Holistic systems thinking underpins Vermont soil health practitioners’ preferences and beliefs

Abstract

The concept of soil health has potential to catalyze agricultural transformation, though the breadth of the concept may stifle action. The impact of the soil health concept on practice depends on how well the concept is understood by diverse agricultural practitioners, including farmers, extension, and researchers. We use two surveys of soil health practitioners, or those that manage or influence soil, to examine soil health preferences and beliefs. Both surveys are from Vermont, USA, a region consisting mostly of small-to-medium scale farms: survey one queried Vermont soil health practitioners in the fall of 2020 (n = 62) and survey two queried just Vermont farmers in the spring of 2022 (n = 179). Analysis included qualitative coding and statistical analyses, including t-tests, ANOVA and information theory-informed regression analysis. In study one, Vermont practitioners' definitions include the holistic dimensions of soil health as a living ecosystem, the underlying conditions for life to thrive, the production of ecosystem services, and enhancing resilience. Additionally, practitioners rate biological, chemical, and physical indicators as very useful and important, and these ratings do not, in general, vary between decision contexts. In study two, Vermont farmers perceive the benefits of soil health. The importance of soil health is best predicted by beliefs in climate change. Together these studies suggest that in Vermont, the concept of soil health is aligned with systems-oriented thinking about resilient agricultural systems. We conclude that systems thinking is an important factor for improving soil health and practice adoption.