A handful of soil is filled with thousands if not millions of life forms working together to create nutrients, aerate the soil, and turn nitrogen from the air into a form that roots can absorb. Soil is a natural resource that is commonly overlooked because we see it everywhere, yet the kind of soil needed for food production is being lost rapidly across the country and the world. Urban development and land use changes are removing productive agricultural land from the local soil base. Today, roughly 40% of the soils in Marion County are ideal for agriculture. The state has zoned these resources specifically for agricultural uses.
Resources
The Oregon Society of Soil Scientists work to analyze the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil; design sustainable soil management action plans; develop environmental impact statements for multidisciplinary management projects; implement soil conservation, irrigation, and drainage measures; and evaluate soil capabilities and limitations.
The Oregon Soils office located in Portland, Oregon provides soil related information to a wide variety of users and assistance to soil survey project offices throughout Oregon.
This publication covers basic soil properties and management steps toward building and maintaining healthy soils.
Learn more about how your soil works, learn how to assess your soil quality, and manage this important resource. Includes demonstration guides and lessons plans for teachers of soil quality.
Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world.
Building the soil for cleaner water, healthier streams, successful landscapes and healthy communities.
Publications to help you get more from your soil. The Soil Management series is aimed at improving soil performance.