4 the Soil

09/01/2026

As a fifth generation row-crop farmer in the Northern Neck of Virginia, P.J. Haynie III shares how important generational knowledge, networking, and technologie

08/23/2026

08/18/2026

🌱 New Episode Alert! "Strip Till Farming and Adding Market Value"

✏️ How do row-crop farmers in the Northern Neck of Virginia practice soil and water conservation and add market value to their farming operations? Philip "P.J." Haynie III of Haynie Family Foods and Haynie Farms, LLC. spoke with Jeff, Mary, and Eric on his way back from the Arkansas Delta about his family's conservation and market expansion measures. P.J. is a fifth generation row-crop farmer who farms in four counties in Virginia and four counties in Arkansas.

🎙️ Tune into the conversation here, at 4thesoil.org/podcast, or anywhere you get your podcasts

🪱 And remember that we can all be 4 The Soil, for the future!
Here's how:⁠
1️⃣ Keep the soil covered⁠
2️⃣ Minimize soil disturbance (Take it easy)⁠
3️⃣ Maximize living roots year-round (Keep roots growing)⁠
4️⃣ Energize with diversity (Thrive with diversity)

No-Till Growers Vantage: Virginia No-Till Alliance

Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural, Leadership, & Community Education Virginia Cooperative Extension Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition Virginia's Community, Local, & Regional Food Systems Team Virginia Farming Media Virginia Farm-to-Table Social Impact Studios Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Foodshed Capital Virginia SARE Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program

How do row-crop farmers in the Northern Neck of Virginia practice soil and water conservation and add market value to their farming operations? Philip "P.J." Ha

08/14/2026

🥕 Did you celebrate National Farmers Market Week earlier this month?

🌱 Check out the blog post "How Farmer's Markets Can Be '4 The Soil'"!
4thesoil.org/post/how-farmer-s-markets-can-be-4-the-soil

🪱 And remember that we can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here's how:⁠
1️⃣ Keep the soil covered⁠
2️⃣ Minimize soil disturbance (Take it easy)⁠
3️⃣ Maximize living roots year-round (Keep roots growing)⁠
4️⃣ Energize with diversity (Thrive with diversity)⁠

08/04/2026

🌱 It's August 4th, so let's celebrate the 4 Core Principles of Soil Health!

🪱 The FlipCharts wrote this song to help us remember that we can all be 4 the Soil — here’s how!⁠
1️⃣ Keep the soil covered⁠
2️⃣ Minimize soil disturbance (Take it easy)⁠
3️⃣ Maximize living roots year-round (Keep roots growing)⁠
4️⃣ Energize with diversity (Thrive with diversity)⁠

Learn more at 4thesoil.org

08/04/2026

🌱 New episode of 4 the Soil: A Conversation is out NOW! "Building Community and Landscape Resiliency" with Justin Proctor, Coordinator of the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative of the Smithsonian Institute's Virginia Working Landscapes' program, Part II

Would you like to be part of a community that protects grassland bird species and builds landscape resiliency? Justin shares how they are building a community and are able to offer incentive payments to farmers and landowners willing to adopt bird-friendly management practices that better accommodate birds' nesting seasons and habits.

🎙️ Tune into the conversation here, at 4thesoil.org/podcast, or anywhere you get your podcasts

🪱 And remember that we can all be 4 The Soil, for the future!
Here's how:⁠
1️⃣ Keep the soil covered⁠
2️⃣ Minimize soil disturbance (Take it easy)⁠
3️⃣ Maximize living roots year-round (Keep roots growing)⁠
4️⃣ Energize with diversity (Thrive with diversity)

Virginia Farming Media Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation Virginia Cooperative Extension Social Impact Studios Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural, Leadership, & Community Education Virginia State University Virginia Forage and Grassland Council Virginia Working Landscapes Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment Virginia SARE Virginia Farm-to-Table

Would you like to be part of a community that protects grassland bird species and builds landscape resiliency? Justin Proctor, coordinator of the Virginia Grass

08/01/2026

Check out our roots! 🪱 Come see us at VA Ag Expo tomorrow! VA AG EXPO

08/01/2026

📚🌱 NEW! Free 4 the Soil bookmark available at 4theSoil.org

Just download and print!

🪱 It's another easy way to remember that we can all be 4 The Soil, for the future!
Here's how:⁠
1️⃣ Keep the soil covered⁠
2️⃣ Minimize soil disturbance (Take it easy)⁠
3️⃣ Maximize living roots year-round (Keep roots growing)⁠
4️⃣ Energize with diversity (Thrive with diversity)

07/30/2026

🌱🎨 Even art grows from soil! Soil and natural earth materials have been used for centuries and are still being used in many art forms around the globe.

This was painted by Monna Morton (Artist & Creative Visionary, Social Impact Studios ) with soil based water colors from The Art of Soil is a small, woman-owned business centered around the beauty, importance, and love of soil. Learn more at www.theartofsoil.com