Tools & Techniques for Assessing Soil Health
Maintaining soil health is critical for all scales of agricultural production. In this workshop, you’ll have an opportunity to learn from soil scientists James Cassidy and Leslie Michel about tests and resources available for assessing the physical and biological properties of soils. In addition, fresh market grower Jorge Cano will report on his farm’s techniques for building soil health, including no-till, cover crops, and compost teas.
About the Speakers
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Jorge Cano
Casa Cano FarmJorge Cano was born and raised in Spokane, where a high school environmental studies class sparked his passion for agriculture. After studying sustainable food and farming at the University of Montana and working on farms during college, he and his wife, Madyson, founded Casa Cano Farms in Valleyford in 2014. Together they raise vegetables, microgreens, pigs, and cows, and have also been building out a regional food hub to strengthen Spokane’s local food system. As first-generation farmers, they are proud to contribute to a resilient and growing local food community.
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James Cassidy
Oregon State UniversityJames Cassidy has been an Instructor of Soil Science at Oregon State University for over 20 years. The introductory class now has over 100 students each term and is very popular. James is also the founder and faculty advisor for the wildly popular OSU Organic Growers Club – OSU’s student farm. Coming from a non-traditional background (music industry for over 40+ years) he is passionate about soil and is popular with students because of his dynamic speaking style. The student farm project has over 300 student volunteers on it’s list-serve and continues to grow. Over 30,000 students have participated in the farm’s programs. The farm is largely self-supported through produce sales and cultivates over 50 different fruit and vegetable crops and is in the middle of it’s 25th season.
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Leslie Michel
Washington State Dept. of AgricultureLeslie Michel is a Soil Scientist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Agricultural Sciences Program (WSDA NRAS), where she has worked since 2019. She grew up on a farm and now lives on a dryland wheat and cattle ranch in Eastern Washington. Leslie earned her B.S. in Soil Resources Management from Oregon State University in 2012 and her M.S. in Soil Science from Washington State University in 2022.
With two decades of experience supporting agriculture, Leslie has partnered with farmers and ranchers across Washington to test practical, on-the-ground solutions, including cover crops and grazing trials. Much of her current work centers on the Washington Soil Health Initiative, where she supports soil sampling, training efforts and the Soil Health Ambassador project. She also provides technical support to the Voluntary Stewardship Program, helping counties integrate practical monitoring approaches into their planning efforts.