Program Information

Soil is critical not only for agriculture, but for the environment as well. Soil is a mixture of sand, silt, and clay particles combined with water, air and lots of micro-organisms. Not only does soil serve as a medium for plant growth, it helps to clean water, regulate the climate and purify waste.

ABCs of Agriculture informs about Virginia's farming community and how it affects you. ABCs of Agriculture are produced by the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) - an educational program which encourages and enhances agricultural literacy in Grades K-5 and 6-8.

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the ABC’s of Agriculture! We’re here today to talk about the letter S which stands for soil…

I know, it’s a dirty subject, but it’s one that’s absolutely critical, not only for agriculture, but for the environment as well. Soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay particles, combined with water, air and microorganisms--lots of microorganisms. In fact, a spoonful of soil contains more microorganisms than the number of people on earth!

Soil serves as a medium for plant growth and helps to clean water, regulate the climate and purify wastes. It’s where farmers grow most plants used for food and fiber.

Farmers are very concerned with saving the soil. Nine out of ten Virginia farmers are actively applying conservation practices on their farms. In fact, the erosion rate has dropped by more than one ton per acre since 1982.

So, go ahead, get your hands dirty. Just be thankful we’ve got soil around! For the ABC’s of Agriculture, this is Professor Brad… see you next time!

Virginia Standards