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Soil Quality Card

State Examples

The cards listed below were developed by farmers or homeowners along with various organizations in each state. To post your card here, contact the Soil Quality Webmaster.

The following documents requireAdobe Acrobat.

Connecticut

Soil Quality and Site Assessment Cards (January 2002)

Adobe Acrobat DocumentInstruction Packet (140KB) andAdobe Acrobat DocumentSoil Quality Cards (130KB)

Printing suggestion:  Print the four pages of the Instruction Packet on one 11" X 17" sheet. Fold the sheet in half to create a folder to hold the two cards.

These cards were developed for use by community gardeners in Connecticut. One card is to assess the site and the other is to assess the soil quality on the site. For more information, contact: Marjorie Faber, Assistant State Soil Scientist, USDA NRCS, 100 Northfield Drive 4th Floor, Windsor, CT 06095, phone: (860) 688-7725, email: margie.faber@ct.usda.gov

Georgia

Adobe Acrobat DocumentSoil Quality Card for Georgia (February 2002) (70KB)

The Soil Quality Card for Georgia was developed by Georgia farmers, the Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance, Inc., and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. It was field tested by members of these groups. For more information, contact: Lamar Black, President, Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance, Inc., Millen, GA, phone: (478) 982-4285, email: blacklv@csranet.com; or contact: Jim Dangler, State Conservation Agronomist, USDA NRCS, Athens, GA; phone: (706) 546-2115, email: james.dangler@ga.usda.gov

Illinois

Adobe Acrobat DocumentNortheastern Illinois Soil Quality Card (March 1999) (50KB)

Contact Ellen Phillips, Countryside Extension Center, 6438 Joliet Rd, Countryside, IL 60525-4642, phone: (708) 352-0109, email: phillipse@mail.aces.uiuc.edu; or contact: USDA NRCS, Champaign, IL, phone: 217-398-5280. Ask for Roger Windhorn (email: roger.windhorn@il.usda.gov) or Jody Rendziak (email: jody.rendziak@il.usda.gov). 

Indiana

NRCS staff have adapted the Oregon card for use as a training tool in Indiana. If you are interested in this card or in creating an Indiana card, contact: Scot Haley, Resource Soil Scientist, USDA NRCS, phone: 317-290-3200 ext 379, email: scot.haley@in.usda.gov. 

Maryland

Adobe Acrobat DocumentMaryland Soil Quality Assessment Book (December 1997) (140KB)

Contact: James Brown, USDA NRCS, Annapolis, MD, phone: 443-482-2913, email: james.brown@md.usda.gov; or contact: Lenore Vasilas, USDA NRCS, Elkton, MD, phone: 410-398-4411 ext 3, email: lenore.vasilas@md.usda.gov.

Missouri

Several cards are in development for different regions of the state. For more information, contact Dennis Potter, State Soil Scientist, USDA NRCS, MO.

Montana/North Dakota

Adobe Acrobat DocumentMon-Dak Soil Quality Score Card (December 1998) (95KB)

Farmers from Montana and North Dakota developed this card in 1998. Since then, farmers in local areas have met to modify the Mon-Dak card to suit their local needs.

In Montana contact: Richard Fasching, USDA NRCS, Bozeman, MT, phone: 406-587-6837, email: richard.fasching@mt.usda.gov. 

In North Dakota contact: Jon Stika, USDA NRCS, Dickinson, ND, phone: 701-225-5113, email: jon.stika@nd.usda.gov. 

Nebraska

Adobe Acrobat DocumentNebraska Soil Quality Card (2000) (125KB)

The card was developed by Nebraska Farmers, Natural Resources Districts, Nebraska Cooperative Extension, and soils staff from NRCS. Contact: Luis Hernandez, State Soil Scientist, USDA NRCS, Lincoln, NE, phone: 402-437-4113, email: luis.hernandez@ne.usda.gov.

North Dakota

Adobe Acrobat DocumentSoil Health Guide for Eastern North Dakota (Spring 1999) (130KB)

Contact: Hal Weiser, Area Resource Soil Scientist, USDA NRCS, Jamestown, ND, phone: 701-252-1460, email: hal.weiser@nd.usda.gov; or contact: Barnes County Soil Conservation District, Valley City, ND, phone: 701-845-3114, email: karen.olstad@nd.usda.gov. 

Ohio

Adobe Acrobat DocumentOhio Soil Health Card (February 1999)

Order from Ohio State University Centers at Piketon, 1864 Shyville Rd., Piketon, OH, 45661, phone: 740-289-2071; or contact: Norm Widman, USDA NRCS, Columbus, OH, phone: 614-469-6932, email: norm.widman@oh.usda.gov. 

Oregon

Adobe Acrobat DocumentWillamette Valley Soil Quality Card andAdobe Acrobat DocumentWillamette Valley Soil Quality Card Guide (June 1998)

Preview and order these documents from the Oregon State University web site or by phone: 541-737-2513, or by writing to Extension & Station Communications, Oregon State University, 422 Kerr Administration, Corvallis, OR 97331-2119.

The Guide provides background information about soils and how to use and interpret each question in the Card.  It also suggests additional procedures for more rigorous on-farm tests.

Pennsylvania

Adobe Acrobat DocumentPennsylvania Soil Quality Assessment (2000)

For more information, contact: Douglas Beegle, Penn State University, phone: 814-863-1016, email: dbb@email.psu.edu; or contact: Joel Myers, USDA NRCS, Harrisburg, PA, phone: 717-237-2220, email: joel.myers@pa.usda.gov.