Oh, by the way, if you are wondering about the photo, its me measuring up against a specimen of Australian Wild Rice (Potamophila parviflora) near Casino in NSW. You can find more about that at my other site: Food From The Garden

From a Global perspective, soil is one of the Earth's secondary Life Support Systems. Worldwide there is more Carbon held in soil than in Fossil Fuels. There are even some estimates suggesting there may even be more soil Carbon that Mineral Carbon (fossil fuels, limestone, chalk, etc.)

The Living Soil is also a vital part of the Global Water Cycle that helps regulate climate; as well as being a processor for all mineral nutrients that cycle through the biosphere.

An overly simplistic view of soil function has led us (in agriculture) to regard it as little more than a nutrient sponge - to be repeatedly filled up and squeezed dry year after year. This attitude holds significant risks - not the least of which relates to accelerating the increase in atmospheric CO₂ levels.

Most farming activities (if not carefully managed) can result in a net loss of soil Carbon. Given the size of the Global Carbon Pool, it has been suggested that only a small percentage loss (Globally) could add more CO₂ to the atmosphere than all fossil fuels combined. This is especially true when considering that a warming and drying climate will itself result in a loss of soil Carbon.

The problem we face is that there are no substantial commodity products to be sold for improving the living soil we manage. More to the point, the process of improving soil function will naturally lead to a progressive decrease in farm input spending - something that commercial interests cannot afford to promote.

This website is dedicated to those farm enterprises that are most reliant upon good soil management. If you operate a pasture based farming system, long-term tree or vine crop (nut grove, orchard, vineyard, etc.) or agro-forestry system, you will find plenty of good independent information here.

Also, due to the importance of developing more eco-centric and bio-diverse farming systems, those involved with Permaculture and other 'Polyculture' systems will find The-Living-Soil.com to be a valuable resource.