In this episode, Mary Sketch of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and Jeff Ishee of On the Farm Radio talk with Virginia's Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring who shares her love for and tie to nature, forests, and soils; and how that love and those connections made a difference in her trajectory and career. Secretary Ring was introduced to gardening and nature by her grandparents and parents and the connections they made for her to land, water, and soil. Secretary Ring admits that she would "nerd out" on soil early on in her life because she was so intrigued with the biology and the science of soil formation. Her knowledge of soil provided a solid foundation for her career as a state forester, urban forester, natural resource conservationist, and secretary for agriculture and forestry.

Thinking long-term, we want to eliminate erosion and keep soil in place. Secretary Ring says we all need to be soil keepers and take the 4 The Soil pledge for the future of the Commonwealth and for a healthy viable economy.

To do your part as a soil keeper, take the pledge at https://www.4thesoil.org/#Pledge

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.