Farmers’ perspectives on soil health in Maritime Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although farmers are the key actors in managing soil health, we have little understanding of what farmers know about soil health, how they define the term, and how they manage for it on their farms. Interviews with 34 farmers in Maritime Canada revealed their perceptions about soil health, their methods for assessing their own soils, and their reactions to a comprehensive soil health assessment based on the Cornell Soil Health Assessment (CSHA). Farmers primarily assessed soils using aboveground indicators such as plant health and yield, as well as physical indicators such as texture or water-holding capacity. Most farmers (91%) had heard of soil health, and their definitions focused on biological and productivity aspects of the soil. Organic farmers tended to be more open to the CSHA results and were more likely to give a holistic definition of soil health than conventional farmers. Depending on what frame is invoked about soil, farmers think of soil health differently. Despite differences between farmers’ perceptions and CSHA results, most farmers found CSHA results useful (71%) and planned to undertake management changes (74%) based on them. Soil health could be an ‘inclusive’ common ground for farmers and soil scientists to think about and manage soils.