For routine soil testing for farm and garden fertility recommendations, please visit the Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab page for sample submission information. Note: Appointments are not required for dropping off these soils.

About SHREC

The Soil Health Research and Extension Center (SHREC) provides results, recommendations, and education to Vermont farmers and agricultural service providers. In addition to soil health testing, SHREC will provide applied research, outreach, and education throughout the state.

What is SHREC? Fact Sheet

Testing Capabilities

SHREC currently has the following soil health testing capabilities including: 

• Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (POXC)
• Autoclaved Citrate Extractable (ACE) Protein
• Total Carbon and Total Nitrogen
• Wet Aggregate Stability
• Soil Respiration
• Phospholipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) to measure fungal to bacterial ratios (coming soon)
• CEMA 216 Soil Health Testing 

Soil Sampling, Sample Submission, and Payment:

• How to use the SHREC Lab
• How to take a soil health sample
• SHREC Submission Form
• SHREC Payment Portal (coming soon)

Tests and Costs 

• Wet Aggregate Stability (WAS) $27.00
• Active Carbon (POXC) $12.50
• ACE Protein (ACE) $14.00
• Total Carbon & Nitrogen (TC/TN) $22.00
• Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) $33.00
• Respiration (RESP) $25.00
• SHREC Soil Health Analysis Package $50.00
  • WAS, POXC, ACE, Soil Texture 
• SHREC Soil Health Analysis Package II (NRCS CEMA 216) $150.00
  • WAS, POXC, ACE, Respiration, SOC, Soil Texture, Soil pH 

Mailing address 

(please do not ship samples to the “contact” address at the bottom of this page)

SHREC Lab

Jeffords Hall

63 Carrigan Drive

Burlington, VT 05405

Contact

For general questions regarding SHREC services and activities, please reach out to SHREC@uvm.edu.  Specific contacts are listed below: 

• Joshua Faulkner (Joshua.Faulkner@uvm.edu) - SHREC Director
• Deb Neher (Deborah.Neher@uvm.edu) - SHREC Associate Director
• Marie English (Marie.English@uvm.edu) – SHREC Lab Manager
• Heather Darby (Heather.Darby@uvm.edu) – SHREC Extension Coordinator
• Shawn Lucas (Shawn.Lucas@uvm.edu) – Extension Assistant Professor

SHREC is funded by the Food Systems Research Institute.