# Soils: A Practical Guide for Organic Farmers and Gardeners

- By: Valerie Dantoin
- Publisher: Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
- Source: [LibreTexts](https://geo.libretexts.org/Courses/Northeast_Wisconsin_Technical_College/Soils%3A_A_Practical_Guide_for_Organic_Farmers_and_Gardeners)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
- Read at LibreTexts: https://geo.libretexts.org/Courses/Northeast_Wisconsin_Technical_College/Soils%3A_A_Practical_Guide_for_Organic_Farmers_and_Gardeners
- PDF: https://downloads.libretexts.org/api/v1/download/geo-34412/pdf

This textbook is for farmers and gardeners who want to understand and improve soil. It approaches soil from a practical viewpoint on how to conserve, improve, and build it. It covers the physical/structural characteristics, soil chemistry, soil organic matter, carbon, and nutrient flows/cycles, soil sampling/testing, both organic and conventional fertilizers, living soil biology, compost, livestock/manure’s role on the farm, and farm-scale and garden-size solutions to soil problems.