Residential | Richland Soil & Water

Richland County Proves to be a “Rich Land” in the Soil Your Undies Experiment

This year’s county fair brought an unexpected highlight – dirty underwear from across Richland County! As part of the Soil Your Undies challenge, our team buried a pair of 100% cotton underwear underground for 60 days in each of the 18 townships to showcase soil health. Rich soil teeming with microbes…

A map of all the buried underwear locations.
*Credit: Richland SWCD*

Dirty Undies!

Rich soil teeming with microbes and worms will break down the fabric quickly, while less active soils will show little change. The healthier the soil, the faster the cotton underwear decomposes providing a fun and visual way to assess the vitality of local soils.

Our Underwear on Display…

One common joke among visitors after seeing the display was that Richland County should be called “Rich Land County” due to the thriving soils in some townships. Many visitors had questions about replicating the experiment in their backyard and we were able to give them our extra pairs of undies

Our display quickly became a hit at the fair, sparking curiosity among visitors of all ages. Fairgoers were amazed to see the varying levels of underwear decomposition and how it correlated with the land’s use.

Marilyn Roe, Richland SWCD Volunteer, at our 2024 Richland County Fair booth

After the two-month burial period, we retrieved the undies and put them on display at the county fair. The results ranged from pairs that were barely recognizable to those with minimal decay. This visual showcase highlighted the differences in soil health across the county.

A Lesson in Soil Health

This experiment was more than just entertaining – it reminded us of the importance of maintaining healthy soil. Local farmers especially took note of how soil health can affect crop yield, water retention, and sustainability. Sites where the underwear remained mostly intact now have a clear opportunity to investigate practices that could improve their soil health like adding compost or using cover crops.

Overall, the Soil Your Undies experiment was a great success. The positive reception at the fair showed just how eager our community is to learn about environmental stewardship. Richland County is ready to prove that it’s not just rich in history, but rich in land too.

We want to extend a big thank you to the landowners who allowed us to bury underwear on their properties! This project wouldn’t have been possible without their generosity, curiosity, and support.

Small Space, Big Impact: Urban Composting

Figure 1: Worm bin at the Foley household

The Importance of Composting

Following our 2024 “Pollution Prevention” theme for the MS4 program, composting is one of the easiest ways for the average person to keep food scraps and other organic matter out of the landfill. Nearly 1/3 of all food produced is wasted (~1.3 billion tons each year) and around $165 billion a year is spent managing that waste (data from TED Ed, link below). Composting is a sustainable practice that can coincide with organic gardening.

“Urban Composting” is a practice that can be performed in a city setting with limited space. In this article, I’ll discuss two unique and viable options to get you started: vermicomposting and using compost tumblers.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting uses earthworms to decompose organic matter (see Figure 1). The byproduct of vermicomposting is vermicast, a substance rich in humus, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, micronutrients, and beneficial soil microbes. Vermicast can help neutralize soil pH and improve plant health and nutrient uptake. Some folks refer to it as “Black Gold”. Worms can be somewhat sensitive and picky, so avoid putting spicy foods or anything acidic in your vermicompost. You don’t want to upset the balance!

Figure 2: Compost tumbler at South Park Children’s Educational Garden

Compost Tumblers

Traditional composting can be easily performed in a tumbler or similar bin at home. Again, this option does not require a ton of space, and the closed bin keeps any unpleasant smell contained. The composter needs to be turned often—and that is most of the maintenance required. Adding composted organic matter to your soil is a fantastic way to supplement it. Your plants and the planet will thank you.

Resources – Click or tap!

Video on Vericomposting (TED Ed)

Vermicomposting for Beginners (Rodale Institute)

Are you a gardener? If so, did you know you’re also a livestock farmer?

That’s right! Just not the type of livestock you’re probably thinking of. Instead of cows, pigs, or chickens, you’re farming macro and microorganisms. A teaspoon of healthy soil can contain BILLIONS of microorganisms. Microorganisms in the soil are things such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes. Many of these organisms are essential for building healthy and resilient soil systems, which give us healthy and resilient plants in return.

Organisms like mycorrhizal fungi, for instance, will attach to a plant’s root and effectively become a root itself, transferring nutrients and capturing water through a symbiotic relationship. Certain types of bacteria in the soil can transform unavailable forms of nutrients (such as nitrogen) into a form the plant can then uptake.

Healthy soils will also contain various macroorganisms. These are organisms you can see in the soil without a microscope, such as earthworms. Macroorganisms, called shredders, help break down detritus on top of the soil and pull/incorporate organic matter and nutrients into the subsurface layers of the soil. Earthworms create pore spaces within the soil which bring air to the subsurface and create voids where roots can grow. They also promote a nutrient-rich casting called globules which help with the aggregate stability of the soil.

All these organisms and many more play a role in soil health and sustainability and should be looked after as one would look after their traditional livestock. Cover cropping, no tilling, avoiding compaction, and increasing biodiversity are among the main strategies to keeping your soil and soil-livestock healthy.