Let's Get Down To Earth- Soil... The Source Of Life

In Kentucky, they call it clay and in a negative frame of mind, it's called mud, but to most gardeners, soil is commonly referred to as earth. So, what do most of us think of soil? We push it around with bulldozers, jab it with garden forks, shovel it into wheel barrows, and drive on it with four wheelers. We sweep it under the rug, wash it off our hands and kick it off our boots. We treat it like it's a nuisance! It's in the wrong place so we move it, wash it off our cars with soap and water and throw it into holes. 

Soil is vital for all living things. Soil is the source for all fertility. It is the source of life. For me, in a very real sense, soil is alive! It's always changing, always growing. Soil is essential to all plant life, and without that, we would have no food to feed our livestock, or ourselves. 

The functionality and health of soil is important for the things we want to grow. Organic matter, minerals, water and air are four elements that make the soil what it is. The climate also plays a big role in the formation of soil. When nature works on her own, she only crates living soils. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, soil is us.