Bennington County residents may be able to receive support from the Conservation District for soil testing. If you qualify, we can collect your soil samples at no cost and cover the fees for basic laboratory testing. Your only expense would be shipping. Please note that our assistance applies only to standard soil tests—additional testing, such as heavy metal analysis, would need to be paid for by the landowner.

Regular soil testing comes with many benefits. It helps you understand the nutrient levels and overall health of your soil, allowing you to make more informed decisions about fertilizer use and soil amendments. This can save money, improve crop yields, and reduce the risk of nutrient runoff into nearby waterways. Soil testing also helps track changes in soil health over time, making it easier to manage land sustainably.

This service is especially helpful for farmers participating in NRCS programs like EQIP or CSP. Many conservation practices in these programs require baseline soil data, and having accurate soil test results can support planning, compliance, and long-term land management.

If interested, you will need to have your fields mapped out and labeled prior to the arrival of our technician. During the visit, our technician will take soil samples throughout the fields you have identified on foot. Depending on the size of the area, this can take anywhere from an hour to a day. 

To sign up, you can use this link to schedule soil testing with our technician, Coryn Britton, directly.

Or you can fill out this form and someone from the Conservation District will get back to you to set up a site visit.