Extension specialists were able to display the key differences in soil at various workshops by using old underwear.

Throughout the workshops this past summer, specialists displayed the effects of cotton in carbon-rich soil versus soil low in carbon.

The soil low in carbon would eat away at the old underwear, leaving only the waistband behind, while the underwear left in the carbon-rich soil would hardly seem affected.

The specialists warn about the dangers of overgrazing as well. If cows do not eat all of the grass in a pasture, it is not necessarily wasting, since the remaining grass is "feeding" organisms in the soil. 

Test your soil with old cotton or old underwear to see how carbon-rich your soil is.