www.Holganix.com This Earth Day, our team takes a few minutes to pause and reflect on why we are grateful for soils, and specifically why healthy soils are so crucial to our future - whether or not you are in the agriculture and turfgrass industries. Check out our SlideShare on the 25 Reasons To Be Grateful For Soil to learn more. Why Soil Health Matters @ Holganix At Holganix we revolutionize the way the world grows by harnessing the power of soil microbes. In fact, our flagship product Holganix Bio 800+ contains over 800 species of beneficial soil microbes, that work to build soil and plant health naturally. Our products are used by farmers to increase crop yields and by landscapers and golf courses to reduce their need for fertilizer and pesticides. It’s official, SOIL MATTERS!

1. REASONS TO BE
GRATEFUL
FOR
SOIL
25

2. SOIL GRATITUDE #1
Soil is the backbone of food security and
nutrition. Without healthy soils, farmers wouldn't
be able to provide food, feed, fiber and fuel.

3. SOIL GRATITUDE
#2
Just like how a foundation for a
home is critical, healthy soils
act as a foundation for plants
by supporting turf roots and
keeping plants upright for
growth.

4. Soils act as a pantry for plants, storing
and cycling nutrients and minerals that
plants need to grow
SOIL GRATITUDE
#3

5. Soils store water for plants. In fact, according to
the USDA, “every 1% increase in organic matter
results in as much as 25,000 gallons of available
soil water per acre.” That’s a lot of water!
SoilGratitude#4

6. SOIL GRATITUDE #5
Soils are home for many other
organisms like insects that lay and
hatch eggs in the soil.

7. SOIL GRATITUDE
#6
Soils are habitats for beneficial soil
microbes. Microbes form synergistic
relationships with plants to protect
them from stress and provide them with
nutrients, among other tasks.
One teaspoon of healthy soil contains,
100 million-to-1 billion individual
bacteria alone.

8. Soils maintain adequate aeration for
plants, providing oxygen for microbes,
insects and plant roots.
SOIL GRATITUDE
#7

9. SOIL GRATITUDE #8
Soils filter surface water of dust,
chemicals and other contaminants. This is
why underground water is one of the
cleanest sources of water.
In fact, according to Soils.Org,
the Catskill Watershed provides New York
City with clean water at a fraction of the
price compared to the cost of
constructing a water filtration plant.

10. Healthy soils protect the planet
from climate change. According
to Columbia University's Earth
Institute, "soils remove about 25
percent of the world’s fossil fuel
emissions each year."
SoilGratitude#9

11. SOIL GRATITUDE
#10
Healthy soils provide farmers with better crop
yields and protect plants from stress.

12. When it comes to human health, almost all
of the antibiotics we take to help fight
infection were obtained by soil microbes.
SOIL GRATITUDE
#11

13. SOIL GRATITUDE
#12
Healthy Soils protect land from
erosion.
SOIL GRATITUDE
#13
Soil acts as a holding facility for
solid waste.

14. SOIL GRATITUDE
#14
11% of the total U.S. employment
works in the agricultural and food
sectors - that’s 2.16 million full- and
part-time people working on our
soils each day.

15. Soil is a nonrenewable natural
resource. According to the Food
and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), it can take
hundreds to thousands of years to
form a centimeter of soil. But, that
single centimeter of soil can be
lost in a single year due to
erosion.
SoilGratitude#15

16. SOIL GRATITUDE
#16
Archeologists have determined that
many sophisticated civilizations such
as the Mayans from Central America
and the Harappan from India, fell
because they mismanaged their soils.

17. SOIL GRATITUDE
#17
Soils help regulate the Earth's
atmosphere.
SOIL GRATITUDE
#18
Healthy soils mitigate the impact
of extreme weather events.

18. 45% minerals
25% water
25% air
5% organic matter
SOIL GRATITUDE #19
Soil is made up of 4 components

19. SOIL GRATITUDE #20
According to Soils.Org, "about 70% of the weight of a textbook or glossy
paged magazine is soil."

20. SOIL GRATITUDE
#21
According to the World Future Council, "soil
helps control weeds, plant pests and disease."

21. SOIL GRATITUDE
#22
Putting clay soil on your face as a
"mud mask" cleanses the skin's
pores.
SOIL GRATITUDE
#23
The best china dishes are made
from soil.

22. SOIL GRATITUDE #24
Soil is the foundation of our buildings, roads, houses and schools.
In fact, soil affects how buildings are made.

23. SOIL GRATITUDE
#25
Soil holds Earth's history, containing artifacts -
from dinosaurs to ancient civilizations. T
here's a lot of history in our soils!

24. HOW DOES HOLGANIX HELP SOILS?
At Holganix we revolutionize the way the world grows by harnessing the
power of soil microbes. In fact, our flagship product Holganix Bio 800
contains over 800 species of soil microbes, that build soil and plant health
naturally. Our products are used by farmers to increase crop yields and by
landscapers and golf courses to reduce their need for fertilizer and
pesticides. It’s official, SOIL MATTERS!
+