Soil for Water

Working to catch and hold more water in our soil

About Soil for Water

Soil for Water, a program of the National Center for Appropriate Technology, is building a dynamic community of people curious about water and soil practices that create resilient, profitable agricultural systems.  

We seek and welcome collaboration with groups and individuals that share our mission. Please join us in catching and holding more water in the soil. 

Keep reading about Soil for Water…

REGENERATOR’S ATLAS

Plant your flag on the Regenerator’s Atlas of America to share your story. Commercial producers only, please.

FORUM

Join a wide-ranging conversation about the power and potential of the “soil sponge.” All are welcome.

JOIN THE NETWORK

Get news, discounts, invitations to members-only educational events, and free help setting up a “safe-to-fail” trial on your farm or ranch.  Commercial producers only, please.

The Latest

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Residue Testing for Chemicals in Agricultural Soil

Soil testing on suspect sites is the best method for determining if soil is safe for food production or human and other animal habitation. Soil residue tests can determine if residues are present to help farmers and gardeners assess their risk, manage exposure, and remediate contaminated sites.
aerial photo of Pennsylvania farmlandUSDA photo by Scott Bauer

Using Google Earth Pro to Create a Map for Your Agricultural Operation

Have you ever wondered how to make a digital map that can show the existing and planned infrastructure for virtually any piece of land in the world? Have you wondered how you can measure the area of a particular field or the length of a proposed fence or pipeline? Have you wondered what the elevation is at different locations? The answers to all these questions lie in getting familiar with the free tool Google Earth Pro.

Carbon Farm Planning

Carbon Farm Planning is a comprehensive conservation planning framework that centers carbon as the organizing principle on working lands. Developed by Carbon Cycle Institute in 2014, Carbon Farm Planning recognizes that solar energy is the main driver of agroecosystem dynamics and that carbon is the carrier of that energy. In partnership with Carbon Cycle Institute, NCAT is expanding this planning framework into Texas with funding from Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) and The Meadows Foundation.

Regenerator’s Atlas of America

“Water retention is paramount for us. We need to be able to capture as much water as we can and, if it all comes at once, we need to slow it down.”

“Even under the hardest drought conditions, there are management steps that people can take that will allow them to stay on their ranches and be sustainable over the long haul.” 

“Your soil health is going to keep you in business. If you take care of your soil, the land will give back to you in terms of the productivity.” 

“The Soil for Water program offers a chance to learn new things and to apply it to your land and to improve.” 

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Kara Kroeger and Peggy Sechrist

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Regenerative Journeys

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Chelenzo Farms: A High Mountain Desert Oasis

By Darron Gaus  Chelenzo Farms began from the unique relocation of a physician and a writer from New York during the height of the pandemic. Health concerns and a need for a cleaner lifestyle motivated Chelsea Hollander and Lorenzo Dominguez…

High Hope Farm: Regenerative Agriculture in Action 

Keeping the ground covered year-round also keeps the soil's temperature noticeably cooler during hot Mississippi summers. These are all indications of a healthy soil sponge that captures, holds, and uses water more efficiently.

A Conversation with Guille Yearwood

“When you graze a pasture continuously, you have no idea how much grass you have because its continually disappearing.” After Guille switched to rotational grazing, his paddocks would look like a hayfield four weeks after grazing. This, in his words, “is totally different and totally better.”