Vocabulary for Stewards of the Earth

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TERM	DESCRIPTION
Erosion	The process of wearing away or removal of soil or rock by natural forces, such as wind, water, or ice.
Carbon	A fundamental element found in all living organisms and a key component of organic molecules. Carbon is the basic building block of all living tissues. Carbon moves from plants and animals to soils in the carbon cycle.
Micro-biome	The community of micro-organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, living in a particular environment, such as the human gut or soil.
Micro-organism	A tiny organism, such as bacteria, protozoa or fungi, that is too small to be seen without a microscope.
Monoculture/Monocrops	The cultivation of a single type of crop in a specific area, often over an extended period. Monocultures can be vulnerable to pests and diseases due to the lack of diversity.
No Till	A farming practice that avoids ploughing or tilling the soil, helping to prevent erosion and preserve soil structure.
Nutrient Cycle	The continuous movement of essential nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous, through the living and non-living components of an ecosystem.
Omnivores	Animals that consume both plants and animals as part of their diet
Organic Matter	Decomposed or decomposing plant and animal materials in the soil that contribute nutrients and build soil fertility.
Pasture	An area of land used for grazing animals, typically grassland or open field.
Photosynthesis	The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll, converting carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
Herbivore	An animal that primarily consumes plants as its main source of nutrition.
Instinct	An inherent, innate behavior or response to a stimulus that is not learned but is rather programmed into an organism’s genes.
Intensive Farming	Agricultural practices that involve high levels of input, such as the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery, to maximize crop yields in a given area.
Manure	Animal feces, also known as dung, droppings, excrement, or waste. Cow “pies” and horse “apples” add excellent nutrients to the soil, preferably when the animals themselves deposit on the land. Herds such as sheep and goats can also add their beneficial waste to fields and pastures. Manure, rich with nitrogen, can improve soil fertility.
Graze	The act of animals feeding on pasture or forage.
Bio-economy	An ecomonic system that utilizes biological resources, such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, to produce goods and services in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.
Biology	The scientific study of living organisms and their interactions.
Evaporation	The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas, typically from the surface of bodies of water or moist soil.
Germination	The process by which a seed develops into a new plant.
Regenerative Farming	An approach to agriculture that focuses on enhancing the health and fertility of the soil, improving biodiversity, and promoting sustainable farming practices to create a more resilient and ecologically balanced system.
Ruminant	A type of herbivorous mammal with a specialized stomach that allows it to digest tough plant materials through a process of fermentation, such as cows, sheep, and deer.
Sequester	To hold (as a metallic ion) in solution especially for the purpose of suppressing undesired chemical or biological activity.
Soil	The upper layer of Earth’s surface, consisting of a mixture of mineral particles (sand, salt, and clay), rock, organic matter, and living organisms, which provides a medium for plant growth.
Stacking Enterprises	A regenerative agriculture concept that invovles integrating multiple complementary enterprises within a single farming system to enhance overall sustainabilitiy and productivity.
Fertilizer	A chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility.
Nutrients	A substance or ingredient that promotes growth, provides energy, and maintains life. The three main nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Together they make up the trio known as NPK. Other important nutrients are calcium, magnesium and sulfur, among others.
Nutrient-dense food	Food that is high in nutrients but relatively low in calories. Nutrient-dense foods contain vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. Healthy soil produces the highest-quality, nutrient-dense food.
Pesticides
Dust Bowl	A catastrophic event where soil conservation practices were abandoned. As a result, over-tilled soil paired with severe droughts sparked a catastrophic event, to take place. Tons of topsoil turned to dust forming storm clouds that traveled hundreds of miles along the plains of the United States. The soil was decimated, ecosystems were destroyed, and poverty increased. – Save Our Soil Regenerative Agriculture Activity Book.
Conventional Farming	Chemical fertililzers are used to enrich soil nutrients in an effort to increase crop yields. Conventional farming relies on chemical intervention to fight pests and weeds and provide plant nutrition. That means synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Crops are primarily monocrops.
Rotational grazing
Desertification:	Land that is turning into desert. This happens when we create too much bear ground.
Holistic management	Treating the farm as a whole living system, integrated and interdependent, including the water, air, soil, plants, and animals, both native and domestic.
