Welcome to SOIL.ND.GOV
Your gateway to great information on soil health management. The site will be regularly updated to provide the most current information to help you manage the soil health in a field to your garden and a pasture down to a lawn.
Information will be organized following the Soil Health foundation, consisting of five principles which are:
- Armoring the Soil
- Minimizing soil disturbance
- Increasing Plant Diversity
- Maintaining Continual Live Plant/Root
- Integrating Livestock
North Dakota
Coat of Arms
Sanskrit text:
“Upon this handful of soil our survival depends. Husband it and it will grow our food, our fuel and our shelter and surround us with beauty. Abuse it and the soil will collapse and die, taking humanity with it.”
~ 1500 BC ~
Five Soil Health Principles
“Soil needs to be protected just like the skin on our bodies. Just as we don’t like to be poked, prodded, cut, burned or frozen in any fashion, the soil doesn’t like that either...”
2014 ~ Rick Bieber - Steward
Lead Soil Conservation - Soil Health Organizations
The State Soil Conservation Committee and the 53 soil conservation districts are charged with the mission to:
“provide for the conservation of the soil and soil resources of this state and for the control and prevention of soil erosion.”
To achieve this mission, the SCD supervisors and staff work with partnering agencies to address local soil and water resource concerns.
In addition SCDs were directed to:
- Preserve the state's natural resources,
- Control floods,
- Prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs,
- Assist in maintaining the navigability of rivers,
- Preserve wildlife,
- Protect the tax base,
- Protect public lands, and
- Protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of this state.
Empower North Dakotans to improve their lives and communities through science-based education
NDSU Extension believes:
- In lifelong learning through transformational education
- That all people belong and deserve respect
- In stakeholder input to guide program development
- In science-based, locally relevant information
- In the value of partners and collaboration