Monday, July 14, 2014

Is Declining Soil Quality Affecting Our Food? | by Shannon Peterson

Consumers don't think much about soil when they are buying food. Farmers, on the other hand, know that soil plays an essential role in crops and yields. 

But does the quality of the soil actually affect the food we eat?

Author Daniel A. Marano examined this possibility in his article "Nature's Bounty: Rich Dirt, Poor Dirt," which was actually published in Psychology Today earlier this year. He notes that "the calcium content of broccoli averaged 12.9 milligrams per gram of plant tissue in 1950 ... but only 4.4 mg per gram by 2003."

Is it possible that "just when we want more from our food, we are getting less, and the declining quality of soil may be the root of the problem?"

It's an article worth checking out because the issue may continue to crop up. You can read the entire article here: Nature's Bounty: Rich Dirt, Poor Dirt





Shannon Peterson
Marketing Content Editor

Shannon joined Valley Irrigation in 2013. She writes and edits materials about irrigation equipment. Shannon enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks, and she occasionally writes about her travels for tourism magazines. She also likes trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball. 

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