Mycorrhizal fungi	On organism that lives in a symbiotic relationship with a plant’s roots. The fungi germinate in the soil, The fungi penetrate the roots of the plant, creating a network of fungal structures inside of the root cells. The plant and the mycorrhizae exchange sugar and nutrients. The fungal structures continue to branch out and develop outside of the plant roots (called hyphae). These hyphae extend a network of fine filaments and cover up to 700 times more soil area than the plants own roots! This secondary root system draws up more nutrients and water to the plant that would otherwise be unaccessible. In return, the mycorrhizae receive carbon in the form of sugars and lipids from the plant produced by photosynthesis. These little superheroes of the soil secret enzymes that can break down tightly-bound nutrients and make them accessible to the plant. Hyphae can absorb nutrients and water along its entire length, while plant roots can only absorb through their root tips. Plants with a mycorrhizal relationship are more resilient to environmental stress, such as drought and temperature extremes. Chemical sprays and fertilizers can kill them, and tilling the soil can tear up their network.
Permaculture	Permaculture is the concept of utilizing land, resources, people and the environment in a manner that doesn’t produce any waste – and encourages the use of closed loop systems seen in nature. Closed loop systems, when speaking about the environment, refer to the ideal where nothing should be wasted.
Soil disturbance
Soil cover	The practice of keeping a protective layer of plant residues on the soil surface to minimize erosion and build soil health. Crops protect the soil and prevent rain from washing it away. Covers improve the soil’s water retention capacity and accelerate the nutrient cycle.
Diversity	Farming a diverse range of crops, animals, and organisms can ensure a balance of soil nutrients. Crop rotation, companion cropping, and cover cropping are a few ways to achieve it.
Integrate livestock	The practice of grazing crop residue or cover crops in an effort to rest grassland areas. This increases the soil biological activity on the cropland and improves nutrient cycling while allowing for proper grassland management for improved soil health. Animals can help the soil by dispersing seeds and stimulating plant growth (when they eat the plant). In addition, animals provide nitrogen to the soil in form am manure.
Conservation	The practice of carefully preserving and protecting natural resources to maintain a healthy environment.
Conservation district	Subdivisions of state government that provide local conservation leadership, teach the value of natural resources and encourage practices that promote healthy air, land, water, plants, and animals.
Cropland	Land used for production of crops for harvest.
Drip irrigation	A system of crop irrigation that delivers water directly to individual plants through a network of pipes or tubes.
Drought	A period of abormally dry weather and low rainfall.
Grassland	A large open area of the land covered with grasses and plants and home to wildlife and livestock.
Legacy	A concept, lesson, or achievement intended to benefit and educate future generations.
Limited disturbance	The practice of minimizing tillage, and other types of physical, biological and chemical disturbance, as much as possible to build soil aggregates, pore spaces, soil biology, and organic matter.
Living roots	The practice of keeping plants growing for as much of the year as possible in order to feed and build the soil.
Mulch	Decaying leaves, bark, or compost spread over the land or around plants to enerich and insulate the soil, retain water, and reduce erosion.
Pasture	Land covered with grass and other plants that is suitable for grazing livestock including cattle or sheep, which may have been planted specifically for this purpose.
Residue	Material left in an agriculture field after harvest, allowed to decompose and provide a protective layer of coverage on the soil.
Wetland	Saturated land consisting of shallow water such as swamps or marches; a habitat for wildlife such as ducks and birds.
Biochar	Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that’s made by burning organic material (wood). Biochar can be an amendment used to improve soil health, raise soil pH, remediate polluted soils, sequest carbon, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improving soil moisture.
Sequestering carbon	Carbon dioxide is the most commonly produced greenhouse gas. Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. It is one method of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the goal of reducing global climate change.
Vermicompost	Vermicompost is the product of the decomposition process using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast.
Humus	Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays. When plants drop leaves, twigs, and other material to the ground, it piles up.
Soil microbiom	The plant soil microbiome is the dynamic community of microorganisms associated with plants and soil. Just like a healthy human gut microbiome is directly related to optimum human health, a healthy soil biome directly impacts the health of plants.
Mycorrhizal Fungi	Mycorrhizae are fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of many plants. Mycorrhizal fungi therefore help plants resist drought, produce bigger crops and flowers, resist diseases, and thrive on poor soils or adverse conditions. Not miraculous as mycorrhizal fungi is, not all plants benefit from it. Plants in the Brassica family do not use mycorrhiza (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale).
Organic Farming	Organic farmers rely on natural processes, biodiversity, and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than the use of synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. GMOs are not allowed in organic. Organic farming relies on natural principles like biodiversity and composting instead to produce healthy, abundant food. They apply techniques such as crop rotation.

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