Field Notes: Behind the "Soil Your Chonies Challenge"

Measuring Soil Health with Citizen Science 🧑‍🔬🔬 🦠 

This year’s World Soil Day 2024 theme, "Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage," perfectly aligns with the work we’re doing at Catena Commons through the Soil Your Chonies Challenge. Observed annually on December 5, World Soil Day emphasizes the importance of healthy soils and sustainable management practices that ensure global food security.

At Catena Commons, we’re making soil science hands-on, accessible, and fun by inviting everyone to participate in the Soil Your Chonies Challenge. The challenge puts the World Soil Day theme into action, encouraging people to measure, monitor, and manage their soil health—whether in their backyards, farms, or community gardens.

For more information about the challenge, visit soilyourchonies.com, where you’ll find details about how to participate and see how others chonies handle the challenge. 🕵️ 

Chonie 1: Lessons from a Fallowed Field

Our first Chonie Harvest ™️came from a field that had been fallowed—left uncultivated—for two years. To the untrained eye, this field might have seemed lifeless, barren, and forgotten. But when we dug up Chonie 1, the results told a different story.

Despite two years of idling, the field still showed significant decomposition of the cotton undies. This is a clear indicator of healthy microbial activity—the tiny, invisible workers in the soil breaking down organic material. It’s a powerful reminder that soil health can persist even in fields that appear neglected, and with a little care, these fields can be revived to support future productivity.

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The Bigger Picture: Desertification and Food Security

The story of Chonie 1 ties directly into the global challenges of desertification and food security. As farmland increasingly transitions to fallow or idle status—often due to urban development or farmers retiring—we face a growing risk of soil degradation. Fields that sit unused for long periods can lose organic matter, microbial diversity, and the structure needed to sustain crops.

However, as Chonie 1 shows, even fallowed fields can retain life beneath the surface. By measuring, monitoring, and managing these soils, we can unlock their potential to contribute to sustainable food production and prevent desertification.

Desertification isn’t just a rural issue—it’s a global crisis. Fields that are left idle due to economic or social factors are opportunities waiting to be rediscovered. With targeted efforts like planting cover crops, restoring organic matter, and supporting microbial life, these fields can transition from lifeless to productive, bolstering food security and protecting against climate risks.

A Call to Action 📣 

The Soil Your Chonies Challenge highlights the importance of paying attention to what lies beneath. It’s not just about burying cotton underwear—it’s about uncovering the potential in every soil, from backyard gardens to fallowed fields. Our challenge emphasizes how simple actions, like observing microbial decomposition, can lead to better soil management strategies on a global scale.

The 2024 World Soil Day, hosted in Riyadh during the 16th UNCCD COP, underscores the urgency of these efforts. By shining a light on the link between soil health, food security, and climate resilience, we can inspire individuals and communities to take action—starting with the soil in their own backyards.

What’s Next? Chonies 2 and 3

Chonie 1 was just the beginning. This week, we’re unveiling Chonies 2 and 3, revealing even more insights into how microbial activity varies across different soils. These next results will highlight how fallowed, cultivated, and grazed soils compare in their ability to sustain life and support food production.

Join the Movement

Fallowed fields and idle soils don’t have to be lifeless. With a little care, they can surprise you. The Soil Your Chonies Challenge makes it easy to explore and revive your own soil, whether it’s in a garden, a field, or somewhere in between.

Our cheeky harvest video, blending low-brow humor with smart insights, caught the British Society of Soil Science's attention—proof that, much like Monty Python, a little silliness can highlight serious soil science. 🥸 

Visit soilyourchonies.com to pre-order your Chonie Kit and participate in this hands-on soil health experiment. Plus, download the Soil Your Chonies App to track your progress, and learn how to turn your cheeky harvest data into decisions!

Together, we can turn the tide on desertification and food insecurity—one field, one test, and one chonie at a time. 🩲 🌱

👉 Pre-Order Your Chonie Kit Here