Soil Health Buckets
Education & Follow Up
Utilizing funding provided through an agreement with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service as well as donations made by Farm Credit Services of America, First Dakota National Bank, Ducks Unlimited Inc., and Dacotah Bank the SD Soil Health Coalition provides educational “Soil Health Buckets” and lessons to vocational agriculture classrooms, soil science classrooms and additional youth groups.
Each “Bucket” includes eighteen different lesson plans and the tools necessary to demonstrate the soil health principles and concepts included within the plans. Each bucket complete with all necessary items has a price tag of nearly $500. The SD Soil Health Coalition would like to thank the current contributors, and will continue to work to provide each classroom the bucket, lesson plans, and follow up to educate our youth about soil health!
Those interested in receiving a Soil Health Bucket or contributing towards this project should contact Cindy Zenk, SDSHC Coordinator, at (605) 280-4190 for additional information.
Interested In Results From A Soil Health Knowledge, Interest, & Awareness Survey Conducted In 2018
Soil Health Lesson Plans
Lesson 1 Soil Components-Physical Properties
Lesson 2 Soil Organic Matter
Lesson 3 Using Textural Triangle
Lesson 4 Soil Moisture by Feel and Appearance
Lesson 5 Soil Quality Measurement
Lesson 6 Soil Bulk Density
Lesson 7 Soil Respiration
Lesson 8 Soil Electrical Conductivity
Lesson 9 Web Soil Survey
Lesson 10 Soil pH: What Affects it, What it Affects,
Managing it and Testing it
Lesson 11 Soil Nitrogen
Lesson 12 Soil Phosphorus
Lesson 13 Soil Infiltration
Lesson 14 Scientific Method
Lesson 15 Soil Science Capstone Activity
Lesson 16 Rainfall Simulator
Lesson 17 Soil Microbiology – “Tighty Whities” Test 1
Lesson 18 Soil Aggregates
2023 Soil Health Conference Registration Open!
The 2023 Soil Health Conference will be held Jan. 24-25 at the Best Western Plus Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls! Keynote speakers include Dr. Kris Nichols, Rick Clark, Mitchell Hora, and Roy Thompson! There will be breakout sessions, discussion panels, award presentations and more! Join us for all the fun!
News & Events
Growing Connections: New app creates soil health social network
By Janelle Atyeo For the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition PIERRE, SD – South Dakota farmers, ranchers and gardeners are making strides in improving soil health, and they’re willing to share what works and what doesn’t. A new app from the South Dakota Soil Health...
Volga 4-Hers Win Student Soil Health Video Contest
Volga students Caleb Barsness and Dane Olson won first place in the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition’s 2022 Soil Health Demonstration Student Video Contest. The two sixth-grade Sioux Valley Middle School students, representing the West Sioux 2 4-H Club, will be...
Conference speakers: Solving ag problems begins with the soil
By Stan Wise For fifth-generation Indiana crop and livestock producer Rick Clark, soil health and regenerative agriculture are about stewardship. “You have to be good stewards of the land,” he said. “If you think it's OK to watch your topsoil blow away in the wind,...