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When most people think about "politics", they picture political parties, elections, laws, and debates. Soil is usually the last thing that comes to mind. Yet soil is one of the most vital political and economic resources on Earth. Every human society depends on the thin layer of living soil beneath our feet. Without functioning soil, there is no agriculture. Without agriculture, there is no food. And without food, there are no communities, economies, or civilizations. A

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026, it is worth remembering that America was founded as an agrarian nation. Agriculture was not simply an occupation in early America—it was the foundation upon which the country was built. Several of the nation's Founding Fathers, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, were farmers themselves. Other Founding Fathers like Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, James Madison, and Samuel Adams promoted agricultural i

A Familiar Story We Keep Repeating Dust storms and degraded landscapes are not relics of the 1930s—they are ongoing realities. The conditions may look different, and the impacts may feel less immediate, but the underlying processes remain the same. After the Dust Bowl, we invested heavily in soil science. We built institutions, created conservation programs, and developed technologies designed to protect soil. For more than 90 years, we have expanded these efforts—measuring,