
“As a powerful visual medium, we hope that these films will help Colorado producers visualize the potential of incorporating new soil health practices into their own operations,” said the series’ producer and director, Jaime Jacobsen, an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication and director of the Center for Science Communication. “We believe these films can play a key role in demonstrating conservation practices and sharing that knowledge.”