Expert Soil & Environmental Consulting Services Specializing in Soil Health
Subject matter expert with over 20 years experience in soil health, agriculture, and wildlife food plots/habitat management.
Subject matter expert with over 20 years experience in soil health, agriculture, and wildlife food plots/habitat management.
Black Canyon SEC is dedicated to providing answers, education, sustainable solutions, and effective ideas that not only improve profitability & enjoyment of the client but also help to protect the planet for future generations.
Adam A. Zimmerman was raised in Tennessee and had the pleasure of being a farmhand on various Ag systems while growing up. These ranged from commercial hay production, horse breaking, row crops, beef cattle, and dairy operations. Starting in 2004 after returning home from the US Navy, Adam was able to merge his passion for natural science and hunting to begin transforming a hunting property his Dad had purchased for the family to enjoy and hunt on. The changes included: re-clearing old fields, combatting overgrown weeds, keeping invasive trees at bay, planting crops for deer & turkeys, planting cover crops, planting perennial food plots, planting fruit orchards, building water holes, improving efficiency in the planting system, and making sure our actions and inputs were sustainable. All of this was accomplished on a tight budget as the property was never meant to make money, so they had to keep costs low. This experience of a long term and low budget project was an amazing way for Adam to hone his skills and learn how to transform landscapes.
Adam chased his dream of becoming a scientist in 2014 and returned to school using his VA benefits. He earned an Associate's degree in Pre-engineering from Roane State Community College in 2016, and then went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Environmental and Soil Science in 2018 from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Adam received a full scholarship to graduate school from UT and earned a Master's degree in 2021 after completing 2 years of field research and authoring a graduate research thesis. Adam could not be more grateful for his opportunity of education and is extremely passionate about sharing his knowledge with people.
Adam not only has the experience of farm work, but is also well-equipped for the technological requirements of modern science and understands adaptive management needed for differing landscapes.
Adam thrives in the concept of whole system ecological thinking regarding agricultural and environmental land uses.
He is an excellent verbal and written science communicator with a passion for stakeholder advocacy and public outreach/education. Adam's drive for maximizing efficiency and sustainability in all tasks/processes is a passion.
Hands on experience in soil research, including but not limited to the assessment of in-situ water infiltration rates and soil microbial biomass carbon values.
Extensive knowledge of soil and water sampling techniques and monitoring systems.
Familiar with agricultural nutrient/fertilizer management and irrigation practices, also passionate about increasing agricultural efficiency and decreasing negative impacts.
Capable in all manners of soil/agricultural/environmental sciences with experience in pedology, soil morphology, biogeochemistry, landscape analysis/management, hydrological monitoring, fertilizer recommendations, and soil analysis.
Experience in Microsoft Office suite, ArcGIS, SAS, and JMP statistical programs.
Lifetime of hands-on farm work experience, including farm machinery and wildlife management systems for private hunting land parcels.
Subject matter expert in Soil Health and Agro-ecology, most specifically cover crops.
Conducted USDA-funded research on cover crops, infiltration, and soil microbial data under typical Tennessee no-till row crop production management systems as an attempt to identify potential climate change adaptations.
Analyzed infiltration and soil microbial carbon data using statistical software to identify any potentially significant differences based on prescribed treatment of research cover crop plots.
Presented a 20-minute in-field demonstration to local stakeholders of the Saturo (Meter Group) automated infiltrometers used in my thesis research to public shareholders at the University of Tennessee East Tennessee Research and Education Center.
Worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Dr. Neal Eash’s Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management class (ESS 334 - 40 students) for the entire semester. This included: scheduling; writing quizzes, labs, and exams; giving multiple lectures; leading many 2+ hour lab sessions; providing demonstrations of equipment; proctoring tests; grading all types of assignments; entering grades into online platforms; and advising undergraduate students in the class.
Was invited to give a 40-minute lecture on infiltration to Dr. Jaehoon Lee’s Soil Physics class (ESS 444/544 - 40 students).
Was invited to present a public demonstration of my research and the automated infiltrometers used for my thesis at the 2020 Milan No-till Field Day at the University of Tennessee Research and Education Center at Milan. This unfortunately became virtual due to COVID so a recorded video/power point presentation was uploaded instead.
Please reach out at Adam@BlackCanyonSEC.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Soil survey mapping
Soil testing and results interpretations
Soil microbiological testing and results interpretations
Soil organism microscopy analysis
Infiltration rate testing
Soil compaction testing
Research test plot design
Soil health data tracking
Consulting and research for a wide range of issues, including but not limited to:
General soil health
No-till implementation
Cover crops
Fertility/nutrient management
Composting
Crop seeds
Backyard gardening
Wildlife food plots
Wildlife habitat management
Small orchard design
Pollinator plantings
Conservation plantings
Ag equipment
Farm efficiency improvements
Regenerative agriculture
Crop production: Healthy soil is the foundation for productive agriculture and can lead to higher crop yields.
Water management: Healthy soil absorbs and retains more water, which means more water is available for crops. This also reduces the risk of runoff and erosion.
Nutrient cycling: Healthy soil cycles nutrients efficiently, which can improve plant growth.
Carbon sequestration: Healthy soil can capture and store large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, which can help combat climate change.
Reduced costs: Healthy soil can reduce production costs and improve profits for farmers.
Wildlife habitat: Healthy soil can sustain wildlife habitat and support diverse wildlife.
Clean air and water: Healthy soil can provide clean air and water.
Ecosystem health: Healthy soil supports a robust ecosystem with a variety of plants, animals, and insects.
Healthy soil is a living ecosystem that contains billions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes. A healthy soil should have a balance of different types of organic materials, such as dead and living plant roots, soil organisms, and other molecules.
No, I offer my services to whomever would like to use them. Many of these processes can be accomplished over distances using technology. Some instances may require me to be in-person, but those are situational and not typically necessary.
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