Rooted in the earth

摘要

The philosophy of the Soil Association is rooted in our very name: caring for our soil. Monty Don reflected on this after attending the Soil Association conference.What struck me at the recent Soil Association conference is the incredible amount of sheer hard work that is being done by the Soil Association and its partners to look after our soil.For me, their work translates as a real engagement with the soil and the earth itself; not the idea of it, but the actual, physical soil. This engagement is also what motivates me. So, for me, the very idea of a Soil Association is a beautiful thing. It's a profound thing. Soil is at the core of everything that this organisation does, whether it be in schools, whether it be project-based, whether it be raising money... it's about the soil. Nothing could be more important. Increasingly I'm coming to believe that, as I learn more, soil is the central issue of conservation. The degradation of our soil is the biggest potential disaster facing us all, and it should be at the core of our thinking.