Impenetrable. Forgotten. Yet full of memory.

This sample, now hard as clay, was once teeming with life. Just 8 weeks ago, I had measured its fungal-to-bacterial ratio at 0.8:1—a promising sign as I prepared to plant tomato saplings. I had spotted bacteria, actinobacteria, and protozoa. I was scouting for root feeders.

Then life got busy. The tube was set aside, unnoticed.

Coming back to it, I found not just compacted soil—but a compelling reminder of how fast soil can shift from alive to inert.  Serendipitously, I had just stumbled across two BBC articles: one on the post-WWII struggle for food in France, and another on our sinking cities. The parallels struck me—when we forget the ground beneath us, we risk more than lost harvests.

Explore the full story, photos, and thoughts on Medium.

 
Because every gram of soil has something to say.