Soil is literally and figuratively the foundation of all of life. Managing soil fertility is imperative to producing food to feed the world and our livestock. The Pendleton County Extension Office, like all Extension offices across the Commonwealth, provides soil testing for farmers to understand what lies beneath the crust and agents provide valuable information on how to provide ample nutrients to improve and maximize yield of vegetables, fruits, row crops, and forages.

In 2017, the Pendleton County Agriculture Agent assisted 47 farmers with 187 soil sample tests. Fertilizer and management recommendations were tailored to specific crop needs and passed along to farmers. Many of the farmers through follow-up conversations reported an increase in overall production and yield of specifically hay crops. One farmer is quoted "I followed your recommendations, and more than tripled my yields."

Farmers who invest their time to better manage their soil fertility receive dividends in crop production and yields. Increasing yields in hay pasture fields, decreases the need to purchase off farm forages to sustain livestock and improves the economic gain of producing their own hay.