Ulbrich, T. C., S. T. Marquart-Pyatt, and S. E. Evans. 2025. Unpacking farmers’ understanding of soil health: Mixed methods show strong convictions, yet management hurdles. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation doi: 10.1080/00224561.2025.2517076

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.

DOI: 10.1080/00224561.2025.2517076

Associated Treatment Areas:

• Human Surveys
• Social Science Studies

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