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Abstract: Improved soil health (SH) is critical in achieving agricultural resilience and miti- gating climate risks. Whether SH management practices are widely used depends greatly on US farmers’ voluntary decision-making. Toward understanding this point, much research has addressed factors that contribute to the adoption (or lack thereof) of SH-promoting practices, but less is known in terms of farmers’ perceptions of SH itself and the corresponding man- agement practices they see as related to achieving SH. To offer introductory insight on this knowledge gap and support better buy-in from farmers toward positive SH outcomes, our research draws upon qualitative interviews with 91 farmers across three key agricultural states in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan). We develop a more detailed understanding of farmers’ views on SH, and why and how they manage for it. Nearly all interviewed farmers were familiar with the concept of SH and most viewed it favorably. A minority of farmers lacked familiarity with the term “SH” yet still managed for it. Skeptics of SH largely cited uncertainties related to over-zealous messaging by proponents of SH or lack of evidence for the return on investment of SH practices. Overall, farmers’ perceptions of SH largely aligned with the scientific community’s understanding of soils being a dynamic system, though farmers most dominantly defined SH by its biological component. Farmers perceived a host of benefits of SH, most often noting benefits to production, followed by improvements in physical aspects of the soil such as erosion control and increased organic matter. Notably, pro- duction and sustainability benefits were often cited together, suggesting that SH management is increasingly seen as a “win-win” by farmers. Additionally, we found that many farmers view themselves as active participants in SH outcomes and believe their management choices are indicators of positive SH outcomes, regardless of the practices they employ, including some strategies (such as tillage or tile drainage) that do not align with scientifically documented approaches to improving SH. Our findings show that farmers report engaging in an array of SH management practices that target both biotic and abiotic components of soils, and often use multiple practices in tandem to promote SH on their farms. Achieving better SH in agricultural production in the future will require engaging farmers in SH management by tailoring outreach and communication strategies to align with the perspectives and language farmers themselves use to conceptualize SH.
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This content will become publicly available on October 22, 2026
Unpacking farmers’ understanding of soil health: Mixed methods show strong convictions, yet management hurdles
The potential for healthy soils to address goals of productivity and sustainability has motivated a global soil health movement. Though this movement involves many groups, farmers’ perceptions are particularly important because they influence whether and how soil health concepts are practiced on farms. We used surveys of Michigan row crop farmers, followed by cognitive mapping exercises and interviews with a smaller subset of farmers, to describe how farmers understand, manage, and evaluate soil health. We report three key findings. First, we found that Michigan farmers believe in the benefits of soil health, but they are less certain of how to manage soil health on-farm. In particular, farmers found it challenging to evaluate how practices alter soil properties they know are important for soil health, including organic matter, compaction, and soil biology. Second, we found that most Michigan farmers are taking steps to improve the health of soils they farm, which was reflected in their current practices. Use of no-till and cover crops was especially prominent, and decisions to utilize them were motivated by yield benefits and water management. Third, we show that farmers primarily assess soil health with traditional agronomic soil tests and qualitative indicators (e.g., yield, crop coloration, and soil texture), which have strong ties to soil type. Overall, our findings emphasize that while Michigan farmers agree on the key properties and outcomes of healthy soils, they are less certain of how their management translates into improved soil health on-farm. Developing faster-responding, outcome-focused indicators as well as local benchmarks guided by soil type may motivate future adoption and retention of soil health practices.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2224712
- PAR ID:
- 10644457
- Publisher / Repository:
- Taylor & Francis
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
- ISSN:
- 0022-4561
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 17
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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