If this, then that

If you had a nice tall glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a big straw right in front of you, what would you do? You'd probably suck up all that juice because you like the taste. At the same time you'd be giving your body all of the juice's nutrients. Those nutrients help give you energy to think and play and get through the day feeling good.

If you've ever done this, you are acting just like a plant. How does a plant get nutrients from the soil up to its stems and leaves? Through its "straw"—its roots. A plant's root system allows it to suck up nutrients in the soil and transform them into energy to grow. It's a chain effect: Plants receive vitamins and minerals from the soil, and people receive vitamins and minerals from plants.

What if the roots of an orange tree "drank" some synthetic chemicals that were in the soil? Could those chemicals get into the fruit—and into the juice you drink? Yes, they could—and that is why we want soil to be healthy. Healthy soil makes healthy food, and healthy food makes healthy YOU! Soil is the basis of it all. See a picture of how healthy soil makes healthy plants.

If soil health is so important, how can you make sure that the soil your food is grown in is healthy? You have to become a soil detective.