PARIS, Ohio —When Stark Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) reached out to Hans Baltzly of Baltzly Cattle to see if he was interested in submitting a soil sample for the Heathiest Soil award, he knew exactly where he wanted the sample to come from: the pasture.

“As far as I can tell, the pasture has been undisturbed and untilled for many decades, like back into the 1960s,” Baltzly said, adding that he has aerial images of the pasture from decades ago showing that the area has been consistently grass covered and undisturbed.

Baltzly’s pasture soil won the coveted 2023 Healthiest Soil award bestowed by the Stark SWCD. The annual award is given to the farm that scores the highest on five soil health tests that include measures of the stability of soil when exposed to rapid wetting, soil structure, smell, infiltration, and organic matter.

The soil test, dubbed the Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH) was conducted by Cornell University’s Soil Health Laboratory. The CASH goes beyond traditional nutrient level testing, providing standardized information on important soil biological and physical constraints in addition to nutrient analyses. CASH is regarded as a key tool for soil health measurement regularly used by the American Farmland Trust and the Soil Health Institute.

Baltzly is proud of his win and says that being able to put a value on the health of the soil demonstrates that the work he has put into the farm is paying off. Baltzly purchased his cattle farm in 2014, beginning with a small herd of 20. Over the years, he has improved the farm’s infrastructure, water systems, and grazing methods. He decided to stop selling feeder calves, opting for a direct-to-consumer model selling 100% grass-fed beef. Baltzly’s herd has now grown to 45 animals that are rotationally grazed on a daily schedule.

“A farm is essentially soil,” Baltzly said. “Healthy soil will produce more tonnage of feedstuffs for our animals.”

Healthy soil is the cornerstone of productive, sustainable agriculture. Rotational grazing of cattle can recycle nutrients across the landscape, returning nutrients and organic matter back into the land. No-till or reduced-till farming can prevent soil erosion, keeping the land healthy and strong during inclement weather. For cattlemen, healthy soil is important for quality forage for the animals. 

Baltzly posted about his win on the farm’s Facebook page, writing that the award represents how previous generations treated the land, leaving soil that is functional and able to provide. He received an outpouring of support from the page’s followers.

“It seemed like our customers cared that we were taking care of our natural resources,” Baltzly said.

Awards for healthy soil or other measures of a farm’s environment could be a selling point for customers, especially those who are interested in buying grass-fed beef. Baltzly said that his customers are likely to put a high value on purchasing meat from farms that take an active interest and make efforts to protect natural resources.