Community Garden Magazine Issue Five January 2016

HOW CAN SOILS HELP WITH CLIMATE CHANGE? Soils can store carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere “Homeowners and landowners also have a role to play in keeping soil healthy. If you have a home garden, you, too, can practice no-till. Rotate your crops from year to year. If you have a lawn, use chemicals sparingly—if at all. And, consider planting a rain garden or other natural area on your land. Rain gardens capture water from rainfall and snowmelt, and allow the soil to clean the water naturally.” --Soil Science Society of America Secretary Vilsack, of the USDA, has named strengthening local food systems as one of the four pillars of USDA's efforts to revitalize rural economies and communities. Purchases of locally-produced food have surged to nearly $12 billion under Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, while the number of farmers markets has exploded to more than 8,500 from 5,274 in 2009. Vilsack continued, “We will continue supporting local and regional food systems, which are drawing young people back to agriculture, generating jobs, and improving quality of life in rural communities. Since 2009, we have seen a 75% growth in farmers markets nationwide and sales of local food rose to an estimated $12 billion in 2014, much of it through sales from farms to local grocers, institutions and restaurants.” 37

Community Garden Magazine Issue Five January 2016 | Page 37