Soiled underwear raises awareness for soil conservation

Apr 11, 2017

National Soil Conservation Week begins April 16

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Nobody wants to admit to having a soiled pair of underwear – unless it’s in the name of soil conservation.

In recognition of National Soil Conservation Week beginning on April 16, the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) is encouraging people to bury a pair of 100 per cent cotton underwear to demonstrate soil health.

The underwear should be buried about six inches deep with a small portion of the waistband showing. After two months, participants should to dig up the undergarments and assess the results.

If the soil is healthy and has good biological activity, there shouldn’t be much of the clothing remaining.

"What better way to understand the inner workings of our soil than with your own easy-to-do soil science experiment," Alan Kruszel, SCCC chair and Stormont County, Ont. farmer, said in a release.

"Healthy soil is full of amazing, living organisms. It is what sustains us and is the foundation of a thriving civilization. We hope those who take part will share their experiences and their love for soil with us and their social networks."

SCCC suggests testing similar soil types under different rotations and tillage management systems to get a better understanding of how soil reacts to different scenarios.

In celebration of National Soil Conservation Week, SCCC will bury underwear at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa.

On August 22 and 23, SCCC will present highlights from the Soil Your Undies campaign during the next Summit on Canadian Soil Health in Guelph.

Use the hashtags #SoilYourUndies or #CdnSoilWeek17 to follow along on social media.

Farms.com has reached out to Ontario producers who may be participating in the campaign.

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