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Our Good Earth

The future rests on the soil beneath our feet.

/2008/09/soil/img/1-aerial-watershed-wisconsin-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-01.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185481 /2008/09/soil/img/2-loess-plateau-china-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-02.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185475 /2008/09/soil/img/3-farmer-grass-prairie-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-03.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson Rancher Jim Duggan holds a stalk of big bluestem, one of the native grasses growing on 40 acres of his farmland that have never been plowed. "This land is the best there is," he says. "It's class-one river-bottom soil." Compared with tilled fields, the parcel has deeper, richer topsoil and soaks up more rain.]]> /2008/09/soil/img/4-women-children-niger-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-04.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson Mariama Abdoulaye feeds her family with millet she grows on once barren land. After severe droughts in the 1970s and â80s, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization enlisted Abdoulaye and 10,000 other women to plant millions of trees. Tree roots block wind-driven erosion and help rain penetrate the earth.]]> /2008/09/soil/img/5-yunnan-retaining-wall-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-05.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson Perched on an earthen retaining wall, Zhu Minying holds cords used to bundle harvested rice. Soil here reflects human activities that began with reshaping hillsides into grand staircases of grain. Rice stubble left to decay in the field, manure, and fish raised in the paddy water, all add nutrients to Zhu's soil.]]> /2008/09/soil/img/6-farmer-syria-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-06.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson Farmers like Ismail Hassoun Hariri struggle to grow even hardy barley in this parched land. Soil and rock eroded from surrounding hills lie thick in the valley, but annual rainfall averages only nine inches. In some very dry years the barley crop fails to mature and can only be used to feed sheep and goats.]]> /2008/09/soil/img/7-rice-harvest-yunnan-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-07.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson /2008/09/soil/img/8-syria-dead-city-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-08.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185484 /2008/09/soil/img/9-indian-grass-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-09.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185476 /2008/09/soil/img/10-colorado-cracked-ground-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-10.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185477 /2008/09/soil/img/11-washington-farm-aerial-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-11.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185478 /2008/09/soil/img/12-amazon-pit-scientists-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-12.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson = /2008/09/soil/img/13-people-farm-water-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-13.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson /2008/09/soil/img/14-china-barren-plateau-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-14.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185488 /2008/09/soil/img/15-hands-photo-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-15.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185489 /2008/09/soil/img/16-woman-baby-grain-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-16.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson /2008/09/soil/img/17-farmer-boy-corn-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-17.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson /2008/09/soil/img/18-steptoe-hills-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-18.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185501 /2008/09/soil/img/19-roots-soil-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-19.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185496 /2008/09/soil/img/20-man-container-roots-475.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-20.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson /2008/09/soil/img/21-soil-samples-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-21.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185498 /2008/09/soil/img/22-horse-plowing-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-22.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1185499 /2008/09/soil/img/23-farmer-family-burkina-faso-714.jpg /2008/09/soil/img/soil-60-23.jpg Photograph by Jim Richardson