Soil Quality Assessment: Opening Minds to a Different View of the Soil.

Agronomy students at Arkansas State University generally come from traditional farming backgrounds. Their experience is in intensive tillage and high input operations. A course called Soil Quality Assessment was taught in fall 2016 to graduate and upper level undergraduate students that encompassed both lecture and hands on experiences including demonstrations and analyzing their own farm’s soils. Through the course of the semester, eyes were opened and paradigms began to shift toward thinking more about the soil as a system and not just as a substrate to grow plants. One particular activity was indicated by 80% of the 37 students as the principle ‘A-Ha’ moment where they began to open their minds to the principles of soil health. A survey instrument was used to better understand their attitudes towards soil health at the beginning and end of the semester and to better understand which activities in the class caused them to open their minds to new ways of farming.